Are you trying to find competitive shipping rates and quality carriers in the Texas Triangle area? If you’re looking for instant freight quotes on loads being shipped to or from the state’s four major urban areas (Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin), Convoy can connect you.
Texas Triangle Freight Shipping Quotes
Freight Shipping in the Texas Triangle
The Texas Triangle is a region of the state bordered by Dallas-Fort Worth in the north, Houston in the southeast, and Austin-San Antonio in the west (central Texas). Ranked among the top six strongest post-recession urban areas in the country, the Texas Triangle is also the fifth strongest regional economic force nationwide.
According to data reported by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, in 2017 Texas shipped the most freight by value nationwide. Inbound freight came in at $654,087 million, domestic freight was $1,561,969 million, and outbound freight totalled $708,661 million. Texas also moved the most outbound van and reefer loads in 2020, as well as the second most flatbed loads.
Dallas-Fort Worth
Dallas is home to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which assists the city in making the most of its mid-continent location and ships worldwide. The airport has more than tripled its international cargo shipments over the last decade as a result of its practices in international trade.
The city is also an epicenter for moving goods to the surrounding areas of Texas (and the rest of the Triangle), as well as outward toward the greater Southwest states. Truckers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area can make it to almost any other city in the country within 48 hours.
Houston
Houston is another major hub in the Texas Triangle. The city is home to the Port of Houston, which is the largest Gulf Coast container port, as well as a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) that boosts the economy by bypassing typical customs duties and fees on foreign goods.
Houston is the homebase for the nation’s 11th largest international air cargo gateway, the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and has one of the USA’s busiest rail systems.
Austin-San Antonio
Major freight activity also takes place in the Austin-San Antonio area because of the following: the San Antonio International Airport offering nonstop flights to all major cities, major freight railroads connecting the area with Mexico and St. Louis, KellyUSA (a major logistics port), and being home to one of the state’s 32 Foreign Trade Zones.
The Austin-San Antonio area also serves as the processing, packaging, and distribution center for Texas-grown crops.
When scheduling your freight, take note that all cities in the Texas Triangle have slightly longer-than-average commute times as compared to the rest of the nation.
Major Industries and Commercial Activity in the Texas Triangle
Major industries in the Texas Triangle area include manufacturing, government, health care, aerospace, financial services, IT, and tourism. Texas has a total of 54 Fortune 500 companies that call it home, and 24 of those are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including AT&T, Texas Instruments, Southwest Airlines, and RadioShack.
Dallas-Fort Worth
The Dallas-Fort Worth area produces goods in the following categories:
- Produce
- Wood
- Machinery
- Oil
- Heavy industry
- Chemicals
- Allied products
- Parts for airlines and defense
- Electronic components
- Machinery
- Food products
- Transportation equipment
Houston
The Houston area produces goods in the following categories:
- Computer software
- Processed foods
- Containers
- Petrochemicals
- Industrial gases
- Steel
- Oil and gas field equipment
- Cement
- Synthetic rubber
Austin-San Antonio
The Austin-San Antonio area produces goods in the following categories:
- Processed foods
- Food handling equipment
- Airplane parts
- Structural steel
- Steel forms
- Storage batteries
- Semiconductors
- Cement
- Rolled aluminum sheets
Texas’s top interstate trading partners for its freight include California, Louisiana, Michigan, and Oklahoma.
How Weather Impacts Freight Shipping in the Texas Triangle
The Texas Triangle is no stranger to extreme weather events. Between 2007 and 2016, Texas experienced 32 severe storms, six droughts, five wildfires, three floods, and two hurricanes. Flooding is also common, especially in the Houston area, between May and October.
Freight Carriers in the Texas Triangle
The most common job in Texas is truck driving, meaning you typically won’t have many issues finding carriers for your freight shipment.
With more than 50,000 trucks serving nearly 2,000 facilities in Dallas, nearly 50,000 trucks serving nearly 1,000 facilities in the San Antonio area, and over 50,000 trucks serving over 1,000 facilities in Houston, Convoy’s digital freight network makes it easy to schedule your shipment.