How container drayage works in Jacksonville
JAXPORT runs three cargo terminals on the St. Johns River and is the main mainland port for Puerto Rico shipping. With CSX headquartered in the city and on-dock rail at Talleyrand, Jacksonville is Florida's best-connected port by train.
- Terminals
- Blount Island, Dames Point (TraPac) and Talleyrand
- Puerto Rico
- Crowley, TOTE and Trailer Bridge sail to San Juan
- Rail
- CSX, Norfolk Southern and Florida East Coast Railway
- Highways
- I-295, I-95, I-10 and SR 9A
More about drayage in Jacksonville
JAXPORT runs three cargo terminals on the St. Johns River. Blount Island Marine Terminal, the largest, handles containers, autos and roll-on/roll-off cargo; Dames Point Marine Terminal is home to TraPac's container terminal and much of the port's Asian trade; and Talleyrand Marine Terminal, closer to downtown, handles containers, breakbulk and autos. All three are reached from Interstate 295 and State Road 9A on the city's Northside.
Jacksonville is also the center of Puerto Rico shipping. Carriers including Crowley, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico and Trailer Bridge sail from Jacksonville to San Juan with containers and trailers of consumer goods, food and construction materials, which makes domestic container moves an important part of local trucking.
Rail sets Jacksonville apart from other Florida ports. CSX is headquartered here, Norfolk Southern and the Florida East Coast Railway also serve the city, and JAXPORT offers an on-dock intermodal yard at Talleyrand and a near-dock yard at Dames Point. Containers can move by train to Atlanta, Chicago and the Midwest without long truck hauls.
3
Marine terminals
1
Rail ramp
Railroads
CSX · Norfolk Southern · Florida East Coast Railway · Jacksonville Port Terminal Railroad
Main highways
I-95 · I-10 · I-295 · SR-9A · US-1 · US-17 · SR-23 First Coast Expressway
Container terminals and rail ramps in Jacksonville
Where containers are picked up and returned in the Jacksonville area.
Marine terminal
Rail ramp
Blount Island Marine Terminal
Marine terminal · JAXPORT
JAXPORT's largest terminal, handling containers, autos and ro/ro cargo, including Puerto Rico services.
Dames Point Marine Terminal (TraPac Jacksonville)
Marine terminal · JAXPORT / TraPac
Container terminal on the St. Johns River with a near-dock intermodal container transfer facility.
Talleyrand Marine Terminal
Marine terminal · JAXPORT
Terminal closest to downtown handling containers, breakbulk and autos, with on-dock rail.
Talleyrand ICTF
Rail ramp · Jacksonville Port Terminal Railroad (Watco)
On-dock intermodal yard with direct switching to CSX and Norfolk Southern.
Distribution centers and the I-95 / I-10 crossroads
Jacksonville sits where Interstate 95 and Interstate 10 meet, giving it overnight truck access to most of Florida and the Southeast. Large distribution centers for retailers, grocery chains and e-commerce firms cluster on the Westside near I-10 and I-295, on the Northside near the airport, and in the new industrial parks of Clay and Nassau counties.
Many of these warehouses serve the entire state. Containers delivered in Jacksonville are often unloaded and the goods redistributed by truck to Orlando, Tampa and South Florida, which makes Jacksonville a key transload market for Florida-bound imports.
Local moves from the terminals to Westside and Northside warehouses are typically under 25 miles, but the Dames Point and Napoleon B. Broward bridge crossings and I-295 traffic shape daily turns.
Autos, Puerto Rico and seasonal storms
Jacksonville is one of the largest vehicle-handling ports in the country, and auto processors on Blount Island and Talleyrand handle imports and exports for several manufacturers. That work runs alongside container trade and keeps port roads busy.
Puerto Rico trade has its own rhythm, with weekly sailings and many 53-foot trailers and containers moving on chassis. Carriers serving this lane are used to domestic equipment, live loads at shipper docks and tight vessel cutoffs.
Hurricane season from June to November can close the river and terminals. After a storm, the surge of containers and Puerto Rico relief cargo can strain local trucking capacity, so shippers plan inventory and drayage ahead of peak season.
Port growth and the St. Johns River channel
JAXPORT completed a harbor deepening project to 47 feet in the main channel up to the Blount Island terminal, allowing larger container ships from Asia to call fully loaded. That has helped Jacksonville add Asian services and attract shippers who previously routed Florida cargo through Savannah or South Florida.
As volumes grow, local trucking capacity can tighten, especially when several large vessels arrive in the same week. Carriers that work JAXPORT regularly know the terminals' gate hours and appointment systems and can move containers before free time runs out.
Jacksonville's warehouse market keeps expanding, with new industrial parks along I-10 west of the city, near the airport and along the First Coast Expressway. These developments are within a short drive of the terminals and rail yards, which keeps most local moves under an hour.
Common lanes out of Jacksonville
Approximate one-way highway miles for the runs local carriers quote most often.
Westside distribution centers
Warehouse cluster near I-10 and I-295.
20 mi
Savannah
Georgia's port and distribution hub up I-95.
140 mi
Orlando
Central Florida retail distribution via I-95 and I-4.
140 mi
Tampa
West coast of Florida via I-75.
200 mi
Atlanta
Long one-way haul; often moved by rail instead.
345 mi
Booking drayage in Jacksonville: what to know
Local habits that change the price and timing of a move in Jacksonville. Mention them when you ask for a quote.
Name the JAXPORT terminal
Blount Island, Dames Point and Talleyrand are miles apart with different gates. Give the terminal with the container number.
Consider rail inland
With CSX, Norfolk Southern and FEC in town, containers for Atlanta and the Midwest can often move cheaper by train.
Plan Puerto Rico cutoffs
Weekly Puerto Rico sailings have firm cutoffs. Book drayage for loaded trailers and containers early in the week.
Prepare for hurricane season
From June to November, storms can close the port. Keep backup capacity and watch free time after closures.
Drayage markets near Jacksonville
Many carriers that serve Jacksonville also run these nearby ports and rail ramps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about container drayage in Jacksonville, FL.