Yearly Archives: 2015

Terminal Operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to Adjust PierPass TMF on August 1

Posted on by

LONG BEACH, Calif., June 30, 2015 – The West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA) today announced an increase in the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, scheduled to take effect on August 1, 2015. The increase will sustain continued operation of PierPass OffPeak gates amid labor cost increases.

Beginning August 1, the TMF will be increased from $66.50 per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) to $69.17 per TEU or $138.34 per forty-foot container.

WCMTOA periodically adjusts the TMF based on changes in maritime labor costs. The announced change reflects increases in labor costs contained in the contract recently agreed to between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). The TMF was last adjusted in August 2013.

The Traffic Mitigation Fee helps pay for the night and Saturday marine terminal shifts created by the PierPass OffPeak program to relieve daytime congestion in and around the ports. It also provides a financial incentive to move cargo during less-congested times. The TMF is charged for non-exempt containers moving during peak hours (Monday through Friday, 3 a.m. to 6 p.m.).

About PierPass

PierPass is a not-for-profit company created by marine terminal operators at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach to address multi-terminal issues such as congestion, air quality and security. The West Coast Marine Terminal Operator Agreement (WCMTOA) is filed with the Federal Maritime Commission, and comprises the 13 international MTOs serving the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. For more information, please see www.pierpass.org.

# # #

Customer Service Advisory: WBCT Will Suspend Saturday OffPeak Gates Starting July 25

Posted on by

Dear PierPass Customers,

Please be informed that West Basin Container Terminal (WBCT) at the Port of Los Angeles will stop operating Saturday OffPeak gates as of July 25, 2015. Current gate schedules for all container terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are available at https://www.pierpass.org/offpeak-information/.

PierPass June News and Updates

Posted on by

PierPass Monthly Transaction Data
Each month we provide a summary of the latest transaction data from marine terminal operators (MTOs) at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach. Below please find data from the month of May 2015.

Average in-terminal turn time:
49.0 minutes day shift
49.9 minutes night shift

For comparison, the average in-terminal turn time in April 2015 was 44.6 minutes for the day shift and 49.5 minutes for the night shift.

In-terminal turn time is the average amount of time a truck is inside a terminal to complete a transaction. Truck activity information is derived from RFID data, and excludes lunch hour, breaks and trouble tickets. Turn time at individual terminals will vary depending on time of day and other factors. For more information about turn times and how we measure them, please see our Q&A at http://goo.gl/PiOjBp.

Average daily moves per truck for frequent callers* in May:
5 or moves per day: 8%
4 moves per day: 14%
3 moves per day: 29%
2 moves per day: 32%
1 move per day: 17%

*The ports define frequent callers as trucks making one or more moves per weekday. Average moves per day by frequent callers tells us how many moves a truck can make if it is working every day. In May, 22% of frequent callers made four or more moves per day.

Gate moves during Peak and OffPeak/exempt shifts:
Total Peak gate moves: 350,226 (56%)
Total OffPeak/Exempt gate moves: 279,785 (44%)

A gate move occurs when a container enters or leaves a marine terminal via the truck gates. Peak shifts are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. OffPeak shifts are Monday through Friday, 6:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday night and Sunday shifts, which are not regularly scheduled, are considered “exempt.”

Note:
Terminals were closed for Memorial Day and for the second shift one night in May for an ILWU Stop Work meeting.

To learn what it takes for a truck to drop off or pick up a container at a marine terminal, please see http://youtu.be/P9IJN1yIIJ4.

PierPass May News and Updates

Posted on by

Fastest truck turn times since mid-2014

Truck waiting times continued their rapid improvement in April, as the terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach saw the heavy congestion of last fall and early this year recede into the past.

Trucks are now moving through the terminals faster than they have since mid-2014. For one transaction (picking up or delivering a container) on the Peak (weekday daytime) shift, it took trucks an average of 44.6 minutes in April, down from a high of 60.9 minutes in January 2015 and the lowest since June 2014. On OffPeak shifts (weekday nights and Saturdays), turn times in April averaged 49.5 minutes, down from a high of 61.4 minutes in November 2014 and the lowest since August 2014.

Average in-terminal turn time in April 2015:
44.6 minutes day shift
49.5 minutes night shift

For comparison, the average in-terminal turn time in March 2015 was 51.5 minutes for the day shift and 54.5 minutes for the night shift.

In-terminal turn time is the average amount of time a truck is inside a terminal to complete a transaction. Truck activity information is derived from RFID data, and excludes lunch hour, breaks and trouble tickets. Turn time at individual terminals will vary depending on time of day and other factors. For more information about turn times and how we measure them, please see our Q&A at http://goo.gl/PiOjBp.

Average daily moves per truck for frequent callers* in April:
5 or moves per day: 8%
4 moves per day: 15%
3 moves per day: 29%
2 moves per day: 32%
1 move per day: 16%

*The ports define frequent callers as trucks making one or more moves per weekday. Average moves per day by frequent callers tells us how many moves a truck can make if it is working every day. In April, 23% of frequent callers made four or more moves per day.

