Official website: The Northwest Seaport Alliance. 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 | Terminal 5, with six Super Post-Panamax cranes, Terminal 18 and Terminal 30[3]. |
| Flat rack | Yes | Flat racks load at the same container terminals[3]. |
| RoRo | Yes | Terminal 46, an 87-acre auto and breakbulk terminal, takes wheeled and tracked cargo[1]. |
| Breakbulk | Yes | Terminal 46, with over 40 acres of open lay-down and three gantry cranes of 101 US tons (91.4 t) each[1][2]. |
Terminals and rail
BNSF and Union Pacific serve the harbor[1], with on-dock rail at Terminal 5[3]. Lifts over 61 US tons (55 t) at alliance terminals need an outside crane, which we book with the terminal[1].
Questions about shipping from Seattle
Where does RoRo and breakbulk cargo load in Seattle?
At Terminal 46, the alliance’s auto and breakbulk terminal on the Seattle waterfront.
Should I use Seattle or Tacoma?
Both are run by The Northwest Seaport Alliance. The carrier’s rotation usually decides; we quote the one your sailing calls.
Auction yards that ship through this port
Equipment auction yards for which the Port of Seattle is one of the recommended export ports, by road distance from the yard (OSRM, OpenStreetMap).
- Ritchie Bros. Chehalis, WashingtonChehalis, Washington88 mi, about 2 h
- Ritchie Bros. Billings, MontanaBillings, Montana819 mi, about 16.5 h
- Smith Sales Co. Auctioneers, Miles CityMiles City, Montana970 mi, about 19.5 h
- Steffes Group, West FargoWest Fargo, North Dakota1,425 mi, about 28.5 h
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]The Northwest Seaport Alliance, Breakbulk cargo, checked October 18, 2026
- [2]The Northwest Seaport Alliance, Terminal 46, checked October 18, 2026
- [3]The Northwest Seaport Alliance, Terminal 5, checked October 18, 2026
- [4]The Northwest Seaport Alliance, NWSA finishes unprecedented year (2025 volumes), 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.