Truck dispatch in Tacoma, WA
Loads in and out of Tacoma and Pierce County on I-5, SR 167 and SR 509, for dry vans, reefers, flatbeds and power only. We find and negotiate them, and you approve every one.
First load free · then a % of each load · no contractAt a glance
- 445 active interstate trucking companies list a Tacoma address with FMCSA, and 392 of them haul for hire
- I-5 at the Fort Lewis weigh station, just south of Tacoma, carries about 15,000 trucks a day (WSDOT)
- WSDOT's Port of Tacoma-Tideflats freight hub covers 9,170 acres with about 25,800 freight jobs
- TOTE and Matson both sail from Tacoma to Alaska, and TOTE runs twice a week to Anchorage
Tacoma road weather right now
Live from the National Weather Service · weather.gov · Road closures and crashes: WSDOT real-time travel map
Freight in Tacoma
Tacoma is the south half of the Northwest Seaport Alliance, which runs the Seattle and Tacoma cargo terminals and handled 3.16 million TEUs in 2025. The Tacoma harbor has three big container terminals with on-dock rail: Husky Terminal (120 acres, 590 reefer plugs), Washington United Terminals (133 acres, 884 reefer plugs) and Pierce County Terminal (155 acres, 654 reefer plugs). The alliance and the Port of Tacoma handled 274,186 autos in 2025. WSDOT's 2026 freight plan counts the Port of Tacoma-Tideflats hub at 9,170 acres, about 25,800 freight jobs and 14.3 million sq ft of warehousing, shipping fuels, electronics, machinery and transport equipment.
Tacoma is also a gateway to Alaska. TOTE Maritime sails twice a week to Anchorage with a 66-hour port-to-port transit, carrying trailers, reefers and heavy equipment, and Matson runs its Alaska service from a terminal on Lincoln Avenue. On the Tideflats, U.S. Oil & Refining processes about 42,000 barrels of crude a day, and WSDOT lists the TEMCO grain transload and BNSF and Union Pacific rail yards serving the port. Toray makes carbon fiber composite materials at its Tacoma plant on 50th Avenue East, and SR 167 leads north to the Kent Valley, which has the most warehouse space of any hub in WSDOT's freight plan (about 196 million sq ft).
Major shippers and freight hubs
| Company | What's there |
|---|---|
| Husky Terminal (NWSA) | 120-acre container terminal on Port of Tacoma Rd with on-dock rail and 590 reefer plugs; Hapag-Lloyd, HMM, Maersk, ONE and Yang Ming Source |
| Washington United Terminals (NWSA) | 133-acre container terminal with on-dock rail and 884 reefer plugs; HMM, ONE and Yang Ming Source |
| Pierce County Terminal (NWSA) | 155-acre container terminal off SR 509 with on-dock rail and 654 reefer plugs; CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen and OOCL Source |
| TOTE Maritime Alaska | Roll-on/roll-off ships to Anchorage twice a week, 66 hours port to port; trailers, reefers and heavy equipment Source |
| Matson (Alaska service) | Tacoma terminal on Lincoln Avenue serving Anchorage, Kodiak and Dutch Harbor; closed weekends Source |
| U.S. Oil & Refining | Tideflats refinery, about 42,000 barrels of crude a day and about 190 workers Source |
| Port of Tacoma auto and rail yards | BNSF vehicle facility on Marshall Ave and Union Pacific's Tacoma South Intermodal on Milwaukee Way Source |
| TEMCO Tacoma | Rail-to-water grain transload on Schuster Parkway, served by BNSF and Union Pacific Source |
| Toray Composite Materials America | Carbon fiber composite materials plant on 50th Ave E for aerospace, industrial and auto markets Source |
Listed for context from official sources and the companies' own pages. Fleetorica isn't affiliated with these companies, and we don't claim them as customers. Plant details come from pages dated in the sources and may have changed since.
Main routes and truck traffic
The highways most loads in and out of Tacoma run on: I-5, I-705, SR 167, SR 509, SR 16, SR 512, I-90 (via I-405 or SR 18).
I-5 runs north through Fife and Federal Way to Seattle and Everett, and south past Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Olympia and Portland. SR 509 and the Port of Tacoma Road connect the container terminals on the Tideflats to I-5, and SR 167 runs north from the port area through Puyallup and Sumner to the Kent Valley. SR 16 crosses the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to the Kitsap Peninsula, and SR 512 links I-5 in Lakewood with Puyallup. Trucks headed east cross Snoqualmie Pass on I-90.
