Bison Transport partners with CPKC to provide international intermodal service

Canadian carrier said intermodal service gives customers more transportation flexibility

Bison Transport is one of the largest carriers in Canada with 4,000 drivers, 3,000 tractors and 10,000 trailers. (Photo: Bison Transport)

With global shippers seeking more routing options, Bison Transport recently announced an agreement with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) to deliver intermodal transportation services across North America.

The partnership will utilize the railway’s north-south corridor connecting Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, and Winnipeg, Canada-based Bison Transport’s 3,000 tractors and 10,000 trailers.

“Bison Transport and CPKC have a long history of successfully serving and rapidly growing our customer base in Canada, and we look forward to expanding that intermodal growth in the U.S. and Mexico,” Rob Penner, Bison Transport’s president and CEO, said in a news release. “With Bison’s established operations in Mexico and our commitment to growth of cross-border freight services in that market, the timing of this agreement is ideal.”

Founded in 1969, Bison Transport is one of the largest carriers in Canada. The company has over 4,000 drivers and offers truckload, less-than-truckload, dedicated, logistics, intermodal, yard management and warehousing and distribution services. 

Officials for CPKC (NYSE: CP) said the deal with Bison Transport boosts the company’s goal of connecting North American markets with single-line, expedited intermodal freight transportation service. CPKC has 17 intermodal facilities across North America.

“This agreement between CPKC and Bison Transport will generate multiple synergies for customers as they benefit from reliable capacity and industry leading service,” Jonathan Wahba, CPKC senior vice president of sales and marketing, bulk and intermodal, said in a statement.

The agreement with Bison Transport is one of the latest developments between CPKC and carriers, as the company seeks to gain more market share through more intermodal offerings.

In May, the railway began offering a daily premium intermodal service running between the U.S. Midwest and Mexico, called the Mexico Midwest Express

In April, CPKC also secured agreements with carriers Schneider (NYSE: SNDR) and Knight-Swift (NYSE: KNX) for intermodal services between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Schneider will serve as a strategic carrier on the intermodal line that connects Chicago to major ports and regions in Mexico, while Knight-Swift is providing truckload capacity for a Mexico-to-Chicago cross-border train.

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Noi Mahoney

Noi Mahoney is a Texas-based journalist who covers cross-border trade, logistics and supply chains for FreightWaves. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 1998. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working for newspapers in Maryland and Texas. Contact nmahoney@freightwaves.com