Denver, CO

Denver is one of the most isolated intermodal hubs in the U.S., because its intermodal container traffic is concentrated at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, where major east-west and north-south freight corridors converge. Both BNSF and Union Pacific operate major intermodal terminals in the Denver area, giving the region direct access to two Class I rail networks. BNSF’s Denver facility connects with markets to both the east and west, while Union Pacific’s intermodal service is more heavily oriented toward western gateways, allowing international 20ft, 40ft, and 40ft high cube containers to move inland from coastal ports before being transferred to trucks for distribution across Colorado.

Denver’s geography also makes it a natural distribution point for a large area that is relatively distant from major seaports. Much of the region’s rail freight is inbound, supporting Denver’s population, construction, manufacturing, retail, and distribution industries, while I-25 and I-70 provide the primary highway corridors for containers leaving local rail yards. The combination of two major railroads, long-distance double-stack service, and Denver’s role as the principal freight hub for the Front Range creates a steady supply of marine containers in an otherwise landlocked market. Used shipping container prices in Denver tend to be among the highest in the country, but Western Container Sales always has the guaranteed best price in Denver.