Ocean Gateway · San Pedro Bay, California
Drayage at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach
The two San Pedro Bay ports sit side by side and move more containers than any other gateway in North America. B&P coordinates pulls across both port complexes through a vetted carrier network, tracking the vessel, the chassis, and the clocks from berth to delivery.
B&P Logistics coordinates container drayage at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, the adjacent San Pedro Bay complex that handles the largest share of US containerized imports. We monitor vessels before they berth, coordinate chassis, book terminal appointments through the carrier, and move dry and refrigerated containers to Southern California delivery points, the Inland Empire, and inland markets including Las Vegas.
The Gateway
Two ports, one working complex.
The Port of Los Angeles sits in San Pedro and the Port of Long Beach sits immediately next to it across the main channel. They are separate public port authorities with separate leases and separate terminal operators, but for a trucker they function as one gateway with a shared road network, a shared chassis population, and shared congestion.
Volume through San Pedro Bay has historically made it the busiest container gateway in the United States, and it is the primary entry point for transpacific cargo bound for the western half of the country. What lands here does not stay here. A large share moves straight into the Inland Empire warehouse market around Ontario, Riverside, and San Bernardino, and the rest fans out to Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, and transcontinental destinations.
The road geometry matters more at this gateway than almost anywhere else. Terminal traffic funnels onto a small number of corridors leaving the harbor, and the drive from the terminal gate to the first freeway can take longer than the freeway run itself on a bad afternoon. A carrier who knows which terminal to hit at which hour is worth more here than a slightly cheaper rate.
There is also an inland rail option out of this gateway. Containers can move on dock or near dock by rail toward the downtown Los Angeles rail yards and onward as IPI, which is a different cost and timing profile from pulling the box by truck. If your freight is headed well east of California, it is worth pricing both. Our IPI versus transload breakdown covers that decision.
Terminals
Where the boxes actually sit.
Each port leases its berths to separate marine terminal operators, and every terminal runs its own gate, its own appointment capacity, and its own empty return policy. The practical consequence is that your container's terminal, not just its port, determines how hard it is to get out.
Many operators, one gateway
Both ports lease to multiple container terminal operators. Hours, appointment availability, and empty return rules differ terminal to terminal, so the same steamship line can be easy at one berth and difficult at another.
Terminal decides the difficulty
Which terminal your box lands at depends on the steamship line and the vessel string. You do not choose it, which is why the first thing we check is not the port but the terminal and what it is doing that week.
Dual transactions
Dropping an empty and picking up a load on the same trip saves a turn when the terminal supports it. When it does not, the empty return becomes its own dispatch and its own cost.
On dock and near dock rail
Containers continuing inland by rail can leave through the rail option instead of a truck dray, which changes both the timeline and who is holding the box when the clocks run.
Empty returns are their own problem
Return locations are set by the line and can change with little notice. An empty with nowhere to go keeps both the container and the chassis on rent, which is why we confirm the return before the box moves.
Reefers need a plug and a plan
Refrigerated containers add power, monitoring, and tighter timing. We put reefers with carriers who run that equipment rather than whoever is available at the gate.
Chassis
A shared pool, and why that matters to you.
Southern California runs largely on a shared gray chassis pool model, where equipment from the major leasing companies is made interchangeable across the complex rather than each provider operating in isolation. When that pool is healthy, a driver can get a chassis and go. When it is short, or when the available equipment is in poor condition, the move stalls before it starts.
The chassis is a separate rental from the container, with its own provider and its own daily clock. On a long inland run it is also a safety question, since equipment that is fine for a short local turn may not be the right choice for hundreds of highway miles. Carriers who run these lanes often prefer their own equipment for that reason.
Mismatches between the chassis under the box and what the next stop will accept are what produce a flip, and flips are an accessorial that shows up after the fact. We cover how that charge works in our chassis pools, splits, and flips breakdown.
Appointments and Clocks
Appointments first, then two separate clocks.
Terminals here run on appointments, and appointment capacity is usually the binding constraint on this gateway. A container can be available, released, and sitting on the ground while the only thing missing is a slot to go get it. That is why we watch availability from vessel arrival rather than starting when someone asks where the box is.
