FSC factors as of June 2026 · URCS Phase III + carrier-published mileage FSC
Rail route · 2,219 mi · BNSF → KCTL → UP
The Fresno, CA-Chicago, IL rail corridor primarily serves the paper and pulp industry, with BNSF Railway as the main carrier. This corridor is crucial for transporting raw materials and finished products between the West Coast and the Midwest, facilitating significant commercial activity. A notable routing detail includes the interchange at Barstow, CA, which connects to other major rail lines, enhancing the efficiency of freight movement across the network.
| Segment | Carrier | Miles | Line-Haul | Fuel Surcharge | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting segment | UP | 176 | $1,200 | $124 | $1,324 |
| Ending segment | BNSF | 2,037 | $12,229 | $1,263 | $13,492 |
| Short-line carrier | KCTL (short-line) | 5 | $500 | $3 | $503 |
| Interchange fee (1 interchange) | — | — | — | $250 | |
| Estimated Tariff Total | 2,219 | $13,929 | $1,390 | $15,569 | |
Tweak weight, car type, or year and see how the rate moves. Or talk to us about your real shipment — we coordinate carload and unit-train moves for paper / pulp and other bulk commodities.
Other paper / pulp corridors near this route.
Rail transit on this corridor typically falls in the 10-16 day range door-to-door, depending on car supply, interchange dwell, and any required transload. Steel Wheel Logistics does not publish guaranteed transits because every actual move depends on current network conditions and your specific origin and destination facilities.
Each Class I publishes a mileage-based fuel surcharge (FSC) tied to the EIA highway-diesel fuel index. BNSF and any participating carriers each apply their own published cents-per-mile factor to the miles they handle. FSC totals on this lane re-derive monthly as fuel prices move; the figure shown is current as of the date stamped in the hero card above.
Yes. We coordinate paper / pulp rail freight on single-line and interline routings across the U.S. Class I network, working directly with the carriers and any required short-line or transload partners. Contact us for a discussion of your specific shipment — we do not auto-issue binding quotes; every move is priced after lane and equipment review.
Paper / Pulp typically moves in boxcar equipment. Actual car selection depends on the specific product spec, packaging, loading and unloading conditions at origin and destination, and current car-supply on the chosen carrier. We help shippers source the right equipment as part of the lane setup.
At 2,219 rail miles, rail typically wins on bulk moves at this distance — rail's per-ton-mile cost compresses sharply above ~500 miles and even more sharply at unit-train volumes. Use our rail-vs-truck comparison tool to model specific volumes side-by-side, and remember to account for transload, drayage, and demurrage on the rail side.
