Containers leaving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by truck waited an average of 2.59 days at the marine terminals in April 2026, according to Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) figures reported by FreightWaves on May 20. It was the 15th month in a row that truck dwell stayed below three days.
The April figure was slightly better than March, at 2.61 days, and better than April 2025, at 2.78 days. Rail was a different story. Rail-destined containers waited an average of 5.06 days, up from 4.41 days in March and 4.72 days a year earlier.
“Fifteen straight months under the three-day truck dwell threshold is a milestone worth noting,” said Natasha Villa, external affairs manager at PMSA, who described gate operations at the port complex as consistently fluid.
FreightWaves added some context from the wider market. Capacity has been leaving long-haul trucking and stepped-up federal enforcement has thinned the number of carriers, which has helped lift long-haul rates. Drayage costs and capacity, it reported, have been mostly unaffected. Railroads saw steady increases in most freight categories in April, including intermodal.
What it means for shippers
- Local truck moves are flowing. An average under three days means most truck-bound containers are leaving the terminals quickly. That gives importers room to pick up within free time, as long as the paperwork is ready.
- An average is not a promise. A container held for an exam, waiting on a release or sitting in a closed area of the yard can take much longer than 2.59 days. Track availability and the last free day for each container, not for the port as a whole.
- Plan extra days for rail. Rail-bound boxes waited more than five days in April and the number moved up from March. If your freight continues inland by rail, build that time into delivery promises. For urgent cargo, ask your forwarder whether moving the container out by truck is an option.
- Budget the port leg and the highway leg separately. The report describes rising long-haul rates alongside a largely steady drayage market. A quote that bundles the two can hide where the cost is changing.
The PMSA figures track the harbor month by month, which makes them a simple check on how it is performing ahead of peak season. The trend to watch is whether rail dwell keeps rising, because slow rail departures eventually take up yard space that truck cargo needs too.
Go Trucking Services handles drayage from LA Harbor and onward delivery by truck across Greater Los Angeles and nationwide. See our drayage and land transport services, or request a quote on the home page.
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Image: biofriendly, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
