Solid Waste and Refuse
Municipal waste consists of garbage that municipalities collect from local residences and businesses and transport to a properly permitted landfill for ultimate disposal. It also includes other industrial waste that is either moving to destinations for further processing/recycling or moving to a properly licensed landfill for ultimate disposal. Movement of waste products is somewhat unique in that typically the move involves a trainload at both ends, but unlike Intermodal, the customer does all the loading and unloading.
Browse the tabs below for more details on shipping solid waste and refuse products with BNSF.
Tools and content that have a lock icon next to them require a bnsf.com login id in order to access. If you do not have your bnsf.com login id, register now and get immediate access.
Use our Carload Shipping Advisor tool to obtain a price for shipping solid waste and refuse products.
Watch a demo of the Carload Shipping Advisory now (no login necessary).
Pricing Tools and Resources
- Solid waste and refuse products are moved under various price authorities .
- A Mileage-Based Fuel Surcharge is applicable on all BNSF solid waste and refuse product shipments.
- BNSF requires a completed and approved credit application prior to a shipment order.
Key STCCs (Standard Transportation Commodity Codes)
Key STCCs for solid waste and refuse products (but not limited to):
| STCC | Description |
|---|---|
| 40251 and 40291 | Contact your sales representative |
| 48xxxxx | Hazardous waste |
BNSF provides superior customer service and support through our dedicated team of shipping experts and our well-maintained fleet that meets the weight and size needs of the industry. With access to most major solid waste and refuse production and consumption areas in the Western United States and joint-line access to Eastern Markets, we have the flexibility to get your goods where they need to go.
- Review transit times for solid waste and refuse products shipped using our single car services.
- BNSF provides service for solid waste and refuse products only on designated routes. Find out where BNSF ships.
- Check to see if BNSF serves your destination using our switching guides.
- Special exceptions exist for freight moving interline. Use our routing guides for moving freight to the CSX, Canadian Pacific, and Canadian National railroads.
- Customers desiring to ship in unit train service must comply with the Unit Train Operating Guidelines. Please note, in order to take advantage of our Unit Train service, you must own or lease your equipment.
Not Rail Served?
- If you are not directly served by a railroad and need delivery by truck, consider using one of our premier transloaders or BNSF Logistics.
- You can also work with our Economic Development team to establish or expand your next site. Talk to us today!
Please select equipment from the drop down.
Containers
A container is a weatherproof box designed for bulk shipment of freight. Domestic containers come in 45 feet, 48 feet and 53 feet in length. Ocean containers come in 20 feet and 40 feet in length. They are designed for all modes of intermodal transport.
Covered Hoppers
| Specifications Table | Diagram (Jumbo) | Diagram (Large) | Diagram (Small) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cubic Capacity | 5161 to 5188 | 4427 to 4750 | 2700 to 3426 |
| GWR | 286,000 lbs | 263,000 lbs | 263,000 to 286,000 lbs |
| Hatch Type | Trough, Combination | Trough, Circular | Trough, Circular |
| Outlet Gates | Gravity, Pneumatic | Gravity, Pneumatic | Gravity |
| Commodities | Grain, Sugar, Malt | Grain, Sugar, Malt, Fertilizers, Potash, Sand, Clay, Alumina, Coke, Lime | Sand, Perlite, Roofing Granules |
| Fleet Size | 15,500 | 16,600 | 2,100 |
Steel Service Gondolas
| Specifications Table | Diagram (52 ft) | Diagram (66 ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Length | 52 ft | 65.6 ft to 66 ft |
| Inside Height | 4 ft to 5.8 ft | 5 ft to 45.5 ft |
| Inside Width | 9.6 ft | 9 ft to 9.6 ft |
| Lading Capacity | 188,000 to 220,000 lbs | 185,000 to 213,000 lbs |
| Cubic Foot Capacity | 2,000 to 2,800 | 3,200 to 3,500 |
| Fleet Size | 725 cars | 1,800 cars |
Private Equipment Policy
If you own your own equipment and plan to ship it on BNSF Railway, your equipment must be registered via the OT5 process that is administered by Railinc. To register, you will need your CIF number, proper UMLER information and the car numbers to be registered. For more information, please contact BNSF Private Equipment Management Team.
Helpful Links
Loading Origin Guarantees
Shippers have the ability to guarantee equipment supply through BNSF's Loading Origins Guarantee (LOGs) program. See more information on the LOGs program.
- Carload Reference Guide
- Carload At A Glance Guide
- Standard Carload Policies are under BNSF 6100-A
- Loading & Shipment Safety
- Extended Equipment Use and Services
- Weight Restriction Maps
- Oversized Shipments Reference Guide
- Oversized FAQs
- Approved Interchange Points for positive handoff of TIH/PIH commodities
- Hazardous Waste Manifest
Sign up for BNSF Customer Updates to receive information regarding:
- Service advisories: Temporary changes to service, including derailments, weather and holiday interruptions.
- Network overviews: Information on the overall BNSF network and regional maintenance of way projects.
- Facility updates: Information related to specific facilities.
- Marketing news: New service or product offerings or permanent changes to existing service.
- Web updates: Information about new or changes to existing Web-enabled tools at bnsf.com.
- Pricing updates : Changes to existing private or public price authorities for both intermodal and carload traffic.
- Customer letters: Customer letters are sent via U.S. Mail from various Marketing groups on a variety of marketing and service-related topics.
Become a New BNSF Customer
|
Begin shipping with BNSF quickly and easily. We will need the following information to get you started with BNSF:
|
817-867-6223 or Customer Development |
Pricing/Rates
| Get a rate quickly with our easy online price lookup tool | Carload Shipping Advisor | |
| If no rate available via Carload Shipping Advisor , contact a BNSF representative via phone or email | Howard Horn | Tel: 817-867-6211 |
Shipping Questions
| Our Customer Support team will answer questions about your shipment, including billing, service, etc |
Customer Support 888-428-2673, option 4, 3 |
| Our Equipment team will help answer your questions regarding equipment | 888-428-2673, option 4, 4 |
Helpful Links
| Quickly find out who is served by BNSF | Serving Carrier Reciprocal Switch Inquiry Tool |
| Easily locate a transloader on BNSF network | Premier Transloader Directory |
| Locate your new site near BNSF or have your existing site served by BNSF | Economic Development |

















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