Crude Oil Rail Shipping & Logistics: Rates, Railcars, Lanes
Crude by rail connects production basins to refineries the pipelines don't reach — primarily Bakken and Western Canadian barrels to coastal refineries.
Crude oil logistics by rail: what we do
Steel Wheel Logistics prices and coordinates crude oil carload moves nationwide — single cars, multi-car blocks and unit-train sets — from routing and an indicative rate per car through car ordering, release and tracing to placement. Crude oil is weight-limited at about 90–100 tons per car, so tank car size, lining and fittings are matched to the product and to the receiver's unloading connections before a car is ordered. Typical end uses are refinery feedstock — we confirm the receiving track and unloading method before the first car is ordered. Where the plant has no spur, we set up transload at a tank transload terminal near the receiver and price the rail-plus-truck move against straight truck, so the mode decision is made on numbers. Demurrage control is planned rather than reactive: on shuttle and unit-train cycles the clock runs on the whole set, so loading and release windows are agreed before the train is ordered. Shippers who need equipment can use our railcar brokerage to source DOT-117 tank cars on lease or per trip.
| Railcar | DOT-117 tank car (~28,000–30,000 gal) |
| Typical net load | 90–100 tons per car |
| Loading constraint | Weighs out (weight-limited) |
| STCC | 13111 — look up related codes in the STCC Finder |
What it's used for
Refinery feedstock.
How it moves
Unit trains of DOT-117s; volume swings with the pipeline-vs-rail price spread. Canadian heavy crude to the Gulf is the persistent lane.
By the numbers: state rail plan figures
How much of this commodity group moves by rail, as published in the states' own federally mandated rail plans:
Statewide rail tonnage
- Washington: 7.5 million tons of crude petroleum oil moved by rail to, from, within and through the state in 2016 (Washington State Rail Plan 2019, p. 144).
Single-direction figures
These count movement in one direction only — originated, inbound or outbound as each plan defines it — so they are not comparable with the statewide totals above.
- Wisconsin: 16.7 million tons of crude petroleum moved by rail through the state without originating or terminating there in 2019 (Wisconsin State Rail Plan 2026, p. 145).
- North Dakota: 16.2 million tons of crude petroleum and natural gas moved by rail outbound from the state in 2019 (North Dakota State Rail Plan 2023, p. 138).
- South Dakota: 3.3 million tons of crude petroleum, natural gas or gasoline moved through the state by rail in 2019 (South Dakota State Rail Plan 2022, p. 112).
- Louisiana: 1.9 million tons of crude petroleum moved by rail inbound to the state in 2021 (Louisiana State Rail Plan 2024, p. 61).
Each figure is quoted from the cited state rail plan and reflects that plan's own data year, commodity grouping and methodology — figures from different plans are not directly comparable with each other. Some plans count traffic passing through the state and others exclude it; each line says which.
Where it flows
Key origins and gateways for crude oil on the Commodity Flow Map:
- Tulsa (BNSF / UP Crude & Grain) — Tulsa, OK (BNSF, UP)
Where it enters the country by vessel
Vessel imports of mineral fuels totaled $67.8 billion year to date through July 2026, 51% of all imports in the chapter. The leading U.S. ports of entry and the railroads that serve them:
| Port of entry | Vessel imports YTD (US$ millions) | Railroads |
|---|---|---|
| Newark, NJ | 8,137 | CSX, NS |
| Houston, TX | 5,875 | UP, BNSF, CPKC |
| Los Angeles, CA | 4,464 | BNSF, UP |
| Port Arthur, TX | 3,838 | CPKC, UP, BNSF |
| Richmond, CA | 3,747 | BNSF, UP |
| Long Beach, CA | 3,588 | BNSF, UP |
See every port on the commodity flow map, then price the inland leg from the dock to your plant — indicative figures, not a quote.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade API, imports by port of entry, vessel value, YTD through July 2026.
Common questions
Can crude oil be shipped by rail?
Yes. Crude Oil moves regularly on the North American rail network in dot-117 tank cars. Unit trains of DOT-117s; volume swings with the pipeline-vs-rail price spread.
How many tons of crude oil fit in a railcar?
A typical load is 90–100 net tons per car — the car reaches its weight limit well before its cubic capacity.
What railcar does crude oil move in?
DOT-117 tank car (~28,000–30,000 gal). Because the commodity is dense, smaller-cube cars are common — the weight limit governs.
Does Steel Wheel Logistics handle crude oil rail logistics?
Yes — we price and coordinate crude oil carload moves nationwide: routing and indicative rates per car in DOT-117 tank cars at 90–100 tons, car supply through our railcar brokerage, transload where the plant has no spur, and demurrage control. Call (601) 821-2199 or book a 30-minute setup call to walk through your lane.
Which U.S. port imports the most crude oil?
Newark, NJ led vessel imports of mineral fuels year to date through July 2026 at $8,137 million, followed by Houston, TX and Los Angeles, CA.
Related tools
- Railcar Capacity Guide — loads and cubic capacities by car type
- Railcar Selector — match a commodity to the right equipment
- Rail vs Truck Calculator — where rail wins on your lane
- Transload Directory — 2,400+ transfer facilities
Set up a crude oil rail lane
Tell us origin, destination and cars per month. We come back with an indicative rate per car, the equipment that fits, and how the lane would actually run — no obligation.
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, per car; nothing on this page is a quote.