Gate moves during Peak and OffPeak/exempt shifts:
Total Peak gate moves: 362,155 (55%)
Total OffPeak/Exempt gate moves: 297,593 (45%)

A gate move occurs when a container enters or leaves a marine terminal via the truck gates. Peak shifts are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. OffPeak shifts are Monday through Friday, 6:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday night and Sunday shifts, which are not regularly scheduled, are considered “exempt.”

To learn what it takes for a truck to drop off or pick up a container at a marine terminal, please see http://youtu.be/P9IJN1yIIJ4.

Los Angeles / Long Beach Terminal Operators Move Quickly to Recover From Congestion

Posted on by

PierPass April News and Updates

Container throughput surged in March at marine terminals at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach. Compared to February, 75% more containers moved through the terminal truck gates in March during the OffPeak shifts (Monday through Friday nights and Saturday) and Exempt shifts (Saturday night and Sunday). Container moves during Peak shifts (Monday through Friday daytimes) jumped 54% in March over February.

Average in-terminal turn time in March 2015:
51.5 minutes day shift
54.5 minutes night shift

For comparison, the average in-terminal turn time in February 2015 was 49.6 minutes for the day shift and 53.0 minutes for the night shift.

In-terminal turn time is the average amount of time a truck is inside a terminal to complete a transaction. Truck activity information is derived from RFID data, and excludes lunch hour, breaks and trouble tickets. Turn time at individual terminals will vary depending on time of day and other factors. For more information about turn times and how we measure them, please see our Q&A at http://goo.gl/PiOjBp.

Average daily moves per truck for frequent callers* in March:
5 or moves per day: 8%
4 moves per day: 15%
3 moves per day: 29%
2 moves per day: 31%
1 move per day: 17%

*The ports define frequent callers as trucks making one or more moves per weekday. Average moves per day by frequent callers tells us how many moves a truck can make if it is working every day. In March, 23% of frequent callers made four or more moves per day.

Gate moves during Peak and OffPeak/exempt shifts:
Total Peak gate moves: 374,007 (55%)
Total OffPeak/Exempt gate moves: 306,187 (45%)

A gate move occurs when a container enters or leaves a marine terminal via the truck gates. Peak shifts are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. OffPeak shifts are Monday through Friday, 6:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday night and Sunday shifts, which are not regularly scheduled, are considered “exempt.”

To learn what it takes for a truck to drop off or pick up a container at a marine terminal, please see http://youtu.be/P9IJN1yIIJ4.

PierPass March News and Updates

Posted on by

PierPass Monthly Transaction Data  

Each month we provide a summary of the previous month’s transaction data from marine terminal operators (MTOs) at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach. Below please find data from the month of February 2015.

Average in-terminal turn time in February 2015:
49.6 minutes day shift
53.0 minutes night shift

For comparison, the average in-terminal turn time in January 2015 was 60.9 minutes for the day shift and 55.8 minutes for the night shift.

In-terminal turn time is the average amount of time a truck is inside a terminal to complete a transaction. Truck activity information is derived from RFID data, and excludes lunch hour, breaks and trouble tickets. Turn time at individual terminals will vary depending on time of day and other factors. For more information about turn times and how we measure them, please see our Q&A at http://goo.gl/PiOjBp.

Average daily moves per truck for frequent callers* in February:
5 or moves per day: 3%
4 moves per day: 7%
3 moves per day: 22%
2 moves per day: 43%
1 move per day: 25%

*The ports define frequent callers as trucks making one or more moves per weekday. Average moves per day by frequent callers tells us how many moves a truck can make if it is working every day. In February, 10% of frequent callers made four or more moves per day.

Gate moves during Peak and OffPeak/exempt shifts:
Total Peak gate moves: 242,181 (58%)
Total OffPeak/Exempt gate moves: 175,514 (42%)

A gate move occurs when a container enters or leaves a marine terminal via the truck gates. Peak shifts are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. OffPeak shifts are Monday through Friday, 6:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday night and Sunday shifts, which are not regularly scheduled, are considered “exempt.”

Note: Many terminals were closed for one or both shifts on Feb. 12 for the Lincoln’s Birthday holiday and on Feb. 15 for the Washington’s Birthday holiday.

To learn what it takes for a truck to drop off or pick up a container at a marine terminal, please see http://youtu.be/P9IJN1yIIJ4.

With Labor and Chassis Issues Addressed, PierPass Member Terminals Increase Throughput 46% in First Half of March

Posted on by

LONG BEACH, Calif., March 18, 2015 —In the wake of a tentative labor deal announced Feb. 20 and the formation of a port-wide chassis pool on March 1, marine terminals at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach moved 46% more cargo containers by truck during the first half of March compared with the same period in February, PierPass Inc. said today.

From March 2 through March 15, nearly 303,000 import and export containers moved by truck into or out of the terminals, compared to nearly 207,000 from Feb. 2 through Feb. 15, according to gate transaction data collected by PierPass. These include containers moved during day shifts and the OffPeak shifts managed by PierPass on nights and Saturdays. The OffPeak program diverts about half of port truck trips out of Monday-through-Friday daytime traffic while roughly doubling the capacity of the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.

