We offer tailored rail freight services adapted to your specific needs. Our vision is to always work proactively, provide personalized service, and meet new conditions as they arise. Let us help you transport your goods efficiently and securely via the rail network.
See our other shipping options; sea freight, road freight and air freight.
Rail freight with Bertling
Bertling is known for its fast, flexible, and personalized service. Rail freight is an advantageous mode of transport due to its low costs and high load capacity. We offer competitive freight rates and exceptional service tailored to your needs.
Bertling operates within a worldwide network of partners. We always ensure safe transportation, with goods smoothly transported to their final destination within the estimated timeframe. Our goal is to always offer flexible solutions at competitive prices.
Rail freight is critically important for countries with vast territories. Bertling brings extensive expertise to these remote areas, managing rail freight shipments with proficiency and skill. Bertling can arrange transportation by rail from any origin in Europe or China, navigating border stations where cargo is transferred from European railcars to FSU railcars, as well as facilitating shipments in FSU railcars through Baltic or Black Sea ports to any destination in the FSU, or vice versa.
Bertling's in-house engineers specialize in developing lashing and securing designs for heavy lift (HL) and out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo on specialized railway transporters. In collaboration with Railway Authorities, Bertling's engineers hold the record for designing, lashing, securing, and shipping the largest and heaviest items in the world by rail.
Railcars
A railcar is a vehicle specifically engineered for transporting cargo along railway tracks. Railcars come in various types and is each tailored to its specific purpose. Bertling operates modern 16-axle depressed-center railcars in North America, with a maximum carrying capacity of 835,000 lbs. These specialized railcars are designed to transport heavy loads, including transformers, turbines, generators, engines, and other essential equipment for the power industry.
Read more about our railcars here.
What is rail freight?
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Rail freight is a method of transporting goods and cargo via trains across rail networks. This mode of transportation can be used both domestically and internationally, which enables efficient movement of various types of cargo. This can include bulk commodities, containers, vehicles and other specialized freight.
Rail freight is utilized across various industries including manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and retail. It is particularly advantageous for transporting raw materials to factories, finished goods to distribution centers, and consumer products to markets.
Break bulk
Sometimes it is not possible to transport goods in containers, and break bulk solutions are the optimal choice. We have extensive experience handling break bulk cargo at Bertling and specialize in creating multi-modal transport solutions tailored for oversized and overweight components. We have the team, knowledge, and resources to offer complete “factory to foundation” delivery solutions for the largest and heaviest components required for power generation, oil and gas, construction, industrial, and mining industries. One of our most prominent capabilities is finding creative solutions to transport even the most unusual goods to destinations worldwide.
Container
We transport goods in containers across the globe. Rail freight with containers is a standardized and reliable method of transport that is both economical and environmentally friendly. It is also a flexible solution that can be adapted to transport goods that do not fit in a standard container. If it is not cost-effective to use a full container for your goods, there is also the option of LTL (Less Train Load), where you can share a container with other shippers to optimize costs.
Read more here on how to choose the correct type of shipping container.
Benefits of rail freight transportation
Rail freight transportation offers numerous advantages, making it an excellent choice for various industries. Here are the key benefits:
- Cost-effectiveness: Rail freight is often more economical, especially for long-distance shipments. The ability to transport large quantities of goods in a single trip reduces the cost per unit of freight.
- High load capacity: Trains can carry substantial amounts of cargo, making rail freight ideal for bulk shipments and heavy goods that would be impractical or too costly to move by road or air.
- Environmental sustainability: Rail transport emits significantly fewer greenhouse gasses per ton-mile compared to road and air transport, making it a more sustainable option for reducing carbon footprints.
- Energy efficiency: Trains are more fuel-efficient than trucks, especially over long distances, leading to lower energy consumption and reduced fuel costs.
- Safety: Transporting goods by rail is generally safer, with a lower risk of accidents, cargo theft, or damage. This is particularly important for hazardous or high-value goods.
- Intermodal connectivity: Rail freight is a key component of intermodal transportation, allowing for flexible and efficient logistics solutions by combining multiple transport modes (e.g., rail, road, sea).
- Long-distance efficiency: Rail freight offers an efficient balance of speed, capacity, and cost for long-distance transportation, which is challenging to match with road transport.
- Extensive infrastructure and network: Rail infrastructure is well-established and extensive, particularly in developed regions, allowing for widespread distribution and access to remote or landlocked areas.
Our rail freight services
We offer the following services:
- Import
- Export
- Door-to-door
- Full Train Load (FTL) / Less Train Load (LTL)
- Break Bulk
- Cross Trade
- Multimodal transport
- Customs services
- Warehousing
How can Bertling support you?
Bertling offers comprehensive rail freight solutions tailored to your specific needs. Our expertise ensures that your goods are transported efficiently, safely, and cost-effectively. Whether you need assistance with complex logistics, intermodal transport, or securing heavy and oversized cargo, our team is here to help.
Contact Bertling today to learn more about our services and for prices on our rail freight services.
