Wondering which products you can ship by train? The short answer is that trains can haul just about anything. From materials mined from the earth to the products that make a house a home and everything in between, you can ship it by rail.
But let’s get into a little more detail.
Don't miss the "What Can You Ship by Rail?" video at the end!
Building and Construction Materials
Pipe
Ask a rail fan and they’ll say trains build America. Even though they may be a little biased, it’s sort of true. Think about the materials used to build your own home – odds are, they probably moved by rail before making their way to the job site. Those building materials include things like:
- Lumber
- Pipe
- Metals
- Asphalt
- Paper
- Rebar
- Metal Coil
- Bricks
- Shingles and Other Roofing Products
Household Goods
Household Goods
If you take a closer look at the items inside your house, most everything you see can ship by rail.
- Boxes
- Parcels
- Shoes
- Clothing
- Toys
- Furniture
- Appliances
- Electronics
NOTE: While railroads do ship goods that ultimately end up in peoples' homes, they typically don't ship personal property (e.g., an individual person's household goods). So where they do ship household goods, they don't ship individual households.
Food
Food
What’s in your fridge? How about your kitchen cabinets? Most of that — including the cold stuff! — can move by rail.
- Packaged Food
- Canned Goods
- Frozen Food
- Produce
- Seafood
- Cheese
- Chocolate
Beverages
Beverages
Beverages can move by rail, too — even those that come in glass bottles.
- Beer
- Wine
- Tequila
- Orange Juice
Liquids
Liquids
Everything from the fuel that powers your vehicle and heats/cools your home to the corn syrup that sweetens your cereal can be moved by rail.
Large Items
Large Items
Railroads can ship very large, heavy and oversized freight that can be difficult to move by truck.
- Transformers
- Wind Turbines
- Machinery
- Military Vehicles
- Rocket Boosters
Small Items in Large Quantities
Small Items in Large Quantities
Teeny tiny items in really big quantities (better known as bulk items) are also ideal for rail.
- Sand
- Plastic Pellets
- Soda Ash
- Non-Metallic Minerals
- Flour
- Hemp
Vehicles
Vehicles
A train can also move vehicles — and even the parts they're made of (but please note freight railroads typically don't ship personal vehicles).
- Cars
- Trucks
- SUVs
- Auto Parts
A Little Bit of Everything Else
A Little Bit of Everything Else
What else? Well, just about anything can ship by rail.
- Paper
- Recycled Materials
- Solar Panels
- Waste
- Feed Products
- Christmas Trees
- Paint
- Carpet
- Irrigation Equipment
- Fibers
- Grains
- Minerals
- And More (some of which are surprising!)
What's Left?
That leaves one question: What can’t you ship by rail? It’s a short list: Personal property, passengers, pets or other living things.
Learn More
Want to learn more about shipping by rail? Find out where you can ship and how you can ship door-to-door, even if you don’t have access to railroad tracks today. Or, answer a few quick questions to get a rate or connect with a shipping expert.
Related Articles:
- Rail 101 FAQs
- Who Knew?! Six Surprising Things That Move By Rail
- Roadways vs. Railways
- How Do Rail Cars Move?
- Quiz: Can Your Product Ship by Rail?
What Can You Ship by Rail? video
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