Reference · June 23, 2026
The Northwest Seaport Alliance runs container freight through six main marine terminals — three in Seattle's North Harbor (T18, T5, T30) and three in Tacoma's South Harbor (Husky, WUT, PCT), plus the EB1 auto/RoRo terminal. Here they are in one table: which ocean carriers call each, the harbor, and the appointment system you book against.
The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma operate jointly as the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), but each ocean carrier is assigned to a specific terminal in one harbor or the other. Use this directory to find which terminal your container lands at, who runs the gate, and how the appointment is booked. (Carrier assignments shift when alliances reshuffle and appointment portals change, so treat this as the current picture, not a permanent one.)
| Terminal | Harbor | Type | Appointments | Ocean carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 18 (T18) | Seattle · North | Container | eModal / Tideworks | ANL, CMA CGM, COSCO, ESL, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, OOCL, SM Line, Swire, UWL |
| Terminal 5 (T5) | Seattle · North | Container (big-ship) | eModal / Tideworks | MSC |
| Terminal 30 (T30) | Seattle · North | Container (overflow) | eModal / Tideworks | Rotating / overflow service |
| Husky Terminal | Tacoma · South | Container | eModal / Tideworks | Hapag-Lloyd, HMM, Maersk, ONE, Yang Ming |
| Washington United Terminals (WUT) | Tacoma · South | Container | WUT portal (uswut.com) | HMM, ONE, Yang Ming |
| Pierce County Terminal (PCT) | Tacoma · South | Container | NWSA (phone / email) | CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, OOCL |
| East Blair One (EB1) | Tacoma · South | Autos / RoRo / breakbulk | By appointment | EUKOR, Hyundai-GLOVIS, "K" Line, MOL, NYK, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, Liberty Global Logistics |
Carrier-to-terminal assignments are set by the NWSA and its carrier alliances and can change. T30 takes overflow and rotating service rather than a fixed carrier roster. For the terminal detail, see the Seattle terminals guide, the Tacoma terminals guide, the EB1 terminal guide and shipping lines by terminal.
The reason a single steamship line can appear in both harbors is the vessel-sharing alliances. Knowing the alliance tells you the likely terminal:
| Alliance | Member lines | Where they call |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Alliance | CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, OOCL | T18 (Seattle) · PCT (Tacoma) |
| Gemini | Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd | T18 (Seattle) · Husky (Tacoma) |
| Premier Alliance | ONE, HMM, Yang Ming | Husky & WUT (Tacoma) |
| MSC | MSC (standalone) | T5 (Seattle) |
| Auto / RoRo | EUKOR, GLOVIS, "K" Line, MOL, NYK, Wallenius Wilhelmsen | EB1 (Tacoma) |
Because the same line can land north or south depending on the loop it sailed, a drayage carrier has to work every terminal in both harbors. From our Kent hub — central to both — we dispatch against all of them daily.
Once a box is on the ground, three separate clocks decide whether your move stays clean. They are easy to confuse, so here is who charges what:
| Charge | Charged by | Clock starts | How to keep it off your invoice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demurrage | Marine terminal | Day after the Last Free Day (LFD) | Pull the container before LFD |
| Detention / per-diem | Steamship line | After the container's free days off-terminal | Unload and return the empty fast |
| Chassis | Chassis pool / carrier | Per day the chassis is out | Drop-and-hook, quick turns, own-chassis |
Free time is set per terminal and per line and changes often, so we track each container's LFD and per-diem clock individually rather than assume a fixed number. See demurrage vs. detention and the chassis split fee for the mechanics.
Six main marine terminals handle the bulk of the freight: Terminal 18, Terminal 5 and Terminal 30 in Seattle's North Harbor, and Husky Terminal, Washington United Terminals (WUT) and Pierce County Terminal (PCT) in Tacoma's South Harbor. East Blair One (EB1) in Tacoma handles autos, RoRo and breakbulk rather than containers.
Terminal 18 serves ANL, CMA CGM, COSCO, ESL, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, OOCL, SM Line, Swire Shipping and UWL. Terminal 5 is served by MSC. Assignments are set by the NWSA and can change.
Husky Terminal serves Hapag-Lloyd, HMM, Maersk, ONE and Yang Ming; WUT serves HMM, ONE and Yang Ming; PCT serves CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen and OOCL. EB1 handles auto/RoRo carriers like EUKOR, Hyundai-GLOVIS, "K" Line, MOL, NYK and Wallenius Wilhelmsen.
Most NWSA container terminals (T18, T5, T30, Husky) book through eModal or the terminal's Tideworks system; WUT uses its own portal at uswut.com; PCT is coordinated through the NWSA by phone and email. As a drayage carrier we hold the terminal logins and book the appointments for you.
Usually not — your steamship line and its alliance decide the harbor and terminal. What you control is using a drayage carrier that works every Seattle and Tacoma terminal, so the choice never limits you.