Demurrage accrues while the container is still at the terminal after free time ends. Per diem accrues once the container is out and in your possession. They are different charges with different owners and different triggers, and shippers are regularly surprised to be paying both on the same box in the same week.
Free time allowances and rates vary by steamship line and by contract, so we work from your specific terms rather than a rule of thumb. The way to stay out of both charges is the same: know the availability early, have the appointment and the chassis lined up, and get the empty back promptly after delivery.
What Goes Wrong Here
The failures we plan around at San Pedro Bay.
Appointment scarcity at the wrong moment
Slots can be thin exactly when your free time is running out. Watching availability early is what creates room to get an appointment before the clock becomes the problem.
Chassis not where the box is
When the container and an available chassis are in different places, the driver makes an extra trip to marry them. That split is billable and largely avoidable with planning.
Empty return restrictions
Lines restrict where and when empties come back. An empty circling for a home accrues per diem and chassis rent at the same time.
Harbor congestion and gate timing
The approach roads and the gate queue can cost more time than the highway miles. Dispatching around the worst windows is ordinary practice for carriers who run this complex daily.
Terminal to terminal inconsistency
A process that works at one berth does not transfer to the next one. We treat each terminal as its own operating environment rather than assuming the port behaves uniformly.
Reefer timing pressure
Refrigerated boxes carry tighter windows and monitoring requirements, so they need the appointment and the carrier locked earlier than a dry box would.
How We Work It
How B&P runs this gateway.
Vessel monitoring before the berth
We track arrival and discharge so the plan starts before the container is on the ground, not after it has been sitting for three days.
A vetted carrier network at the harbor
B&P is an asset-light transportation provider. Carriers are matched to the terminal, the equipment, and the lane, with operating authority, port credentials, and insurance verified on every load.
Chassis and appointment coordinated together
The appointment is only useful if the equipment is there to use it. We confirm both before dispatch rather than discovering the gap at the gate.
One point of contact
The operator who quotes your move tracks it, and tells you when something changes. No ticket queue between you and the person moving the container.
Licensed & Verified
LA/Long Beach Container Drayage, Licensed & Bonded
B&P Logistics LLC is a licensed and bonded broker operating under FMCSA broker authority in compliance with 49 CFR Part 371, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. We are an asset-light transportation provider: every container moves on a vetted carrier with active operating authority, valid port credentials, and cargo insurance confirmed before dispatch. For containers headed to southern Nevada, see our LA/Long Beach to Las Vegas lane page. For other ports and inland ramps, see our drayage and intermodal services.
Gateway FAQ
LA/Long Beach drayage, answered.
Q. Do you cover both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach?
Yes. They are separate port authorities but one working complex in San Pedro Bay, and we coordinate pulls at terminals across both. Which terminal your container lands at is set by the steamship line and the vessel, so we work from the terminal rather than the port name.
Q. How far in advance should I give you a container at LA/Long Beach?
As soon as you have the vessel and the booking or bill of lading. Earlier visibility is what lets us watch arrival, catch availability when it posts, and secure an appointment and chassis while there is still free time left. Calling after the container has been sitting for several days limits the options to damage control.
Q. Can you move refrigerated containers out of San Pedro Bay?
Yes. Reefers move on carriers who run that equipment and understand power, monitoring, and the tighter timing windows involved. Refrigerated containers need the appointment and the carrier committed earlier than a dry box.
Q. Why did my container get both a demurrage charge and a per diem charge?
They are different charges. Demurrage is billed for time the container sits at the terminal after free time ends. Per diem is billed for time you hold the container after it leaves the terminal. A box that came out late and went back slowly can collect both, which is why we watch availability on the front end and the empty return on the back end.
Q. Do you handle the chassis, or do I arrange it?
We coordinate it as part of the move. The chassis is a separate rental from the container with its own provider and daily clock, and the requirements have to match what the terminal and the delivery location will accept. Confirming that before dispatch is what avoids a flip or a split later.
Container landing at LA or Long Beach?
Send the vessel, the terminal if you have it, and where the box needs to go. A senior operator responds, not a form letter.