LA & Long Beach Drayage: Port Pickup for Imports
Los Angeles and Long Beach move more containerized imports than the next five U.S. ports combined. Drayage from the LA/Long Beach complex is also where shippers lose the most money to operational details — chassis shortages, peak-season congestion, labor actions, and terminal-specific quirks. If you’re importing through LA or Long Beach, the difference between a good drayage carrier and a cheap one shows up at invoice time.
Terminals we cover at LA/Long Beach
“LA port” is two ports operating next to each other:
Port of Los Angeles (San Pedro)
- APM Terminals (Pier 400) — Maersk-linked, largest single container terminal
- Fenix Marine Services (Pier 300) — major Asia carrier services
- TraPac (Pier 136) — Mitsui O.S.K. lines, automated
- Everport Terminal Services (Pier 230) — Evergreen-linked
- Yusen Terminals (Pier 232) — NYK/ONE services
- WBCT (Pier A) — China Shipping, CMA CGM services
Port of Long Beach
- Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT, Pier E) — largest semi-automated terminal on the West Coast
- Total Terminals International (TTI, Pier T) — Hyundai Merchant Marine and THE Alliance
- International Transportation Service (ITS, Pier G) — K Line, ONE, and others
- Pacific Container Terminal (PCT, Pier J) — OOCL and COSCO
- SSA Marine Pier A — Matson and other carriers
Not every drayage carrier works every terminal. Each has its own gate process, appointment system, and chassis arrangement. Ask first — the answer narrows the carrier pool and directly affects the rate.
LA/Long Beach drayage rates
| Move type | Typical rate range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Port to local LA/LB warehouse (under 25 mi) | $450 – $650 | Covers Long Beach, Wilmington, Carson, Compton |
| Port to Inland Empire (Ontario, Fontana, Rialto) | $700 – $1,000 | The most common lane — biggest warehousing corridor in US |
| Port to Phoenix | $1,400 – $1,900 | Day-and-a-half transit |
| Port to Las Vegas | $1,100 – $1,500 | Competitive lane, multiple carriers |
| Port to Salt Lake City | $2,100 – $2,600 | 2-day transit, requires live unload or drop |
| Overweight (tri-axle, permitted) | +$200 – $400 | Requires permits in CA + next-day lead time |
LA/Long Beach rates run 15-30% higher than comparable Houston moves, for two reasons: volume (supply/demand economics tighter) and labor cost (ILWU union rates on-terminal, higher driver wages off-terminal).
The things that break LA/Long Beach drayage
Chassis shortages
LA/LB uses the Pool of Pools (POP) chassis system. When POP is tight — usually during peak season or after a vessel bunching event — drayage carriers can’t get a chassis at the terminal, pulls get delayed, and demurrage starts running. Smart carriers stage private chassis in advance or pre-pull to on-dock yards.
Peak season (July–October)
Retail pre-holiday import surge. Everything gets worse: terminal appointments harder to book, per-diem clocks start earlier, chassis scarce, driver wait times longer, rates spike 20-40%. If your freight is landing July-October, book drayage before the vessel arrives, not after.
Atmospheric rivers and labor actions
When West Coast weather gets rough (heavy rain, wind) terminals slow down or shut. The 2021 and 2024 ILWU negotiations also caused slowdowns. Have a backup plan — routing through Oakland, Tacoma, or re-routing inland through Houston if timing allows.
The demurrage clock
Port of LA/LB typically gives 4 free days inside the terminal. After that, demurrage accrues at $150-300/day per container depending on terminal and carrier. Per diem on the container (owed to the ocean carrier) starts after the appointed free time runs out — usually another 4-7 days, then $60-100/day.
We work backwards from Last Free Day, not ETA. That’s the only way to protect margin on LA/LB imports.
LA-specific drayage choices
Live unload vs drop
Live unload: driver waits while warehouse unloads. Cheaper move but costs the driver 2-4 hours = detention charges after free time. Drop: leave container at warehouse, retrieve later. More expensive per move but no detention risk. Choose drop for anything over 5,000 lbs or when warehouse has variable throughput.
Transloading vs through-transport
Transloading means pulling containers to a cross-dock facility near the port, unloading into domestic 53-ft trailers, and reshipping inland. Saves substantial money on long inland lanes (beyond 500 miles) because 53-ft domestic rates are cheaper per cube than 40-ft containerized ones. We quote both. For containers that haven’t cleared customs yet, see our in-bond drayage and bonded carrier services for moves out of LA/Long Beach to bonded warehouses in the LA basin and Inland Empire.
Rail intermodal
From LA/LB, BNSF and UP run direct container trains to Chicago, Memphis, Dallas, and Kansas City. Cheaper than truck for long lanes but slower (5-7 days transit). We coordinate the first-mile drayage (port to rail ramp) + the last-mile on the destination side.
If the container is under customs hold or has not cleared yet, route the move through our Long Beach in-bond drayage desk. We coordinate last free day, pre-pull timing, CBP 7512 handoff, bonded carrier dispatch, and bonded warehouse delivery before demurrage starts.
Who we serve at LA/Long Beach
- Retail importers moving to Inland Empire 3PL warehouses
- E-commerce sellers fulfilling from CA before national distribution
- Freight forwarders needing West Coast drayage execution
- Automotive parts importers servicing Western plants
- Consumer goods brands pulling containers for QC before national ship
How to book LA/Long Beach drayage with us
- Send container number, vessel ETA, and terminal (we need to know LBCT vs APM vs Pier J, etc.)
- Provide delivery address and whether it’s live unload or drop
- Flag if the load is overweight, hazmat, or reefer
- Request quote; we respond within 30 minutes during business hours
- Once booked, we track the vessel, book the appointment, and pull within free time
Get an LA/Long Beach drayage quote
Call (516) 252-3395 or submit a drayage quote request. 24/7 for urgent pulls. Prepay customers get first-in-line scheduling during peak.
For containers caught in CBP exams or customs holds at LA/LB, see our deep-dive guide on Long Beach drayage customs holds — including hold types, real cost ranges, and booking decisions that protect margin.
Related
- Container Drayage Service
- Houston Drayage
- Port Drayage Fees Explained
- Drayage at Every Major US Port
Get a quote in 30 minutes
Tell us about your container — we answer 24/7 for urgent port pulls and quote within 30 minutes during business hours.
