"Port to port transport" is an ocean-freight term for the vessel leg that carries a container from one seaport to another. That voyage — and the customs clearance around it — is not something Red Foot Haulers books. What we quote is the inland truck leg: port pickup of a released 20ft or 40ft box, or delivery to a truck-accessible address, in the Halifax or Vancouver port areas. Other major Canadian ports are quoted by inquiry. We haul shipping containers within Canada only, priced from your origin, destination, container size, weight and site access. Start a quote at /quote/other-shipping.
Inland Haul From Halifax and Vancouver Ports
In ocean freight, port-to-port means vessel to vessel — a container leaves one seaport, crosses water, and arrives at another seaport, with the carrier and customs handling everything in between. That is not the service on this page. Most people who search "port to port transport" in a Canadian context are actually trying to figure out how a container gets from a port city to a warehouse, farm, job site, or depot a few kilometres — or a few provinces — away. That inland leg is what Red Foot Haulers quotes.
We operate on both coasts. On the Atlantic side, that means inland pickup and delivery around the Halifax port area. On the Pacific side, it means the Vancouver port area. Other major Canadian ports and Canada-only locations are quoted by inquiry — we do not publish a named-terminal list. In every case, the job is the same: a truck comes to a truck-accessible address, picks up or drops off a released shipping container, and moves it somewhere else inland — never overseas, never across the border, and never involving the vessel schedule itself.
Red Foot Haulers has been hauling shipping containers within Canada since 2016, with more than 700 customer reviews averaging 4.9 out of 5. Every move includes cargo insurance. We're a Canada-only carrier — we don't move containers to or from the United States, and we don't manage the ocean leg, the terminal gate process, or CBSA paperwork. What we do is confirm a truck-legal route from your specified address to your specified destination and quote the inland haul based on your container's size, weight, and load status.
If what you actually need is a broader look at moving a container anywhere inland in the country — not just near a port — that's covered on our container shipping within Canada hub, which handles container transport Canada-wide rather than the port-specific pickups this page focuses on.
Port-to-Port Transport vs Inland Pickup — The Distinction
Because "port to port" shows up in ocean-freight glossaries and inland trucking searches alike, it's worth separating the two clearly before you request a quote. The table below shows who does what in each scenario.
| Aspect | Ocean Port-to-Port | Inland Haul (Red Foot Haulers) |
|---|---|---|
| What moves | Container on a vessel, seaport to seaport | Container on a truck, address to address |
| Who arranges it | Ocean carrier / shipping line | Red Foot Haulers |
| Customs / CBSA | Handled by the line or broker | Not part of our quote |
| Terminal appointments and port fees | Handled by the terminal / broker / customer | Not something we book or pay |
| What's required for us to quote it | N/A — not our service | A truck-accessible pickup or drop address |
| Geographic scope | International, ship to ship | Canada only, inland |
We do the second column — moving a released container by truck once it has a real street address at either end. If your container needs the first column, that's a conversation with your ocean carrier or customs broker, not with us. For inland moves that don't start or end near a port at all, the broader container shipping within Canada service covers that ground.
How a Port Pickup Works
A port pickup is not a standardized terminal product. The box has to be released before a truck can take it, and we match that box to a carrier with the right trailer for its size, weight, and both sites. Empty 20ft and 40ft boxes often go on a flatdeck. A port pickup or a heavy loaded box may need a different trailer — confirmed on the quote. We do not operate a dedicated chassis, tilt-deck, twist-lock, or side-loader fleet.
The order is straightforward:
- The customer, the broker, or the ocean line gets the container released from the terminal.
- You send the actual pickup and delivery addresses, size (standard 20ft and 40ft are the default; 40ft high-cube is quote-only), loaded or empty, weight, and site photos. We quote from those facts.
- After the booking questions and the contract, the assigned carrier and you arrange the pickup window. We do not book the gate appointment, pay port fees, or hold a standing terminal account.
