U.S. Gulf Coast port
Shipping heavy equipment from the Port of New Orleans
New Orleans handles containers, flat racks and breakbulk: boxes load at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal, and breakbulk and heavy lift at Nashville Avenue, Louisiana Avenue and First Street, while Port NOLA lists RoRo capacity at Nashville Avenue but no weekly RoRo service[1][2][4].
Official website: Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA). Terminal names and figures on this page come from its own publications, listed under Sources.
Container, flat rack, RoRo and breakbulk here
| Method | At this port | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Container | Yes | Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal, run by New Orleans Terminal and Ports America, with six gantry cranes and on-dock rail at the Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal[1][2]. |
| Flat rack | Yes | Flat racks are containers, so they load at Napoleon Avenue with the carrier’s other boxes[1]. |
| RoRo | No | Not as a regular service. Port NOLA lists RoRo capacity at two locations at Nashville Avenue, but its carrier list names no weekly RoRo line[1][4]. Use the Port of Houston |
| Breakbulk | Yes | Nashville Avenue, Ports America’s heavy-lift and project cargo terminal with three mobile harbor cranes, plus Louisiana Avenue (Ports America), First Street (QSL) and Milan Street[1]. |
Terminals and rail
The container and main breakbulk terminals sit side by side on the east bank of the Mississippi in Uptown New Orleans: Napoleon Avenue at river mile 99.5 and Nashville Avenue from mile 99.8 to 101.1[1]. Napoleon Avenue has 50 ft (15.24 m) of water, which drops to 47 ft (14.32 m) when the river is below a 3-foot stage[1]. Port NOLA also offers direct ship-to-barge loading for breakbulk and heavy lift, which suits loads bound up the river system[2].
The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, a switching railroad aligned with Port NOLA, connects directly with BNSF, CN, CSX, CPKC, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific[5][7]. It serves Nashville Avenue on both the front and rear aprons, so heavy pieces can move between railcar and ship at the wharf[1]. Port NOLA is also developing the Louisiana International Terminal, a new container terminal with Terminal Investment Limited (MSC) and Ports America, which received its Army Corps of Engineers permit in August 2026[6].
Questions about shipping from New Orleans
Can I ship a flat rack from New Orleans?
Yes. Flat racks load at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal with standard containers, and carriers including MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd call there.
Does the Port of New Orleans handle RoRo?
Nashville Avenue has RoRo capacity, but Port NOLA lists no weekly RoRo line. For a machine that drives on, we usually book RoRo out of Houston, where several multi-purpose terminals handle it.
Is New Orleans a good port for heavy lift and project cargo?
Yes. Nashville Avenue is a dedicated heavy-lift and project cargo terminal with mobile harbor cranes, rail on the wharf and direct loading to barge, and more than 20 breakbulk and heavy-lift carriers serve the port.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below, each checked on the date shown. Carriers and authorities revise them, so we confirm the current figure when we book.
- [1]Port of New Orleans, Terminals, checked October 18, 2026
- [2]Port of New Orleans, Cargo handling capabilities, checked October 18, 2026
- [3]Port of New Orleans, Cargo volumes continue to climb in first half of 2025, checked October 18, 2026
- [4]Port of New Orleans, Ocean carriers, checked October 18, 2026
- [5]New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, NOPB system, checked October 18, 2026
- [6]Port of New Orleans, Army Corps grants federal permit for Louisiana International Terminal, checked October 18, 2026
- [7]Port of New Orleans, Rail, checked October 18, 2026
Send us the machine and the destination
Give us the model or the measured dimensions and weight. We come back with the method, the sailing and a price, and the figures behind them.