Freedom Intermodal Tank Services has quietly flipped the switch on a new automated bulk liquid packaging facility in New Orleans East, bolting a major upgrade onto its France Road Parkway operation. The $2.5 million buildout adds automated drumming and tote packaging lines and pulls packaging, warehousing, transloading, storage and transportation into a single complex. Company officials say the expanded setup lets customers package, blend, heat and clean products before they ever leave the yard, with the goal of trimming handling steps, lowering freight costs and boosting throughput for regional shippers.
The $2.5 million facility sits next to Freedom Intermodal’s existing France Road Parkway campus and, according to New Orleans CityBusiness, delivers Class A warehouse space, 38 outbound dock doors, covered truck and rail unloading areas, heating and blending systems, a 450 railcar storage in transit yard, a dedicated trucking fleet and roughly four acres of laydown yard and trailer parking. The new packaging line automates drum and tote filling so customers can handle packaging, storage and outbound rail, truck or vessel moves from one address instead of juggling multiple sites.
“Being a full-service facility and having the integrated ability to handle inbound transportation, packaging, warehousing, and outbound transportation for bulk shippers allows them to benefit from a one-stop-shop provider with unmatched connectivity and control,” Freedom Intermodal CEO Jeff Louis said in the announcement. Port and rail leaders hit a similar note. Port NOLA President and CEO Beth Branch described the project as a model of private investment tapping into regional infrastructure. Those comments come from company and port statements covered by New Orleans CityBusiness.
Multimodal reach is the selling point
Port officials say the project leans on a local advantage that is hard to find elsewhere: the New Orleans Public Belt connects the port complex to all six Class I railroads, giving shippers options to move product by barge, rail or truck. Port NOLA details that intermodal web and the authority’s on-dock capabilities, which local leaders say this facility is set up to use in order to shorten supply chains. Pulling packaging, on-site storage and rail access into one spot is intended to cut handling and dwell time for bulk liquid shipments.
Who’s behind the push
Freedom Intermodal, founded in 2015 and based at 4001 France Road Parkway, has been steadily adding transloading, depot and tank services across the Gulf Coast. The company’s Freedom Intermodal site outlines its New Orleans capabilities. The expansion follows a July 2025 majority recapitalization by Carr’s Hill Capital Partners that the company said is fueling investments in equipment, systems and facilities, according to a Business Wire release. Earlier spending included new railcar servicing and storage programs that Freedom Intermodal and its partners have now folded into this latest packaging capability.
The packaging hub builds on last year’s additions, such as expanded railcar cleaning and storage, that local rail and port officials said would improve throughput and create jobs, according to Biz New Orleans. Observers say the one-stop model is positioned to appeal to chemical and commodity shippers that want fewer touchpoints between import and distribution. Officials released images and statements with the rollout, and the next chapter will be watching how quickly customer wins and hiring follow as the site ramps up.
