This year to date, cargo movement has remained relatively stable at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and the current number of OffPeak shifts are sufficiently meeting demand. However, as traffic movements shift, PierPASS will be ready to calibrate the right balance of nighttime gates required to maintain the free-flow of traffic in and out of the ports, and ensure that the ports work night and day to ease traffic congestion on Southern California roads.
PierPASS currently operates 57 OffPeak gates across 13 terminals, but this number has been adjusted over the years to ensure that terminals operate at optimum capacity.
In order to accurately gauge and predict the requisite number of nighttime gates, PierPASS continuously monitors weekly and monthly cargo volumes, talks to terminal operators and steamship lines about what trends in trade they observe, and meets with cargo owners about their expectations on cargo movements in coming seasons.
Terminal operators often must adapt to market conditions during the traditionally slow period of January to April, and then expand shifts during peak season. Being flexible to market fluctuations keeps the OffPeak program viable and the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles competitive.
PierPASS will continue to provide updates on the status of container traffic moving during nighttime and daytime shifts, and work with terminal operators, truck drivers, and shippers to ensure that gates are being fully optimized.