Keeping America’s Drivers on the Move
Mile after mile, Watco is proud to keep America’s motorists moving by supporting the flow of vehicles, parts, and the fuel that powers them.
It takes a team effort to deliver, and that’s exactly what we do across our transportation network made up of short line railroads and switching sites, terminals, ports, and logistics hubs.
According to the American Association of Railroads, nearly 75 percent of new U.S. cars and light trucks are moved by rail. On Watco’s Ann Arbor Railroad (AA) in Michigan, the team handled and moved more than 150,000 vehicles in 2025.
Finished vehicle logistics is another service provided by the AA. Across three distribution centers in Toledo, Ohio, team members coordinate the movement of vehicles from the factory floor to the next leg of the journey. These moves can include transporting cars to the loading area, storage yard, or another contractor to add a custom trim package.
Automotive Terminal Manager Bryant Boatman said, “We’re a 24/7 operation dedicated to our customer’s success. This is achieved by staying available, engaged, and invested in solving today’s needs while learning how to better support customers tomorrow.”
Autorack railcars carrying automobiles are also moved by Watco’s Jacksonville Port Terminal Railroad (JXPT). This Florida-based team moves railcars from interchange to the Port of Jacksonville, where cars are processed by an automotive distributor and eventually moved to car dealerships or exported abroad.
When it comes to repairing these autorack railcars, Watco has a hand in that, too. Located 10 miles away from JXPT, the Jacksonville Repair and Maintenance Terminal inspects, cleans, and repairs these railcars.
Watco also touches auto repairs. That’s because Watco Logistics serves a national automotive replacement parts retailer, coordinating over-the-road deliveries of car batteries, brake pads, antifreeze, and other auto parts to the customer’s distribution centers and brick-and-mortar stores.
Safety recalls are also in Watco Logistics’ wheelhouse. After an automotive manufacturer started producing new parts following a recall, they needed a place to store them. Our team found the right solution outside of Watco’s network, a 200,000-square-foot warehouse in Memphis, Tennessee.
Logistics Sales Manager Michael Clinton said, “Watco can be as big or small of a player as the customer needs us to be. Our ability to plug and play and find solutions inside and out of Watco’s network allows us to best meet their needs.”
At the Hawesville Marine Terminal in Kentucky, tons of prime aluminum are transloaded and moved every day. Some of this product eventually goes into making panels that make up the car body.
Then there are the batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel that make cars go. Lithium ore, one commodity that makes up battery components for EVs, is moved by Watco’s Texas Coastal Bend Railroad.
Some of Watco’s dedicated terminals and switching sites located coast to coast move, load, and unload railcars carrying crude oil for customers, which is later refined into gasoline.
At Watco Greens Port, fuels used to power cars, diesel trucks, airplanes, and even racecars are loaded onto unit trains and moved from Houston across the border to Mexico at the San Luis Potosi Distribution
Terminal with the help from Watco Logistics.
Vice President of Sales for Rail Logistics Sabin Reynolds said, “Watco’s rail logistics team is there to make cross-border shipping easy. From verifying information and handling waybilling to keeping shipments safe, our team supports this customer every step of the way.”
Learn about Watco’s finished vehicles logistics services here. Or visit watco.com for more information on our team’s integrated services.