WSDOT's 2024 truck parking plan counts about 15,000 trucks a day and 75.4 million tons of freight a year on I-5 at the Fort Lewis weigh station, the state's second-busiest by volume. It ranks I-5 near the Port of Tacoma and Fort Lewis among the top areas for trucks parked where they shouldn't be, and recommends a $32.5 million project to add at least 20 truck stalls at Fort Lewis.
Lane planner: what a load out of Tacoma really pays
Pick a lane, type the broker's offer, and see your miles, driving time, fuel and what's left after dispatch.
Miles are estimates (straight-line distance × 1.13). Check your truck GPS before you accept a load. Driving days assume the 11-hour driving limit.
Who hauls out of Tacoma
About three in five for-hire carriers based in Tacoma run a single truck or less. That's who we work for: owner-operators and small fleets who want a dispatcher handling the load boards, broker calls and paperwork. The truck count above also includes waste, fuel and foodservice fleets.
| FMCSA records | Tacoma, WA |
|---|---|
| Active interstate trucking companies based here | 445 |
| Of those, for-hire carriers | 392 |
| For-hire carriers with one truck or fewer | 242 (62%) |
| For-hire carriers with 2–5 trucks | 91 |
| For-hire carriers registered in the last 12 months | 53 |
| Trucks (power units) they report | 3,344 |
Largest for-hire carriers based in Tacoma
| Company | Trucks | Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| HAROLD LEMAY ENTERPRISES INC | 444 | 372 |
| STRYDER MOTORFREIGHT USA INC | 138 | 97 |
| VENEER CHIP TRANSPORT INC | 138 | 152 |
| SEATTLE PORT CONSOLIDATORS INC | 111 | 28 |
| GREEN STATE TRANSPORTATION LLC | 100 | 100 |
| ASSOCIATED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS INC | 91 | 102 |
| SPEED TRANS LLC | 84 | 105 |
| SKYLINE MAIL CARRIERS INC | 82 | 72 |
| NICHOLS TRANSPORTATION COMPANY INC | 72 | 127 |
| P&T TRANSPORT LLC | 66 | 77 |
By trucks reported to FMCSA, from the Company Census File for companies with a physical address in Tacoma, WA, as of October 31, 2026. Listed for reference only; Fleetorica isn't affiliated with these companies. Check any carrier or broker with our carrier and broker lookup.
Truck parking and weigh stations
| Rest area | Where | Truck spaces |
|---|---|---|
| SeaTac weigh station | I-5 northbound, mile 140, between Fife and Federal Way | Live availability in WSDOT's I-5 parking system |
| Fort Lewis weigh station | I-5 northbound, mile 117, near DuPont | Live availability; at least 20 more stalls planned |
| Maytown rest area | I-5 southbound, mile 93, south of Olympia | Live availability in WSDOT's I-5 parking system |
WSDOT doesn't publish truck space counts by site. Its truck parking system shows estimated open spaces up to four hours ahead at these sites through the Drivewyze and ParkerTruck apps, for drivers with a USDOT number (WSDOT page checked October 2026). Source
WSDOT's December 2024 truck parking plan ranks I-5 near the Port of Tacoma and Fort Lewis among Washington's top areas for undesignated truck parking. It recommends a $32.5 million Fort Lewis weigh station upgrade with at least 20 new truck stalls and restrooms, and studies a trucks-only concept with 55 more spaces at the SeaTac northbound rest area. Source
Weigh stations
WSDOT lists the Fort Lewis weigh station on I-5 northbound near DuPont (mile 117) and the SeaTac weigh station on I-5 northbound between Fife and Federal Way (mile 140). Both have truck parking. Source
WSDOT's 2024 truck parking plan calls Fort Lewis one of Washington's busiest weigh stations and the second busiest by volume, on a stretch of I-5 carrying about 15,000 trucks a day. Source
Washington runs its own transponder e-screening program, which checks weight, safety rating and credentials at highway speed and lets eligible trucks bypass weigh stations. Source
Freight calendar for Tacoma and Washington
When freight picks up in and around Tacoma. Bars show the months; each line links its official source. Crop lines are Washington statewide.
What we book, by truck type
Dry van
Import containers get unloaded at warehouses on the Tideflats and up the Kent Valley, and that freight moves out by dry van. We look for the reload near Puget Sound so you're not deadheading out of state.
Reefer
The Tacoma terminals have more than 2,000 reefer plugs between them, and Washington apples, pears and cherries ship by reefer. We confirm the temperature, the pulp and the appointment before we book.
Flatbed
Heavy equipment and building materials for Alaska, plus machinery through the port, keep flatbeds and step decks busy. We check securement, tarps and any oversize permit before you go.
Power only
Preloaded trailers for the Alaska ships and drop-and-hook freight out of Puget Sound warehouses suit power only units. We confirm the trailer, the booking and the gate hours first.