According to the Marine Exchange of Southern California, there were 30 ships waiting to be unloaded at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports on Monday March 16, down from 36 on Feb. 26.

“The terminals are intensely focused on returning to normal operations as quickly as possible,” said John Cushing, president of PierPass, which represents the 13 container terminals at the two adjacent ports. “While much work remains to be done, we can report progress in accelerating cargo movement by mid- March.”

PierPass today also reported some progress in reducing transaction times for trucks at the terminals. Average truck turn times dropped during the month of February (most of which fell before the Feb. 20 labor agreement) compared with January. It took trucks an average of 49.6 minutes to complete one transaction (picking up or delivering a container) on the Peak (weekday daytime) shift in February, down from 60.9 minutes in January. On OffPeak shifts, turn times in February averaged 53 minutes, down from 55.8 minutes in January.

In another move to reduce the cargo backlog, two terminals have leased additional port-owned land in order to accept empty containers and make more room for imports and exports. A third terminal has leased additional land to where it is bringing loaded containers mounted on chassis ready for truckers to pick up.

Terminal operators continue to work with trucking companies and cargo owners to increase the use of free-flow, sometimes known as peel-off, a practice PierPass has promoted to reduce truck waiting times. Free-flow enables bulk delivery of large groups of containers destined for the same location, typically to a single cargo owner. The terminals pre-stage the containers in a separate stack. The cargo owner then sends a stream of trucks into the terminal and each truck takes the next container in the stack.

“We have been very proactive with different terminal efficiency tools that include our appointment system and peel-off piles,” said Rickey Childs, head of operations for Eagle Marine Services. “We continue to work with the trucking community for increased OffPeak utilization, especially during the second half of the shift when there is minimal truck activity at the gates.”

On March 1, three of the largest chassis leasing companies at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports formed a gray chassis “pool of pools” intended to solve the chassis supply disruption that emerged last year after shipping lines sold their chassis to private leasing companies. The new system makes chassis interchangeable for truckers and terminals. The three leasing companies control about 100,000 chassis in Southern California.

###

PierPass February News and Updates

Posted on by

Overview

On Friday February 20, the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract covering workers at all 29 West Coast ports. The agreement, which is subject to ratification by both parties, is expected to allow the terminal operators at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach to resume fully staffed operations and reduce the congestion that spiked during the nine-month labor negotiations.

January truck gate statistics at the two ports reflected high levels of congestion.

PierPass Monthly Transaction Data

Average in-terminal turn time in January 2015:

  • 60.9 minutes day shift
  • 55.8 minutes night shift

For comparison, the average in-terminal turn time in December 2014 was 55.9 minutes for the day shift and 58.4 minutes for the night shift.

In-terminal turn time is the average amount of time a truck is inside a terminal to complete a transaction. Truck activity information is derived from RFID data, and excludes lunch hour, breaks and trouble tickets. Turn time at individual terminals will vary depending on time of day and other factors. For more information about turn times and how we measure them, please see our Q&A at http://goo.gl/PiOjBp.

Average daily moves per truck for frequent callers* in January:

  • 5 or moves per day: 4%
  • 4 moves per day: 10%
  • 3 moves per day: 27%
  • 2 moves per day: 38%
  • 1 move per day: 21%

*The ports define frequent callers as trucks making one or more moves per weekday. Average moves per day by frequent callers tells us how many moves a truck can make if it is working every day. In January, 14 percent of frequent callers made four or more moves per day.

Gate moves during Peak and OffPeak/exempt shifts:

  • Total Peak gate moves: 307,473 (56%)
  • Total OffPeak/Exempt gate moves: 242,961 (44%)

A gate move occurs when a container enters or leaves a marine terminal via the truck gates. Peak shifts are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. OffPeak shifts are Monday through Friday, 6:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday night and Sunday shifts, which are not regularly scheduled, are considered “exempt.”

Note: Two terminals were closed during the first shift on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, and one terminal was also closed during the second shift that day.

To learn what it takes for a truck to drop off or pick up a container at a marine terminal, please see http://youtu.be/P9IJN1yIIJ4.

Customer Service Advisory: YTI Will Suspend Saturday OffPeak Gates Starting March 7

Posted on by

Dear PierPass Customers,

YTI terminal in the Port of Los Angeles will stop operating Saturday OffPeak gates starting Saturday, March 7, 2015. Gate schedules for all terminals are available at https://www.pierpass.org/offpeak-information/. Please note that the gate schedules change effective Feb. 26 and again effective March 6.

GGS Suspends Saturday OffPeak Gates Starting February 28

Posted on by

Dear PierPass Customers,

GGS terminal in the Port of Los Angeles will stop operating Saturday OffPeak gates as of Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. A new gate schedule for all terminals, effective Feb. 26, 2015, has been published and is available at https://www.pierpass.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/RollingSchedule.2.26.15.pdf.