What Your Quote Depends On
We don't publish a flat per-kilometre rate or a fixed price list, because container hauls vary too much address to address. What we can tell you is exactly which factors move the number, and in which direction, so you know what to have ready before you request a quote.
| Factor | How it affects the quote |
|---|---|
| Distance and distance tier | Longer hauls and higher distance tiers generally cost more; short local moves near the port cost less than a cross-region run |
| Container size — 20ft vs 40ft vs high-cube | Larger and taller boxes generally cost more to move than a standard 20ft unit, and may need different equipment |
| Loaded vs empty | A loaded container usually costs more to move than the same box empty, due to weight and handling |
| Actual weight vs legal axle limits | Weight close to or over legal axle limits can affect routing, permits, and price |
| Origin access | Level ground, swing room, and a truck-legal road in reduce cost; tight, soft, or hard-to-reach sites raise it |
| Destination access | Same as origin — a street-side, truck-accessible drop is simpler and cheaper than a constrained site |
| Season | Winter conditions and seasonal road restrictions can affect timing and, in turn, price |
| Whether a lift is needed at either end | A site that needs a lift on or off the truck (rather than a straightforward drop) generally costs more |
For most Halifax- and Vancouver-area jobs, two factors tend to dominate: site access at pickup and drop-off, and whether the container is loaded or empty. A straightforward empty 20ft repositioned between two street-accessible addresses is a very different quote from a loaded 40ft high-cube that needs a lift at a constrained site. If you want a general sense of how these factors typically stack up nationally, our container shipping cost Canada breakdown goes deeper, and our 20ft vs 40ft container transport guide compares the two sizes specifically.
Halifax and Vancouver — What to Have Ready
Because we quote from your actual address rather than "the port" as a general location, the more specific you can be up front, the faster and more accurate your quote will be. Here's what we ask for on a Halifax- or Vancouver-area port haul:
| Detail needed | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Exact pickup and delivery address | We need a real street address, not just "Halifax port" or "Vancouver port" — access varies address to address |
| Container size | 20ft, 40ft, or high-cube — most customers know this from their bill of lading or purchase paperwork |
| Loaded or empty | Affects weight, handling, and whether a lift is needed |
| Weight | Actual or estimated weight helps confirm routing and legal axle limits |
| Terminal appointment or street-side location | Tells us whether you already have appointment access arranged, or whether the container sits at a regular street-accessible site |
A few real-world examples of how this plays out: a loaded 40ft container sitting at a warehouse near the Halifax waterfront with a paved yard and full turning room is a straightforward quote once we know the weight and destination — we do not promise every loaded 40ft. An empty 20ft depot unit near Vancouver being repositioned to a farm property with a gravel laneway takes a bit more detail on access before we can confirm the truck can get in and out cleanly. In both cases, we're not holding an account at a specific terminal and we're not booking the appointment for you — we're confirming the truck move once the container is released and at, or being delivered to, an address we can actually service.
Seasonal timing matters too, though we can only speak to it qualitatively rather than promise specific cutoffs. Winter weather on routes west of Halifax, and mountain-pass conditions on routes through the Rockies toward or away from Vancouver, can affect scheduling and travel time for the inland haul. If your move is time-sensitive around late fall through early spring, mention that when you request a quote so we can factor it into routing.
Vancouver to Halifax as a City Pair
Everything above covers pickup or delivery in the Halifax or Vancouver port areas individually — one end of the move, not necessarily both. If your container needs to travel the full coast-to-coast distance between the two cities, that's a distinct corridor with its own considerations around distance, timing, and routing, and it has its own dedicated page: Vancouver to Halifax container shipping. This page stays focused on port-area pickup and delivery at either end; the city-pair page covers the full run between them.
Other popular routes and resources worth a look: our container shipping cost Canada page for a broader pricing-driver breakdown, our 20ft vs 40ft container transport comparison, and our guide to container shipping companies in Canada for context on how carriers like us fit into the wider industry. If you're actually trying to move a vehicle rather than a container between these two coasts, see Halifax Vancouver car shipping instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does port-to-port transport mean here?
On this page it means inland truck to or from the Halifax or Vancouver port areas. In ocean freight, port-to-port is the vessel leg between two seaports — we do not book that voyage or clear customs.
Do you pick up containers at the Port of Halifax or Port of Vancouver?
Yes, when the box is released and the pickup is truck-accessible. The customer, broker, or line handles release, terminal appointments, and port fees. After we book, the assigned carrier and you arrange pickup. Other major Canadian ports are quoted by inquiry — we do not claim a standing terminal account.
Do you handle terminal appointments, port fees or customs?
No. Those stay with the ocean line, the terminal, the broker or the customer. Our quote is the inland truck move.
Can you move a container between Halifax and Vancouver?
Yes, as an inland Canada haul when both ends are accessible. The city-pair page covers that corridor; this page covers port-area pickup at either end.
Do you ship containers to or from the United States?
No. Red Foot Haulers moves containers within Canada only. Cross-border ocean or truck moves involve CBSA clearance and different paperwork we do not handle.