Shipping Freight to Alaska from Seattle: Your Complete Guide

Alaska relies on imports to keep its residents supplied and its businesses stocked. 90% of merchandise goods enter the Port of Anchorage from the Port of Tacoma. In fact, so much Alaska-bound cargo moves through Seattle and the Port of Tacoma that it’s sometimes called “The Gateway to Alaska.”

If you’re shipping cargo from Seattle to Alaska, our Alaska freight experts will share their must-knows for this freight lane. You’ll discover everything you need to know to keep your Alaska shipments moving quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Your Options for Moving Freight from Seattle to Alaska

Let’s start by reviewing the modes of transportation you can leverage to ship freight to Alaska from Seattle. 

Ocean freight will likely be the most cost-effective method for shipping to Alaska from Seattle. Additionally, ocean freight is a vital transportation mode in Alaska, since more than 80% of the state’s communities are inaccessible by road.

Remember Alaska’s 58 commercial ports we mentioned above? While the Don Young Port of Alaska in Anchorage (formerly known as the Port of Anchorage) handles about half of the incoming freight for the state, those 57 additional ports handle the rest, distributing vital freight and supplies to Alaska residents:

• A network of barges moves freight to Southcentral Alaska ports like Whittier, Valdez, and Cordova, as well as Southeastern Alaska ports like Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, Haines, Skagway, and Wrangell.

• Western Alaska ports like Bethel, Dillingham, Dutch Harbor, Naknek, Nome, and others are served by barges from late March through mid-September.

Where Alaska ocean freight from Seattle/Tacoma is concerned, you’ll have two types of service to choose from:

Full container load (FCL) service, in which you pay for a dedicated container that you can fill however you please in Seattle and ship to Alaska.

Less-than-container-load (LCL) service, arranged through a freight forwarder. Your cargo essentially “shares” space with other Alaska-bound freight, and you only pay for the space you need.

Which service is right for your load? If you’ve got enough for a full (or almost-full) container, choose FCL. Additionally, shippers moving high-value goods from Seattle to Alaska often choose FCL for the added security of a dedicated container, which also minimizes handling.

For smaller loads, LCL is the obvious choice. However, once you reach a certain volume/weight of freight, FCL service may be more cost-efficient. Talk to your freight forwarder. They can run the numbers both ways and talk you through the pros and cons of both options.

Air cargo acts as another vital link between Seattle and Alaska. The large majority of air freight into Alaska consists of electronics, followed by precision instruments. Washington state is the biggest origin point for inbound Alaska freight.

Since so many of Alaska’s communities are not connected to the state’s road system, Alaska air freight acts as a vital transportation link to deliver goods to these communities. Alaska’s Rural Airport System (RAS) consists of 237 commercial service facilities that accept tens of thousands of freight from Ted Stevens Anchorage Airport (ANC) and Fairbanks International Airport (FAI).

By tonnage, 46.4% of all freight movement in Alaska is by truck, making over-the-road freight the most popular mode for domestic, in-state freight. Alaska trucking supplies communities in Southcentral Alaska, as well as Interior communities like Fairbanks, North Pole, Delta Junction, and Tok.

In terms of moving freight to Alaska from Seattle, over-the-road shipping is possible, although the roads can get treacherous in the colder months. If you plan on using FTL or LTL service during the winter, make sure you strategize with your freight forwarder on a backup plan in case of inclement weather.

Tips for Fast, Efficient, Cost-Effective Freight Shipping to Alaska from Seattle

Next, we’ll cover a few essential must-knows for keeping your freight moving from Seattle to Alaska. 

Freight moving to Alaska from Seattle will travel at least 1,500 miles—and probably more. Along the way, it will be loaded and unloaded across multiple modes of transportation—trucks, boats, planes, etc. Add to that the extreme weather conditions common in Alaska, and it’s easy to see why it’s important to protect your freight with the right packaging.

No matter the size of your load, make sure it’s properly packaged and secured for its journey from Seattle to its final destination in Alaska. For LCL/LTL shipments, that might mean palletizing or crating your freight. For full container load shipments, make sure your load is properly secured in the container so it doesn’t shift in transit.

If you have any questions about packaging your freight, talk to an experienced Alaska freight forwarder. (Our team would be happy to help!) A good forwarder can help you make the right preparations so your freight arrives in excellent condition.

The summer is the easiest time to move freight to Alaska from Seattle. However, Alaska residents and businesses need cargo all year, which means you might need to move freight during Alaska’s formidable winters or spring breakup, with its seasonal weight restrictions.

Dealing with the weather is simply part of the game when moving freight to Alaska. That’s why it’s so important to work with an experienced Alaska freight provider that understands how to keep cargo moving all year round.

• An experienced Alaska freight forwarder can help you leverage all the modes available at a particular time of year. No barges to Nome until mid-April? A good freight forwarder will help you explore other options.
• A solid Alaska freight partner can also help you with inventory planning so you enter the winter months well-stocked in case of supply chain disruptions.
• Finally, a seasoned Alaska freight provider can also assist in planning future shipments, including building in enough lead time so that you’ve got some wiggle room to ride out any particularly disruptive weather events.

In short, doing business in Alaska means anticipating the weather—and partnering with an expert who can help overcome any challenges.

airports. However, many providers’ services stop there, leaving you to find another provider who can move freight to its final destination in Alaska.

Before you choose a provider to ship your freight to Alaska from Seattle, ask whether they can handle final delivery. An all-in-one provider who can get your freight all the way to its final destination will simplify your freight project. Otherwise, you’ll need to coordinate multiple providers to keep your cargo moving.

Some Alaska freight providers also have the capability to deliver additional freight services, such as maneuvering freight in place or assembly. Below, we’ll run down the industry-standard delivery services so you know what to ask for when you book your next freight delivery:

• Curbside Delivery – In a standard curbside delivery, your freight provider will leave your freight at the “curb.” This could be the door to a warehouse or delivery entrance to a retail location.

• Inside Delivery – In an inside delivery, the team will drop off the freight just inside the threshold. They’re not required to climb stairs or navigate hallways. Final placement will be your team’s responsibility.

• White Glove Delivery – White glove delivery is the highest level of service, which is customizable to your needs. If you need your freight unpacked, put in place, assembled, etc., white glove service can save your team a lot of work.

Not all freight providers in Alaska offer all of these services. Make sure to ask up front so you can choose the right provider for your delivery.

In Alaska, the “can-do” attitude is strong. It’s one of the things that make Alaska such a special place to live and work. However, when you’re shipping specialized freight out of Seattle, don’t settle for anything less than an experienced team.

For example, moving medical equipment like MRI machines, X-ray machines, or CT systems requires specialized equipment, some of which is manufacturer-specific. Don’t risk this delicate—and expensive—machinery to someone without a deep track record in this arena. A seasoned expert will show up with the right dollies, skates, jacks, J-bars, etc., reducing the possibility of mishandling—and damage to expensive or sensitive freight.

As you’re vetting providers to move high-value, specialized, or sensitive freight, make sure to ask them about the past jobs they’ve completed. You’ll get a sense pretty quickly if they have the experience and the equipment to get your freight to Alaska from Seattle safely.

Keeping Your Seattle–Alaska Freight Moving

With a solid foundation in the ins and outs of Seattle freight, you’re ready to move your cargo quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively to its final destination in Alaska, whether that’s Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, or one of Alaska’s other destinations.

Need some help with your next Seattle–Alaska freight project? Our asset-based Anchorage team has the team, terminal, and the resources to get your shipment anywhere it needs to go in Alaska. Just reach out for a complimentary quote to get started.