The members of the West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA) today said the revised OffPeak program for providing extended gate hours at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach—informally known as PierPass 2.0—is expected to start on Nov. 19, subject to the conclusion of applicable Federal Maritime Commission procedures.
In April, PierPass announced it will overhaul the model used by its OffPeak program for truck traffic mitigation at the two adjacent ports, replacing the current congestion-pricing model with an appointment-based system that uses a single flat fee on both daytime and nighttime container moves.
For most port users, the new system won’t require new procedures, but rather an adjustment to current procedures. Most companies moving containers through the ports are already registered with PierPass to claim containers moved during Peak (weekday daytime) hours. Under the revised system, they will claim containers moved at any hour.
Because nine of the 12 terminals at the two adjacent ports already use appointment systems, most trucking firms serving the ports are already using these systems. The remaining three terminals, all operated by SSA Marine, are planning to launch their own appointment systems in advance of the implementation. As part of the program update, the terminals have also agreed on common appointment windows and common last appointment times for each shift. As the revised program moves forward, the terminals will consider further common rules and processes to enhance truck efficiency at the ports.
Cargo owners moving containers into and out of the ports by truck gate and who aren’t already registered with PierPass can do so at https://www.pierpass-tmf.org/.
As previously announced, the current Traffic Mitigation Fee of $72.09 per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) will be replaced by a new flat fee of $31.52 per TEU; the rate for all other size containers will be a flat fee of $63.04. The TMF charged only on Peak cargo moves will be replaced by a fee that is constant across all hours of operation. Other than that change, the same types of cargo will pay the fee.
The changes to the OffPeak program are being made in response to requests from port users, who seek increased flexibility and a reduction in the bunching up of trucks that often occurs before the start of the nighttime OffPeak shifts.
A Q&A about the revised OffPeak program is available at https://www.pierpass.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/QA-on-New-OffPeak-Program_10-11-18.pdf. The West Coast MTO Agreement is a discussion agreement filed with the FMC. WCMTOA’s members are the 12 marine terminal operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. For more information and to track continuing developments, please go to https://www.pierpass.org/about/extended-gates-review-process/.
– end –