How container drayage works in Los Angeles and Long Beach
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach share one harbor, one freeway network and one trucking pool, and together handle a large share of all US container imports. A typical move is a timed terminal pickup, a chassis from the regional pool, and a run up I-710 or I-110 to a warehouse.
- Terminals
- A dozen independently run terminals, each with its own gates and appointments
- Where boxes go
- South Bay, Gateway Cities and the Inland Empire
- Rail
- On-dock, plus UP ICTF and BNSF Hobart via the Alameda Corridor
- Watch for
- Empties often return to a different terminal
More about drayage in Los Angeles / Long Beach
San Pedro Bay handles a large share of all US container imports, most of them from Asia. The two ports are run by separate city agencies but share the same harbor, freeways and truck pool, so most drayage companies work terminals in both.
On Terminal Island and the surrounding piers, independent operators such as APM Terminals, Fenix Marine Services, TraPac, Yusen Terminals, Everport, West Basin Container Terminal, Long Beach Container Terminal, Total Terminals International, Pacific Container Terminal, International Transportation Service and SSA Marine run their own gates, appointment systems and hours.
A typical import move starts with an appointment at the terminal, a pickup on a chassis drawn from Southern California's chassis pools, and a drive up the Interstate 710 or Interstate 110 corridor to a warehouse in the South Bay, the Gateway Cities around Commerce and Carson, or the Inland Empire in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
The empty then returns to whichever terminal the ocean carrier names, which is not always the terminal it came from.
Rail is the other half of the picture. Containers bound for Chicago, Dallas, Memphis and other inland markets either load on-dock at the terminals or are trucked a short distance to near-dock and downtown rail yards connected to the ports by the Alameda Corridor, a 20-mile grade-separated rail expressway. Union Pacific's ICTF near Carson and its downtown yards, and BNSF's Hobart Yard in Commerce, generate a constant stream of short cross-town moves.
8
Marine terminals
2
Rail ramps
Railroads
Union Pacific · BNSF · Pacific Harbor Line · Alameda Corridor
Main highways
I-710 · I-110 · I-405 · SR-47 · SR-103 · SR-91 · SR-60 · I-5 · I-10
Container terminals and rail ramps in Los Angeles / Long Beach
Where containers are picked up and returned in the Los Angeles / Long Beach area.
Marine terminal
Rail ramp
APM Terminals Pier 400
Marine terminal · APM Terminals
One of the largest container terminals in the country, on Terminal Island at the Port of Los Angeles, with on-dock rail.
Fenix Marine Services (Pier 300)
Marine terminal · Fenix Marine Services
Large Port of Los Angeles terminal on Terminal Island next to Pier 400.
TraPac Los Angeles
Marine terminal · TraPac
Automated terminal in Wilmington at the Port of Los Angeles with an on-dock rail yard.
Yusen Terminals (YTI)
Marine terminal · Yusen Terminals
Port of Los Angeles terminal on Terminal Island serving several transpacific alliances.
West Basin Container Terminal
Marine terminal · West Basin Container Terminal
Port of Los Angeles terminal in the West Basin near San Pedro and Wilmington.
Long Beach Container Terminal (Middle Harbor)
Marine terminal · LBCT
Highly automated terminal at the Port of Long Beach's Middle Harbor with a large on-dock rail yard.
Total Terminals International (Pier T)
Marine terminal · TTI
Large Port of Long Beach terminal on Pier T on Terminal Island.
Pacific Container Terminal (Pier J)
Marine terminal · SSA Marine
Port of Long Beach terminal on Pier J at the south end of the harbor.
ICTF (Intermodal Container Transfer Facility)
Rail ramp · Union Pacific
Near-dock rail yard about four miles from the terminals near Carson and Wilmington, built to cut truck miles to downtown yards.
Hobart Yard
Rail ramp · BNSF
BNSF's main Southern California intermodal yard in Commerce, reached from the ports via the Alameda Corridor or Interstate 710.
Clean truck rules, fees and appointments
Every truck that enters the terminals must be listed in the ports' Port Drayage Truck Registry and meet the California Air Resources Board's drayage truck rules.
Both ports run Clean Truck Programs that have pushed the fleet toward the newest engines and, increasingly, zero-emission trucks, and both charge a Clean Truck Fund rate on loaded containers moved by trucks that do not qualify for an exemption. These costs are usually passed through on the carrier's invoice, so ask how they are shown in a quote.
Terminals also charge a traffic mitigation fee through the PierPass program to support extended gate hours. Most terminals run day and night shifts on weekdays, and appointment availability varies by terminal and by shift. Carriers that can work nights and weekends often get containers out faster when the ports are busy.
Because the terminals set their own rules, the same container can cost very different amounts to move depending on its terminal, the chassis provider and the empty return location. Good quote requests include the terminal, container number, size and weight, the delivery address and the shipper's dock hours.
The Inland Empire and transloading
The Inland Empire, centered on Ontario, Fontana, Rialto and Moreno Valley, holds hundreds of millions of square feet of distribution space. A round trip from the ports to a warehouse there runs 120 miles or more on Interstate 710, State Route 60 and Interstate 10, and traffic on those freeways decides whether a truck can make one or two turns in a day.
Southern California is also the country's largest transloading market. Many importers unload ocean containers at warehouses near the ports, reload the goods into 53-foot domestic trailers or containers, and ship them inland by truck or rail. That keeps the steamship line's container close to the port and generates short, frequent drayage moves between terminals and transload buildings in Carson, Compton, Rancho Dominguez and the Inland Empire.
Weight limits and per diem are the biggest hidden costs. California enforces strict axle weights, so heavy boxes need tri-axle chassis or a transload, and every day a container or chassis spends outside the terminal past free time adds charges from the ocean carrier and the chassis provider.
Common lanes out of Los Angeles / Long Beach
Approximate one-way highway miles for the runs local carriers quote most often.
Commerce / downtown rail yards
Cross-town moves to BNSF Hobart and Union Pacific's downtown yards.
20 mi
Inland Empire (Ontario / Fontana)
Warehouse deliveries via SR-60 and I-10; traffic decides daily turns.
60 mi
San Diego
One-way loads down I-5; cross-border freight continues to Otay Mesa.
120 mi
Bakersfield
Central Valley distribution over the Grapevine on I-5.
130 mi
Las Vegas
Long one-way port drayage on I-15.
280 mi
Phoenix
Full-day haul on I-10; compare with Union Pacific rail to Phoenix.
380 mi
Booking drayage in Los Angeles / Long Beach: what to know
Local habits that change the price and timing of a move in Los Angeles / Long Beach. Mention them when you ask for a quote.
Give the terminal and the empty return
Each terminal has its own gate and appointment rules, and empties are often returned to a different terminal. Include both in your quote request.
Ask how port fees are billed
Clean Truck Fund rates, PierPass fees, chassis rental and pre-pull or storage charges are often itemized separately. Compare total landed cost, not just line haul.
Book nights and weekends when busy
When terminals are congested, carriers that work second shift and weekend gates can get containers out before free time ends.
Watch weight limits
California enforces axle weights strictly. Heavy containers need tri-axle chassis or must be transloaded close to the port.
Consider a transload for inland freight
Moving goods from ocean containers into 53-foot equipment near the ports can lower inland shipping costs and return the ocean box faster.
Drayage markets near Los Angeles / Long Beach
Many carriers that serve Los Angeles / Long Beach also run these nearby ports and rail ramps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about container drayage in Los Angeles / Long Beach, CA.