FAQs

• How do I know if BNSF serves my location?
• What kind of railcars do I need to use for my product?
• How much does a railcar hold?
• What is a STCC code?
• What is a transloader?
• What is an Open vs. Closed rail station?
• How do I get credit with BNSF?
• What is Rule 11?
• How do I learn more about BNSF’s fuel surcharge?
• How do I register for BNSF.com?
• What is my BNSF PIN number for?
• How do I find interline prices?
• What is a dimensional shipment?
• What is demurrage?

How do I know if BNSF serves my location?

BNSF Serves 28 states and two Canadian provinces. We are considered a Class-1 Railroad, and we operate primarily west of the Mississippi. You can use our system map and our switching tool to verify that BNSF serves your location.

• System Map
• Switching Tool

What kind of railcars do I need to use for my product?

There are several different railcars to fit the specific needs of each customer.

• Boxcars are used when dealing with palletized products, sacked products, and other goods that need to be protected from the elements.
• Refrigerated Boxcars are similar to the regular boxcars, except these cars have refrigerated units on them to keep perishable items at the correct temperatures. These cars are sometimes called reefer cars.
• Hoppers come in open top and closed top. Hoppers have unloading funnels at the bottom of the car. Open tops are used for products like sand, clay, gravel, coal, etc., while closed tops are primary used for grains, sugar, flour, and other bulk items that cannot get wet.
• Gondolas are similar to open top hoppers, but they do not have a means of unloading from the bottom of the car. Gondolas primarily carry scrap steel, other steel products, lumber, or any other product that can be lifted out of a railcar and be exposed to the elements.
• Flatcars come in a couple different varieties and sizes. They are primarily used to haul lumber, machinery, pipe, and many other large objects.
• Tank cars are tankers used to move liquid products, such as oil, ethanol, biodiesel, chemicals, etc. BNSF does not own tank cars, therefore the customer must obtain these cars through lease or purchase.

How much does a railcar hold?

Most railcars hold slightly under 200,000 pounds, or 100 tons. This varies depending on size, age, type, and condition of the cars. To find the cubic capacity of most cars, view our car diagrams.

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What is a STCC?

A STCC stands for Standard Transportation Commodity Code. All railroads use the same commodity codes to classify our shipments for safety reasons. By law, the customer must provide the STCC to BNSF before the movement of the commodity can take place. It is also an important piece of information for obtaining rates and choosing the correct equipment.

What is a transloader?

A Transloader is an outside company that works in conjunction with BNSF, other railroads, other trucking companies, and other port customers. They have the ability to transfer goods from truck to rail, from rail to truck, rail to boat, or any other combination of the three. Transloaders offer the option of using rail to customers who are not directly served by BNSF or any railroad. View our Premier Transload Network.

What is an Open vs. Closed rail station?

An open rail station simply means that another rail carrier can access a facility. For example, if a station is open, BNSF and the UP would both have access to that customer. Shortlines can also be a serving carrier. A closed rail station is one that has only one serving carrier. For example, a customer with a BNSF closed facility would be served by the BNSF only.

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How do I get credit with BNSF?

If you are a brand new customer and your company has never shipped on BNSF before, please fill out our New Customer Application for Carload or Intermodal.

If you are an existing customer with BNSF and have shipped via rail in the past, please fill out our credit application.

What is rule 11?

A price authority that allows shipments to be interchanged to another railroad using each carriers specific price authority. It is the shipper who combines each railroads price authority to create and interline rate. Shipping instructions (bill of lading) should only be sent to the origin carrier. Rule 11 must be indicated on the original bill of lading along with each price authority for the rail carriers involved in the movement. The payer of freight will then receive invoices from each carrier involved in the movement of the shipment.

How do I learn more about BNSF's fuel surcharge?

Fuel surcharge is an incremental charge that is added to a freight charge, separate from the line-haul charge, to offset increases in fuel price against the assumed cost of the fuel in the initial freight charge. To learn more about BNSF's percentage- and mileage-based fuel surcharge programs follow one of these links.

• BNSF Fuel Charge
• BNSF Mileage-Based Fuel Surcharge
• BNSF Percentage Based Fuel Surcharge

How do I register for BNSF.com?

If you are a brand new customer and your company has never shipped on BNSF before, please fill out our New Customer Application for Carload or Intermodal.

If your company has shipped with BNSF in the past please register on our website.

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What is my BNSF Pin number for?

Post 9-11, BNSF is doing our part to keep our nation’s rail systems secure. Due to the nature of some of the products we ship, it is important for us to identify our customers before giving out, or changing information, regarding their shipments. The Personal Identification Number (PIN) helps us identify our customers and easily search for your company information upon your call.

How do I find interline prices?

Interline prices can be found using our online Price Look Up tool. If a published interline price is available, the information is shown. If no published interline prices are available for your shipping inquiry, contact your BNSF sales representative to help you locate and publish an interline price.

What is a Dimensional Shipment?

A shipment qualifies as dimensional if it’s over 11 feet wide, and/or over 17 feet tall from the rail. Because the car types are different heights, the actual height for a dimensional shipment can vary. It’s important to know if your shipment is dimensional because BNSF must go through many steps to ensure your product can be moved via rail. More about dimensional shipments...

What is demurrage?

Demurrage is a penalty charge assessed by railroads for the detention of cars by shippers or receivers of freight beyond the allotted free time for loading and unloading. The goal of demurrage is to keep our assets moving so all of our customers can use our equipment. More about demurrage...

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