BNSF RELOAD service has been introduced for westbound domestic freight, using import containers before they are returned overseas. The Fort Worth-based railroad announced the program on 3 June 2026.

BNSF RELOAD service opens westbound container use
Photo: BNSF

The product allows 20 ft and 40 ft imported containers⁠ to carry U.S. cargo toward the West Coast after inland import deliveries are completed. This provides an alternative to repositioning those boxes empty.

Imported containers move westbound with domestic freight

Under RELOAD, IMCs can access empty container supply across the network, while ocean carriers receive another channel for marketing available box capacity. BNSF’s 2026 Intermodal Resource Guide presents the program as part of the railroad’s westbound shipment offering for IMCs and ocean carriers.

The service also supports container tracking, billing management and box-supply functions through a BNSF dashboard. BNSF cites IMC Logistics as an early user of the system for securing container supply and managing domestic repositioning activity.

BNSF RELOAD service follows Matchback logic

RELOAD follows the same equipment-use logic as BNSF’s Matchback program. Matchback pairs empty import containers with export cargoes, including grain and other agricultural commodities, while RELOAD applies that approach to westbound domestic freight.

According to BNSF’s 2026 intermodal guide⁠, the railroad’s intermodal network covers 32,500 route miles in 28 U.S. states and serves all major U.S. West Coast ports. The same guide states that BNSF moved more than 5m intermodal shipments last year.