Ocean Container Ships do not unload directly onto rail cars at any Seattle or Tacoma Port that I have been to. The closest they get to this is at Pierce County Terminal ( Evergreen & some APL / CMA ), and the combined Husky & TCT Terminals, both in Tacoma. At these ports the ship crane unloads a container onto a " Bomber Cart " or yard chassis, then a Straddle Crane ( a variation on the lumber straddle cranes that move stacks of raw lumber to & from the kiln dryers ) moves the can to the rail container yard and straddles the rows of well cars until finding the one called out for the can being moved. This is a quick & easy way to sort cans for different well car rows, and therefore different rail destinations. Import loads destined for local delivery are " decked " in the yard using bomber carts pulled by yard goats, then pulled by " Strads " and dropped onto a highway container chassis.
At the other Tacoma & all Seattle Ocean port terminals, the ship cranes unload cans onto yard goat / bomber carts that move the cans to various " Piles " within the yard, where they are " Decked " by Top Picks ( large forklifts that lift cans from the four top corner ISO pockets ). Top Picks have also been used to load cans from bomber carts onto rail well cars at Seattle Terminal 5, though current tenant Matson Lines does not load any rail cars at present time. Seattle Terminal 18 will use top picks, and also Rubber - Tired Gantry cranes ( RTG ) that straddle 2 rail tracks.
At NO Seattle or Tacoma Container Facility are " Outside Dray Haulers " allowed to even come close to the ship ( The "A" or Apron Row ), as this is the exclusive territory of Longshore " Workers " Union personnel.