How we dispatch here
- Container terminals need a 2007 or newer engine and an active RFID tag under the Northwest Seaport Alliance Clean Truck Program, so we confirm both before a port load
- We set Alaska loads inside gate hours: Matson's Tacoma yard is closed on weekends, and TOTE sails twice a week
- Truck parking is tight on I-5 near the port and Fort Lewis, so we plan your stop before you roll and use WSDOT's live I-5 parking data in the Drivewyze and ParkerTruck apps
- From November 1 to April 1 we make sure your truck carries chains before we book anything over Snoqualmie Pass
- Interstate carriers don't need anything extra from Washington. For-hire loads that start and end in Washington need a UTC common carrier permit
State rules, permits and taxes are on our Washington dispatch page.
Pricing
A percentage of the load's gross, quoted for your truck and lanes, charged only on loads we book. No contract, and your first load is free.
Other cities we cover in Washington
- FMCSA Company Census File (data.transportation.gov)
- Northwest Seaport Alliance: Husky Terminal
- Northwest Seaport Alliance: Washington United Terminals
- Northwest Seaport Alliance: Pierce County Terminal
- Northwest Seaport Alliance: 2025 annual trade report
- Northwest Seaport Alliance: Clean Truck Program
- WSDOT: 2026 Freight System Plan, Appendix E (freight activity hubs)
- WSDOT: 2026 Freight System Plan, Appendix D
- WSDOT: Truck Parking Implementation Plan (December 2024)
- WSDOT: truck parking at rest areas and weigh stations
- WSDOT: transponder and weigh station e-screening
- WSDOT: chain requirements for vehicles over 10,000 lb
- Washington ESD: Pierce County profile (October 2026)
- Par Pacific: U.S. Oil & Refining, Tacoma
- Washington Ecology: U.S. Oil refinery
- TOTE Maritime Alaska: shipping services
- TOTE Maritime Alaska: dry cargo
- Matson: Alaska ports
- Toray Composite Materials America: locations
- Washington UTC: common carriers
- WSDA: Washington grown produce seasonality chart
- Northwest Cherry Growers: about cherries
- USDA NASS: usual planting and harvesting dates
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with FMCSA, the IRS or your state before you file.
Questions carriers ask
Are there dry van loads out of Tacoma?
Yes. Import containers from the Husky, Washington United and Pierce County terminals get unloaded at warehouses on the Tideflats and in the Kent Valley, and WSDOT counts 14.3 million sq ft of warehousing in the port hub alone. We search the major load boards and our broker contacts for loads that fit your lanes and minimum rate.
How many trucking companies are based in Tacoma?
FMCSA's company census lists 445 active interstate trucking companies with a Tacoma address as of October 2026. 392 of them haul for hire, and about three in five of those run one truck or less.
Can my truck pick up containers at the Tacoma terminals?
Only if it meets the Northwest Seaport Alliance Clean Truck Program: a 2007 or newer engine (or a certified equivalent) and an active RFID tag with current driver, VIN, company, SCAC and plate details. We confirm it before booking a port load.
Can I haul freight to Alaska from Tacoma?
Yes. TOTE Maritime sails twice a week from Tacoma to Anchorage with a 66-hour port-to-port transit, and Matson runs its Alaska service from a Tacoma terminal on Lincoln Avenue. Trucks deliver trailers and containers to those terminals inside their gate hours.
Where can I park a truck overnight near Tacoma?
The closest state sites are the SeaTac weigh station on I-5 northbound between Fife and Federal Way (mile 140), the Fort Lewis weigh station near DuPont (mile 117) and the Maytown rest area south of Olympia (mile 93). WSDOT shows their estimated open spaces in the Drivewyze and ParkerTruck apps. WSDOT ranks I-5 near the Port of Tacoma among the worst areas for trucks parked where they shouldn't be, so we plan your stop early.
Is there a weigh station near Tacoma?
Yes. WSDOT lists the Fort Lewis weigh station on I-5 northbound near DuPont (mile 117), the state's second-busiest by volume, and the SeaTac weigh station on I-5 northbound between Fife and Federal Way (mile 140). Washington's transponder e-screening lets eligible trucks bypass weigh stations.
What freight is seasonal around Tacoma?
Washington apples and pears peak at harvest from September to November and ship from storage much of the year, Northwest cherries run from June to mid-August, and Washington winter wheat is harvested mostly from late July to late August. From November 1 to April 1, trucks over 10,000 lb must carry chains on passes such as Snoqualmie.
Do I need Washington operating authority?
Not for interstate loads. For-hire carriers hauling loads that start and end in Washington need a common carrier permit from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission.