Dallas, United States
Sea freight in Dallas
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in Dallas, via Port Houston. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in Dallas
- AirportDallas/Fort Worth
DFW - SeaportPort Houstonby road
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is the main cargo airport for North Texas, with freighter and widebody connections to Europe, Asia and Latin America and a central location for US distribution. Dallas Love Field (DAL) serves mainly domestic passenger traffic. Fort Worth Alliance Airport (AFW) is an industrial airport focused on cargo and is part of the AllianceTexas logistics park. The region has no seaport; ocean freight reaches it from Port Houston by road or rail, or from the West Coast ports by rail.
Dallas-Fort Worth is a crossroads of I-35 (north-south from Laredo on the Mexican border to the Midwest), I-20, I-30 and I-45. BNSF and Union Pacific operate major intermodal terminals in the region, including at Alliance and south of Dallas. This combination of air, rail and road makes DFW one of the main inland distribution hubs in the US.
Operational logistics facts for Dallas
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) | Freighter and widebody air freight | Central US location for nationwide distribution |
| Fort Worth Alliance Airport (AFW) | Industrial cargo airport with rail and logistics park | Air, rail and road combined in one location |
| I-35 corridor | Truck connection to Mexico and the Midwest | Direct road link to the Laredo border crossing |
| BNSF and Union Pacific intermodal terminals | Rail containers from Houston and the West Coast | Inland delivery of sea freight |
Industries in Dallas and how we support them
North Texas is a centre for semiconductors and electronics, with chip manufacturers in Dallas and Richardson, plus telecom, defence and aerospace companies in Fort Worth. Large distribution centres serve retail and e-commerce across the US. We support these supply chains with air freight under our own air waybills via DFW, sea freight through Houston or the West Coast with inland delivery, Next Flight Out for production-critical semiconductor equipment parts, and On-Board Courier for samples and prototypes. For technology exports we check export control requirements together with you.
FCL and LCL via Port Houston
Full containers are booked directly with the shipping line; for smaller volumes we use LCL consolidation services. Pre-carriage from Dallas to Port Houston, or on-carriage after arrival, is arranged by road or rail as part of the same booking.
Customs clearance in the United States
Ziem network
Customs clearance in the United States is handled by a partner team in the Ziem network, under the Ziem Logistics brand and to our procedures.
For air freight to and from the United States we issue our own air waybills.
Importers in the United States need an importer of record number and, for most formal entries, a customs bond.
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from Dallas?
Usually Port Houston. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.