Maersk Dramatically Shifts LA-Long Beach Container Traffic to Union Pacific

Maersk, the world's second-largest container line, has executed a substantial shift in its inland rail routing strategy, moving the majority of its eastbound container traffic from BNSF Railway to Union Pacific Railroad out of the Southern California port complex. According to real-time data analysis by RailState, UP's share of Maersk's outbound intermodal volume from Los Angeles-Long Beach grew from single digits to approximately 59% since late May, representing roughly 1,000 TEUs per week. This shift places approximately 77% of Maersk's weekly Southern California outbound volume on Union Pacific's network, primarily flowing through the Long Beach-to-Chicago and Long Beach-to-Dallas corridors.

The timing of this reallocation is strategically significant: it coincides with peak shipping season and Union Pacific's recently implemented $300 peak season surcharge on Southern California intermodal traffic. While Maersk maintains active contracts with both carriers, the company framed the shift as part of routine capacity balancing rather than a permanent carrier preference change. However, industry observers note that such large-scale routing adjustments typically reflect underlying commercial negotiations, whether related to pricing, service guarantees, or capacity commitments, that shippers prefer to keep confidential.

For supply chain professionals managing West Coast import operations, this development signals both carrier-level fluidity and potential capacity constraints on established routes. The speed of Maersk's transition (majority shift achieved within 6-8 weeks) demonstrates that rail intermodal remains responsive to competitive pressures, yet also highlights the opacity of carrier relationships in published data. Companies relying on BNSF for Southern California exports should monitor whether this trend reflects broader carrier capability gaps or temporary congestion mitigation, while those utilizing Union Pacific infrastructure may anticipate increased demand on Chicago and Dallas gateways.