How container drayage works in Boston
All of Boston's container ships call at one terminal, Massport's Conley Terminal in South Boston, reached by a dedicated freight road. Many New England importers also bring containers up from New York and New Jersey, so local carriers often run both kinds of move.
- Terminal
- Conley Container Terminal, South Boston
- Truck route
- Thomas J. Butler Freight Corridor
- Highways
- I-93, I-90 and Route 128 / I-95
- Also
- Long hauls from the Port of New York and New Jersey
More about drayage in Boston
All of Boston's container ships call at Conley Container Terminal, owned and operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) on the South Boston waterfront. The terminal handles services from Asia, Europe and Latin America and has been modernized with new berths and larger cranes so it can receive bigger ships.
A dedicated truck route, the Thomas J. Butler Freight Corridor, connects Conley with the regional highway system and keeps container trucks off residential streets in South Boston. From there, trucks head out on Interstate 93, Interstate 90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike) and Route 128/Interstate 95 to destinations across New England.
Because Conley is the only container terminal in the region, many New England importers also rely on the Port of New York and New Jersey, trucking or railing containers north. Local drayage carriers often serve both: short runs from Conley within Greater Boston, and longer moves from New York and New Jersey terminals into New England.
1
Marine terminal
Railroads
CSX · Norfolk Southern · Berkshire & Eastern
Main highways
I-93 · I-90 Massachusetts Turnpike · I-95 / Route 128 · I-495 · Route 1 · Route 3
Container terminals and rail ramps in Boston
Where containers are picked up and returned in the Boston area.
Marine terminal
Conley Container Terminal
Marine terminal · Massport
New England's only full-service container terminal, in South Boston, linked to highways by the Thomas J. Butler Freight Corridor.
Seafood, retail and New England industry
Boston is a major seafood hub, and refrigerated containers of fish and shellfish move through Conley and nearby cold storage facilities. Reefer drayage requires generator sets and careful coordination with processors in Boston, Gloucester and New Bedford.
Retailers, grocery chains and consumer goods companies operate distribution centers along Route 128/I-95 and Interstate 495, the outer beltway that circles the metro. Many import containers are delivered to warehouses in towns such as Wilmington, Woburn, Mansfield, Franklin and Devens.
Life sciences and technology companies in Cambridge and the suburbs import equipment and materials that may need careful handling, and manufacturers across New England ship machinery, paper and specialty products.
Traffic, tunnels and road restrictions
Boston's traffic is notoriously heavy, and many roads have restrictions for large trucks. Hazardous materials are banned from some tunnels, including parts of the Central Artery/Tunnel system, and carriers carrying hazmat must use approved routes.
Height and weight limits on older bridges and parkways also affect routing. Trucks are prohibited on many parkways in the region, so carriers rely on interstates and designated truck routes. Winter storms can disrupt deliveries, and snow removal can narrow streets in the city. Carriers plan around nor'easters and may delay non-urgent moves.
Rail and the New England intermodal network
Conley Terminal does not have significant on-dock rail service, so most containers leave by truck. For rail freight, New England relies on inland terminals such as CSX's facility in Worcester and Norfolk Southern's terminal in Ayer, both within about 40 miles of Boston.
Some importers bring containers by rail from New York and New Jersey or from Canada to these terminals and then truck them to final destinations, while others truck directly from Conley. Choosing between Conley, New York/New Jersey or rail to Worcester or Ayer depends on the ocean carrier's services, transit times and drayage costs.
Conley's modernization and bigger ships
Massport has invested heavily in Conley Terminal, adding a deeper berth, new ship-to-shore cranes and a modernized container yard so it can handle larger vessels from Asia and Europe. The Boston Harbor dredging project deepened the main shipping channels, letting bigger ships reach the terminal.
Larger vessels mean larger surges of containers on ship days. Local drayage carriers plan for those peaks, and importers who book trucks before the vessel arrives tend to get their containers out faster.
Even with these upgrades, Boston remains a single-terminal port with fewer services than New York and New Jersey, so many New England shippers use both gateways depending on their ocean carrier and destination.
Common lanes out of Boston
Approximate one-way highway miles for the runs local carriers quote most often.
Route 128 corridor
Warehouses in Woburn, Wilmington, Canton and Norwood.
15 mi
I-495 corridor
Distribution centers in Franklin, Mansfield, Devens and Marlborough.
35 mi
Worcester
Central Massachusetts and CSX's intermodal terminal.
45 mi
Providence
Rhode Island via I-95 South.
50 mi
Manchester, NH
Southern New Hampshire via I-93 North.
55 mi
Portland, ME
Maine via I-95 North.
110 mi
Booking drayage in Boston: what to know
Local habits that change the price and timing of a move in Boston. Mention them when you ask for a quote.
Use designated truck routes
Many parkways and some tunnels are off-limits to trucks or hazmat. Choose carriers that know Boston's restrictions.
Compare Boston with New York
If your ocean carrier doesn't call Boston, compare trucking from New York/New Jersey with rail to Worcester or Ayer.
Plan for reefer seafood moves
Seafood containers need gensets and quick delivery to processors. Book reefer-capable carriers.
Schedule around traffic
Boston's rush hours are long. Early or late appointments help carriers avoid congestion.
Drayage markets near Boston
Many carriers that serve Boston also run these nearby ports and rail ramps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about container drayage in Boston, MA.