Eagle Systems · Houston terminal
Local Owner Operator Jobs in Houston, TX
Eagle Systems hires CDL-A owner operators with their own trucks for local import and export drayage in Houston. You haul 20', 40' and 45' international containers, reefers and open tops, gross $3,000–$5,000 a week and get home daily. Port Houston's truck gates run 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekdays.
Not sure you qualify? Take the 30-second check
- Weekly gross
- $3,000–$5,000
- Home time
- Daily
- Dispatch
- Not forced
- Open now
- 1 job
Gross revenue before fuel, insurance and truck expenses. Not a guarantee; actual earnings vary by loads, lane and costs.
Freight from this terminal
Ship Channel boxes and Houston rail ramps
The Houston market runs on Port Houston's two container terminals and the Union Pacific and BNSF rail ramps around town. New to port work? Start with how intermodal drayage works.
Ports served
- Barbours Cut Container Terminal
- Bayport Container Terminal
Rail ramps served
- UP Settegast
- BNSF Houston (Pearland)
Freight handled
- 20', 40', 45' international containers
- Reefers
- Open tops
- Hazardous materials
- Overweight containers
- Residential deliveries
- Wine & spirits
- Bonded carrier
Local know-how
Driving drayage on the Houston Ship Channel
Port Houston runs Barbours Cut in La Porte and Bayport in Pasadena, and together they moved a record 4.3 million TEUs in 2025. Both share one truck gate schedule: 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekdays, ingate closing at 6:00 PM, closed weekends. You need a TWIC, a plate registered in the Lynx portal and an Express Pass appointment.
SH 146 is the spine between the two terminals, with Fairmont Parkway, Red Bluff Road, Beltway 8 and I-10 east feeding the warehouses. A TxDOT study found most port truck trips start or end within about 15 miles of the docks. Much of that freight lands in Baytown's TGS Cedar Port Industrial Park.
Houston's rail ramps are Union Pacific's Settegast Yard on Kirkpatrick Blvd in northeast Houston and BNSF's Pearland ramp on Brisbane Road, both open around the clock. For heavy boxes, Texas sells an annual port permit good within 30 miles of Bayport and Barbours Cut. It allows up to 93,000 lb on six axles but not on interstates.
Sources (10)
- Gate Information — Port Houston
- Port Houston 2025 volume release (Jan 30, 2026)
- Hours of Operation & Holiday Schedules — Port Houston
- Terminal Security & Access — Port Houston
- Union Pacific Intermodal Terminals (PDF)
- UP Settegast terminal page
- BNSF Houston (Pearland) Intermodal Facility — FreightForwarderServices
- TGS Cedar Port DC2 lease — Partners Real Estate
- TxDOT Houston District Truck Mobility Study summary
- Intermodal Shipping Container Port Permits — TxDMV
Home time and schedule
From the Bayport gate to an east-side dock
A typical Houston drayage day starts with an Express Pass pickup at Bayport or Barbours Cut, a run up SH 146 to a warehouse in Baytown or along Beltway 8, and an empty back before the 6:00 PM ingate cutoff.
- 01
Start near home
Roll out from home or the Houston yard.
- 02
Pick up the box
Barbours Cut Container Terminal
- 03
Deliver local
Customers around Houston.
- 04
Return the empty
Back to the port, ramp or yard.
- 05
Home tonight
Every night. No forced dispatch.
Pay and settlements
What Houston owner operators gross each week
Owner operators gross $3,000–$5,000 a week, paid every week by direct deposit. Here is how weekly settlements and owner operator pay work.
- Weekly direct depositSettlements land in your account every week.
- Nationwide fuel discountsFuel card with discounts across the network.
- Low-cost insuranceLow-cost insurance premiums for leased-on operators.
- Clean inspection bonusesPaid for clean roadside inspections.
- Flexible schedulingBuild the week around your business.
