What Washington United Terminals does

Washington United Terminals (WUT) operates a marine container terminal at the Port of Tacoma on the Blair Waterway in Washington State, providing vessel stevedoring, container storage, gate operations, and on-dock intermodal rail services for Trans-Pacific trade. Founded in 1999 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Merchant Marine America (HMMA), the terminal serves as the U.S. Pacific Northwest gateway for HMM and alliance partners Ocean Network Express (ONE) and Yang Ming Marine Transport, with Hapag-Lloyd as a former Grand Alliance customer. The 103-acre facility includes 2,600 feet of berth at 51-foot water depth, eight gantry cranes (four Post-Panamax and four Super Post-Panamax capable of 24-container outreach), a 12-lane automated gate complex, 884 reefer power stalls, and a 23-acre intermodal rail yard with 52 double-stack railcar capacity served by BNSF and Union Pacific.

WUT's revenue model is tariff-based and transaction-driven, anchored on container stevedoring and handling fees, container storage and demurrage (a $310 long-stay dwell fee after 15 days on dock and 5 days in available area, plus $310 every 7 days thereafter), manual gate closeout fees of $61.43, and maintenance and repair services with labor rates ranging from $211.16 to $352.33 per hour depending on shift and holiday status. The go-to-market is direct B2B sales to ocean carrier shipping lines, with services contracted at the vessel level and supported by an eModal-powered appointment scheduling system for drayage truckers. Currently at 590,000 TEU annual throughput capacity, WUT is mid-execution on a $135M modernization project with HD Hyundai Samho scheduled to deliver four new cranes by 2028, expanding capacity by 50% to approximately 880,000 TEUs. Operations are powered by over 500 ILWU Local 23 longshoremen in Tacoma, with a 30-year Port of Tacoma lease running through 2033.

Name

Washington United Terminals

Legal name

Washington United Terminals

Website

https://uswut.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Washington United Terminals is a privately held marine container terminal at the Port of Tacoma, wholly owned by HMM, that provides vessel stevedoring, container storage, automated gate operations, and on-dock intermodal rail services primarily to HMM and THE Alliance ocean carriers on Trans-Pacific trade routes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port Terminal Services

NAICS

Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Port and Harbor Operations (48831)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Railroad Switching & Terminal Establishments (4013)

akta.pro primary industry

Gateway Container Terminals (Import/Export) (TLAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Terminal Cargo Handling & Yard Operations (Receiving, Staging, Delivery) (TLAHALAB), Intermodal Rail Container Terminals (On-Dock / Near-Dock) (TLAHAAAE)

Keywords

• Marine container terminal
• Container stevedoring services
• Intermodal rail yard
• Vessel berthing operations
• Port logistics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Container Stevedoring and Handling Services: Marine terminal cargo handling services including vessel loading/unloading operations, crane operations for container transfer between vessel and dock/yard
2. Container Storage and Demurrage: Charges for containers stored on terminal; long stay fee of $310 imposed when container has been on dock longer than 15 days and in available area longer than 5 days, with additional $310 every 7 days thereafter
3. Gate and Transaction Fees: Fees for gate pass operations; $61.43 charge for manual gate pass closeout when driver fails to close out properly
4. Maintenance and Repair Services: Chassis and equipment maintenance and repair services with labor rates varying by shift (base rate $211.16 during regular hours, with shift differentials of 30-75% for off-hours)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Washington United Terminals operates a marine container terminal at the Port of Tacoma providing vessel stevedoring, container handling, storage, demurrage, gate operations, and intermodal rail transfer services for ocean carrier shipping lines. The 103-acre facility handles containerized cargo for Trans-Pacific trade routes with 8 gantry cranes, on-dock rail connectivity to BNSF and Union Pacific, and automated gate operations. Services are contracted directly with steamship lines including parent company HMM and alliance partners ONE and Yang Ming.

