Container Ground Shipping in 2025

Containers on Wheels: How to Get The Best Container Freight Shipping Quotes

Containers are pouring into North American docks faster than they can be moved inland. Since the 90-day U.S.–China tariff pause in mid-May, ocean bookings to the USA’s West-Coast ports have spiked more than 270 percent in a single week, a surge that has already helped increase shipping rates up 17 percent. And we could see them double again before summer ends.

The extra cargo still has to travel hundreds or sometimes even thousands of miles to their final customers, which is turning the spotlight on ground container transport: port drayage, ramp-to-door rail, and full truckload moves that keep freight flowing across the continent. Freightera folds that entire complicated puzzle into one screen, by giving you live, all-inclusive less-than-truckload (LTL) and full-truckload (FTL) rates in seconds, so you can get the best prices despite prices spiking. For container ground shipping, our freight specialists would be happy to help you get the best rates quickly and efficiently.

Rail On The Rise, Rates Still Affordable

Rail shipping has so far absorbed most of the volume; the Journal of Commerce Intermodal Savings Index shows that US domestic and international intermodal loads are running 6.3 percent above Q1 last year. The pricing hasn’t caught up: domestic intermodal spot quotes remain near multi-year lows, down 0.3 percent year-over-year, even as road freight rates creep are increasing. Freightera’s Quote Machine™ lets you compare and shop around to see current (and lower) intermodal prices compared to FTL. Each quote result comes with its own SmartWay-verified CO₂ savings badge, which gives you insight into your emissions reductions in the same click.

As Demand Increases, So Will Prices

On the streets outside the ports, equipment is spread even more thinly than rates suggest. Chassis makers warn that 2025 demand swings are testing fleets all over again, and logistics analysts see per-diem and detention fees rising whenever the chassis pool falls out of balance. Meanwhile, forecasts from C.H. Robinson point to low price increases for inland rail through the end of 2025, driven by new labor agreements and inflationary fuel pressure. 

Avoid The Entanglement; Ship Easy With Freightera

The USA’s and Canada’s container shipping surges are likely to persist as long as the tariff trims do. With people turning to reshoring, we’re likely to see demand for ground shipping increase too. Ready to turn post-port uncertainty into door-delivered certainty? Register for free, pull an instant quote, or contact us via email, online chat, or simply call our specialists at (800) 886-4870 Ext. 1, and show your team how it’s done.