Seattle & Tacoma Port and Rail Briefing: November 9–13, 2026

Seattle: plan around the posted Veterans Day closure

As checked November 8, Terminal 5 and Terminal 18 list Wednesday, November 11 as closed, with Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday open that week. Terminal 18’s calendar shows an 8 AM–4 PM shift on those open days. The weekly notice matters: a general Monday or Friday closure pattern does not describe every holiday week. Check T5’s notice and T18’s calendar again before dispatch.

For an import, line up release and the pickup appointment with the receiver’s actual opening. For an export, confirm the booking’s receiving window and cutoff separately from the gate schedule. A gate being open does not mean the terminal is accepting every vessel, commodity or empty container.

Who this affects: teams with Seattle pickups, export deliveries or empty returns near November 11. If a receiving appointment cannot move, discuss an approved pre-pull or staging plan before the pickup deadline. Include chassis and container time in that comparison rather than assuming an earlier pull removes every charge.

Tacoma: confirm the named terminal’s instructions

The Seattle notices do not establish Tacoma’s schedule. Check Husky, WUT, PCT or the other named facility directly for the requested transaction. Use the NWSA terminal directory to reach the operator information, then confirm the release, appointment, chassis acceptance and return instruction.

Queue information can help identify a timing risk, but it cannot reserve a gate or guarantee the truck’s turn. Review the timestamp and the difference between the outside queue and time inside the terminal on the official camera and turn-time page. Keep the receiver informed if a later pickup would affect its appointment.

What to do next: send dispatch the exact terminal and container reference, not only “Tacoma port.” If the pickup and delivery dates differ, identify the approved staging location and next movement before the truck is assigned.

Rail: use the actual ramp and support window

BNSF SIG, BNSF South Seattle and UP Seattle/Argo are separate facilities. Verify the location and current operating instructions on the BNSF facility listing or UP Seattle page. Do not carry a marine-terminal closure assumption over to a rail pickup.

Confirm the unit’s availability, release and equipment plan before the driver travels. For UP, check the relevant roadability support hours as well as terminal access if equipment assistance might be needed. For both railroads, reconcile the pickup instruction with the receiver’s appointment and return requirement. A unit being visible in a system is not the same as a complete dispatch instruction.

A five-minute container and chassis check

• Container: size, gross weight, release or export booking, and the actual pickup or receiving deadline.
• Chassis: provider, size and weight suitability, gate acceptance, collection and return location.
• Receiver: confirmed appointment, live unload or drop, access and expected empty-ready time.
• Changes: who approves staging, extra handling or a revised delivery when the original plan moves.
• Closeout: the required pickup, delivery, empty-return or export gate-in confirmation and applicable POD/EIR records.

For a cargo owner, those checks connect the container with the receiving plan. For a forwarder, broker or 3PL, they also support the commitment made to a customer. SP’s role is to stay involved in the movement, communicate the relevant handoffs and help identify a workable next step when timing changes.

This briefing records notices checked November 8, 2026. Operating information can change after review; the linked terminal and railroad instructions control the actual transaction.