Product overview

Washington United Terminals (WUT) operates as a container terminal at the Port of Tacoma offering integrated marine terminal services. The company provides a unified platform combining vessel berthing and cargo handling (Marine Terminal Services), intermodal rail operations (Intermodal Yard Operations), and container storage and retrieval (Container Yard Services). These core services are supported by an extensive equipment fleet and automated gate operations. WUT serves major shipping lines including HMM, Ocean Network Express (ONE), Yang Ming, and Hapag-Lloyd through its 103-acre facility with 2,600 feet of berth and capacity for 52 rail cars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marine Terminal Services Container handling services including vessel berthing and cargo loading/unloading operations using Post-Panamax and Super Post-Panamax gantry cranes capable of handling vessels with up to 24 container outreach. Designed for ocean carrier shipping lines requiring Trans-Pacific container handling.
• Intermodal Yard Operations 23-acre dedicated loading/unloading rail yard with 4 continuously welded tracks of 3,900 feet each on concrete ties, supporting 52 double-stack railcar capacity with concurrent container operations and rail switching. Provides direct Class I rail connectivity to BNSF and Union Pacific for intermodal container transfer.
• Container Yard Services 105-acre container yard with 600 wheeled container/chassis slots and 7,500 TEU grounded container slots with 5-high stacking capability, plus 884 reefer power stalls with 440-volt continuous power. Provides container storage with long-stay dwell fees ($310 per incident after 15 days on dock).
• Terminal Equipment Fleet Comprehensive equipment fleet including 4 Post-Panamax and 4 Super Post-Panamax gantry cranes, 4 reach stackers for rail, 1 yard reach stacker, 16 top-picks, 6 side-picks, 6 rubber tire gantry cranes, 21 forklifts, 70 yard tractors, and 79 bombcarts. Supports terminal handling operations for all vessel types.
• Gate Complex Operations 12-lane automated gate complex with 7 inbound truck lanes with 80-foot oversized scales, 4 outbound lanes, and 2 reversible lanes. Features L.A. King automated gate system providing industry-leading transaction times for truckers. Manual gate closeout fee of $61.43 applies when drivers fail to close out gate passes.
• Container Tracking and Appointment System Trucker access system for tracking shipments, checking bookings, empty/container availability, and reprinting gate passes. Integrated with eModal platform for appointment scheduling. Available to truckers and clients via the WUT website portal.
• Maintenance and Repair Services Chassis and equipment maintenance and repair services with labor rates varying by shift: $211.16/hour during regular hours (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday-Friday), $250.55/hour second shift, $328.68/hour hoot shift, up to $352.33/hour on weekends and holidays. Shift differentials range 30-75%.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual throughput capacity increasing from 590,000 to 880,000 TEU (50% increase)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• HD Hyundai SamhocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 July 2026Contract signed for supply and installation of 4 port cranes (2 quay/Ship-to-Shore cranes and 2 yard cranes) for terminal modernization. Part of $135M investment project. Delivery scheduled in phases by 2028 on turnkey basis including design, manufacturing, transportation, installation, and commissioning. Deal linked to MASGA (Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation) initiative with POSCO steel sourcing.
• HMM (Hyundai Merchant Marine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company through wholly owned subsidiary HMMA (Hyundai Merchant Marine America). HMM operates Washington United Terminals as its U.S. terminal facility. WUT serves as HMM's primary U.S. West Coast gateway for Trans-Pacific shipping routes.
• Ocean Network Express (ONE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor shipping line customer operating vessels at WUT terminal. Part of THE Alliance partnership with HMM.
• Yang Ming Marine TransportmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShipping line customer operating vessels at WUT terminal. Part of THE Alliance.
• BNSF RailwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClass I railroad serving WUT's on-dock intermodal rail yard for container transfer to inland destinations.
• Union Pacific RailroadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClass I railroad serving WUT's on-dock intermodal rail yard for container transfer to inland destinations.
• Tacoma Municipal Belt LineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCity-owned and operated municipal rail switching services for WUT terminal.
• ILWU Local 23coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor union providing over 500 skilled longshoremen in various categories for terminal operations.
• The Northwest Seaport AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort authority partnership managing container facilities in the Northwest Seaport Alliance.
• American Association of Port AuthoritiesminorOthersIndustry trade association membership for port authorities.
• Intermodal Association of North AmericaminorOthersIndustry association for intermodal transportation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SSA Marine: SSA Marine operates marine terminals and provides stevedoring, cargo handling, and terminal logistics services, making it a close U.S. operating comparable to WUT. Its West Coast presence gives it especially strong regional relevance.
• Ports America: Ports America is a major U.S. marine terminal operator serving ocean carriers with vessel loading, container handling, storage, and intermodal services. Its port-terminal model and enterprise shipping-line customers closely match WUT's activities.
• APM Terminals: APM Terminals operates container terminals worldwide and offers vessel operations, yard management, gate services, and intermodal connectivity. WUT is a smaller, specialized version of the same container-terminal operating model.
• TraPac: TraPac operates container terminals on the U.S. West Coast, including facilities serving large ocean-carrier vessels with cargo handling, storage, and intermodal capabilities. Its Pacific Coast exposure makes it a directly relevant regional terminal peer.
• Long Beach Container Terminal: Long Beach Container Terminal is a highly automated container terminal serving trans-Pacific ocean carriers with vessel loading, container storage, and landside transfer. Its large-vessel focus and container-terminal operations are closely comparable to WUT's Tacoma facility.
• Global Container Terminals: Global Container Terminals develops and operates container terminals in major trade gateways, providing marine and intermodal cargo handling. Its North American port focus and carrier-oriented business model are comparable to WUT's.
• Yusen Terminals: Yusen Terminals operates container terminals and provides stevedoring, equipment, storage, and terminal services, including at major U.S. ports. It is directly comparable to WUT in carrier-served container handling and Pacific trade exposure.
• International Container Terminal Services, Inc. International Container Terminal Services, Inc. is a global container-terminal developer and operator offering vessel, yard, gate, and intermodal services. WUT shares the same core operating model but at a smaller single-terminal scale.

Broad incumbents

• PSA International: PSA International is a large global port operator with extensive container-terminal, logistics, and supply-chain capabilities. Its terminal operations overlap directly with WUT, although PSA operates on a much larger international portfolio.
• DP World: DP World operates marine terminals and integrated logistics networks for shipping lines and cargo owners. It overlaps with WUT in container handling, storage, and intermodal operations but is substantially larger and more diversified.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WUTerminals
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-united-terminals-inc.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Washington United Terminals