Weekly gross revenue
$3,000–$5,000
per week, before truck costs
- Paid
- Weekly, by direct deposit
- Fuel
- Nationwide fuel card discounts
- Bonus
- Clean roadside inspections
Gross revenue before fuel, insurance and truck expenses. Not a guarantee; actual earnings vary by loads, lane and costs.
Hiring area
Hiring around Houston
Current owner operator jobs in Houston, TX appear in the live list and map below, and a recruiter confirms the hiring area for your ZIP. If you live up I-45, look at Dallas-area owner operator jobs, or farther out, lease-on jobs in Memphis, TN and Louisville, KY. There is also the statewide list of owner operator jobs in Texas.
- Houston, TX15 mi
Live openings
1 open position near Houston
Each opening has its own job page with the full description.
Openings updated
Equipment and requirements
What you need to lease on
Read the requirements to lease on as an owner operator before you apply. Port Houston also requires a TWIC card for terminal access.
- 01Valid Class A CDLCurrent CDL-A in good standing.
- 02Tractor-trailer experience2 years verifiable, or 1 year plus a certified trucking school certificate.
- 03Your own truckYou own a commercial motor vehicle.
- 042000 or newer, or ELD compliantTruck model year 2000+ or ELD compliant.
- 0521 or olderAsked on the Quick App.
- 06Safety standardsMeet Eagle's safety and qualification standards.
Support
What Eagle Systems sets you up with
- Fuel card with nationwide discounts
- Plate and registration program
- IFTA fuel tax program
- Easy-to-install ELD
- Front-facing dash cameras
- Mobile dispatching app
Local FAQ
Houston owner operator questions
Which port terminals and rail ramps make up the Houston market?
Port Houston's two container terminals, Barbours Cut in La Porte and Bayport in Pasadena, plus two rail ramps: Union Pacific's Settegast Yard in northeast Houston and BNSF's Houston (Pearland) Intermodal Facility on Brisbane Road.
Are there owner operator openings near Houston right now?
Yes. 1 posting is live within about 160 miles of the Houston terminal as of October 30, 2026: Houston (about 15 miles). Distances are straight-line miles; a recruiter confirms which yard you would run from and the hiring area for your ZIP code.
Do I need a TWIC card for the Port Houston terminals?
For the port terminals, yes. Port Houston requires a TWIC for unescorted access. Your carrier also needs a UIIA-approved SCAC, your plate must be registered in Lynx, and every move needs an Express Pass appointment.
What are the Barbours Cut and Bayport gate hours?
Both terminals run the truck gate Monday to Friday, 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with the ingate closing at 6:00 PM. They are closed Saturday and Sunday unless Port Houston announces extended gates.
Can I haul overweight containers near Port Houston?
Texas sells an annual intermodal container port permit for moves within 30 miles of listed ports, including Bayport and Barbours Cut. It allows 93,000 lb gross on six axles or 100,000 lb on seven. It is not valid on interstates or load-posted roads and bridges.
How much do Houston owner operators make?
Eagle Systems owner operators gross $3,000–$5,000 a week, paid weekly by direct deposit. That is gross revenue, before your truck costs. There is no forced dispatch, so you pick the loads you run.
What do I get when I lease on with Eagle?
A fuel card with nationwide discounts, plate and registration and IFTA programs, an ELD, dash cameras and a mobile dispatching app. See everything included when you lease on.
Apply
Pull Ship Channel boxes, sleep at home
Send the Quick App and the Houston team will call you about openings, port credentials and your truck.
Send the Quick App
A short form: contact details and a few yes/no questions.
Talk to a recruiter
Pay, freight and your truck, for the terminal near you.
Lease on and run
Plates, IFTA, ELD and fuel card set up with you.
Both open Eagle Systems' secure application on IntelliApp.
Prefer to talk? 346-451-2708Nearby terminals
Close to Houston
Questions about Houston? Call the terminal at 346-451-2708.