Lanes/
Montreal, QC to Houston, TX freight

Montreal, QC to Houston, TX freight

The Montreal to Houston corridor runs across the U.S.–Canada border.

Direction

U.S. – Canada cross-border

Equipment on this lane

Open deck-led, with dry van and reefer demand

Carrier availability

Vetted carriers cover this corridor

Marketplace activity

Posted by brokers on the Cargado marketplace

<div class="lane-viz"><div class="lane-viz-mapwrap"><img class="lane-viz-map" src="https://cargado-lane-maps.pages.dev/montreal-qc-to-houston-tx.svg" alt="Montreal, QC to Houston, TX freight route map on Cargado" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="620"></div><div class="lane-viz-panel"><div class="lane-viz-title">Transit time</div><div class="tr"><div class="trrow tot"><span>Transit</span><b>4 days</b></div><div class="trmi">1850 mi driving</div></div><a class="lane-cta" href="https://cargado.com/brokers/get-a-demo">Get a Rate <span class="arw">&#8594;</span></a><div class="lane-viz-fine">Estimated drive time by road, split at the border. Border dwell varies with documentation and crossing.</div></div></div>

This corridor connects the Montreal market (Montreal, Rougemont, Varennes, Drummondville, Saint-Hyacinthe, Boucherville) with the Houston market (Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, La Porte, Freeport, Rosenberg), running across the U.S.–Canada border. Over the past 12 months brokers posted this corridor to the Cargado marketplace.

What ships from Montreal

Freight out of the Montreal market leans toward food and beverage, metals and building materials and machinery and industrial equipment based on what brokers actually post there. You can read more about moving these goods on the freight types pages.

Equipment on this corridor

Open deck-led, with dry van and reefer demand. Browse equipment definitions in the glossary if a term is unfamiliar.

Customs on the U.S.–Canada leg

Entries are pre-filed electronically and cleared before arrival, and drivers need documentation in order at the booth.

Brokers post corridors like this to Cargado's marketplace, where verified carriers bid and every counterparty has been vetted before the first load moves.

The markets on this lane

Origin market

Montreal, QC

Montreal is a major container port and rail intermodal gateway for Eastern Canada, with the Port of Montreal handling 34.3 million metric tons in 2025. The Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle crossing to the U.S. is being rebuilt through summer 2028. The region also has an all-cargo airport and an aerospace sector.

Industries: Port and container logistics, rail intermodal, aerospace, bulk cargo, air cargo

  • Seaport: Port of Montreal, handling containers, liquid bulk and dry bulk including grain. 1.52 million TEUs and 34.3 million metric tons in 2025 (operating). Source
  • Seaport: Contrecoeur container terminal expansion with integrated rail, road and marine infrastructure; construction underway since October 2025 and full operation targeted for 2030. Adds up to 1.15 million TEUs of annual capacity (about 60%), two berths (under construction). Source
  • Intermodal or rail yard: CN Montreal Intermodal Terminal in Saint-Laurent. Open 24 hours daily (operating). Source
  • Airport: Montréal-Trudeau International Airport and the all-cargo Mirabel airport. 249,403 metric tons of cargo at the two airports in 2024 (operating). Source
  • Customs bridge: Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle land port of entry, the main gateway for trade and travel between New York and Montreal; primary inspection line being rebuilt until summer 2028, with reduced lanes. Almost 300,000 commercial vehicles a year (under construction). Source

Distribution: Freight moves through the Port of Montreal, CN's Saint-Laurent intermodal terminal and the Montréal-Trudeau and Mirabel airports, with the Contrecoeur terminal expansion adding container capacity.

Destination market

Houston, TX

Houston is the Gulf Coast's main gateway for containers, refined fuels, petrochemicals, steel and project cargo. The Houston Ship Channel is the nation's largest port by waterborne tonnage, and Port Houston's two container terminals handled a record 4.3 million TEUs in 2025. Freight moves on to Texas and the U.S. interior by Union Pacific, BNSF and CPKC rail and by truck, and toward Mexico on US 59 to Laredo.

Industries: Refined fuels, petrochemicals and plastics, containerized imports and exports, steel and project cargo, warehousing and distribution

  • Seaport: Two public container terminals on the Houston Ship Channel (Barbours Cut and Bayport), including a Bayport berth completed in late 2025. 4.3 million TEUs in 2025, a record (operating). Source
  • Seaport: Multi-purpose terminals for breakbulk, steel, grain and heavy-lift project cargo. Described by the port as the area's largest breakbulk, steel and project cargo complex in North America (operating). Source
  • Intermodal or rail yard: Union Pacific Settegast intermodal terminal. Container and trailer lifts, open 24 hours (operating). Source
  • Free-trade zone: Foreign-Trade Zone 84, managed by Port Houston, serving Harris, Waller and Wharton counties. 1,708.58 acres activated; 40 active sites (operating). Source
  • Airport: George Bush Intercontinental Airport cargo centers. Two cargo centers on 120 acres; more than 564,000 metric tons of air cargo handled by Houston Airports in 2025 (operating). Source
  • Plant: Oil refining and chemical production in the Houston region. Oil and refined petroleum products are the region's dominant export, followed by organic chemicals. Source

Distribution: Foreign-trade-zone sites in Harris, Waller and Wharton counties, and intermodal lifts at the Union Pacific Settegast terminal.

Market profiles describe industries and facility types from public government, industry, port, railroad and industrial-park sources. They name no shippers, manufacturers, retailers or logistics companies.

Common questions about this lane

How do I find carriers for Montreal to Houston?

On Cargado, brokers post the corridor and vetted carriers bid on it. Every carrier is verified before it can bid, which replaces cold-calling unknown carriers.

What equipment is available on the Montreal to Houston corridor?

Postings here lean open deck-led, with dry van and reefer demand. If you need a type you do not see, post the load anyway. Carriers with matching equipment get notified automatically.

Do carriers on this corridor handle customs paperwork?

Carriers handle the transport side and customs brokers clear the freight. Have your customs broker's entry filed before the truck reaches the border, and look for carriers with the right border credentials.

Moving freight on this lane?

Post it to 2,350+ vetted Mexico and Canada carriers, or check market rates built from real carrier bids before you quote.

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