Commodities by Rail
What each commodity is, which railcar it rides in, how many tons fit in a car, and where it flows across North America. Every entry links the interactive Commodity Flow Map, the Railcar Capacity Guide and the Rail Rate Quote tool.
Grain & Feed
- Corn — Covered hopper, 100–110 tons/car
- Wheat — Covered hopper, 100–112 tons/car
- Soybeans — Covered hopper, 100–110 tons/car
- DDGS (Distillers Dried Grains) — Covered hopper, 95–105 tons/car
- Soybean Meal — Covered hopper, 95–105 tons/car
Energy
- Coal — Open-top hopper or rotary-dump gondola, 110–121 tons/car
- Crude Oil — DOT-117 tank car, 90–100 tons/car
- Ethanol — DOT-117 tank car, 85–95 tons/car
- Propane / LPG — Pressure tank car, 60–70 tons/car
- Petroleum Coke — Open-top hopper or rotary gondola, 100–115 tons/car
Minerals & Construction
- Aggregates & Crushed Stone — Open-top hopper or gondola, 100–115 tons/car
- Cement — Pressure-differential covered hopper, 100–115 tons/car
- Frac Sand — Covered hopper, 100–112 tons/car
- Iron Ore — Ore cars, 95–110 tons/car
- Barite — Open-top or covered hopper, 100–110 tons/car
- Soda Ash — Covered hopper, 100–112 tons/car
- Salt — Covered or open-top hopper, 100–112 tons/car
- Potash — Covered hopper, 100–112 tons/car
Metals
- Steel (Coils, Plate, Bar) — Coil car, gondola, bulkhead flat, 90–100 tons/car
- Scrap Metal — Gondola, 80–100 tons/car
Forest Products
- Lumber & Wood Products — Centerbeam flat, 75–95 tons/car
- Paper & Pulp — High-cube boxcar, 70–90 tons/car
- Wood Pellets — Covered hopper, 90–100 tons/car
Chemicals & Manufactured
- Industrial Chemicals (Liquid) — General-service or specialized tank car, 80–100 tons/car
- Dry Fertilizer (Urea, DAP, MAP) — Covered hopper, 100–110 tons/car
- Plastic Pellets (Resin) — Jumbo covered hopper, 85–95 tons/car
- Synthetic Amorphous Silica — Pressure-differential covered hopper, 10–37 (grade-dependent) tons/car
- Finished Vehicles — Autorack, 15–25 tons/car
Rail hubs
Browse 66 origins, ports, gateways and border crossings as individual profiles from the Commodity Flow Map.
Figures on this page are typical industry ranges for reference — actual loads depend on the specific car, commodity grade and railroad rules. Rate estimates are indicative only; Steel Wheel Logistics does not issue binding quotes from this page.