Rail-bound containers at the Los Angeles and Long Beach marine terminals averaged 6.75 days in August before leaving by train, according to Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) data reported by FreightWaves. Containers going to local delivery by truck averaged 2.95 days.
For importers moving cargo inland by rail through San Pedro Bay, an on-time vessel now says little about when the container reaches the ramp. The rail average a year earlier was 4.98 days, so a plan built on last August’s port timing is 1.77 days short before the train has even left.
Rail Dwell Is at Its Highest Level Since March 2025
| Month | Truck dwell (days) | Rail dwell (days) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2025 | 2.73 | 4.98 |
| January 2026 | 2.75 | 6.14 |
| June 2026 | 2.89 | 5.43 |
| July 2026 | 3.03 | 6.34 |
| August 2026 | 2.95 | 6.75 |
August’s rail figure is 0.41 days above July and 1.77 days above August 2025. July’s 6.34 days was already the highest rail reading since March 2025, according to Sourcing Journal, and August has now reached March 2025’s level of 6.75 days.
Truck dwell eased over the same month, to 2.95 days from 3.03. The spread between the two modes has widened to 3.80 days, up from 2.25 days in August 2025.
The increase came in a heavy month for the complex. Long Beach handled 919,992 TEU, its busiest August on record, while Los Angeles handled 955,907 TEU and closed out the busiest three-month stretch in its history. FreightWaves also noted that network performance at Union Pacific and BNSF, the Class I railroads serving the ports, slowed in late spring.
Where the Extra Days Sit
The truck number supports the reading that truck-side operations remain relatively fluid. Rail-bound containers lose their time in a stretch that no vessel schedule shows, after discharge and before loading onto a train. In milestone terms, that is the gap between discharge and the On Rail event, which our container tracking milestones guide walks through event by event.
A container discharged on a Monday would, at August’s average, leave the terminal close to a week later, with the rail transit to an inland ramp still ahead. DC receiving slots and customer delivery dates planned off the discharge date can slip by a similar margin.
Whether extended terminal dwell creates demurrage or storage exposure depends on the applicable carrier and terminal tariff, free-time terms, cargo availability and haulage arrangement. Merchant haulage generally leaves the inland move with the cargo owner, but carrier haulage does not automatically eliminate port demurrage or storage charges. Check the applicable tariff and last free day for each booking.
PMSA reports one average for the whole San Pedro Bay complex, and it does not show how your own terminal or railroad compares. Maersk customers have an extra reason to check: RailState data showed the carrier shifting most of its eastbound LA–Long Beach rail volume from BNSF to Union Pacific earlier this summer. Our breakdown of that shift sets out what changes on the inland leg.
If the first sign that a rail box is still at the port is a missed ramp appointment, walk through how ops teams flag containers that have discharged but not yet gone on rail.
September Volumes Keep the Pressure On
Import volume is not expected to drop straight away. The latest Global Port Tracker from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates forecasts September as the busiest import month of the year at major U.S. container ports, with October and November expected to come in lower. FreightWaves expects rail dwell to remain a closely watched figure into the fall, when sustained demand could put more strain on inland intermodal capacity.
What to Check on Rail-Bound Containers Now
- For every open rail-bound container through Los Angeles or Long Beach, compare the discharge date with the On Rail event and sort by the days between them. Containers already past the 6.75-day August average warrant a direct question to the carrier or railroad.
- Update inland ETA buffers. A plan still using August 2025’s 4.98-day rail average is 1.77 days short at the port stage alone.
- Confirm whether each lane moves on carrier haulage or merchant haulage, and check the applicable demurrage, storage and free-time terms.
- If your carrier changed rail partners this summer, check current ramp assignments and rail cutoffs on open bookings instead of relying on earlier lane history.
- Recheck DC receiving appointments and customer delivery dates for containers discharging in September, the month forecast to bring the year’s heaviest import volume.
Further Reading
- FreightWaves, Container delays by rail increase at busiest U.S. ports (16 September 2026)
- Sourcing Journal, Container Dwell Times Surge at LA, Long Beach Ports Amid Import Influx
- PMSA, San Pedro Bay Ports Container Dwell Times for June 2026
- PMSA, San Pedro Bay Ports Container Dwell Times for January 2026
- PMSA, Facts and Figures: Dwell Time Archive
- Port of Los Angeles, Best Three-Month Cargo Stretch in Port History (9 September 2026)
- Container News, Port of Long Beach Records Increased Cargo Growth
- DataPortuaria, Port of Long Beach Sets August Record with 919,992 TEUs Handled
- gCaptain, Port of Los Angeles Caps Record Summer as U.S. Import Strength Holds Up
Dwell figures are monthly averages for the San Pedro Bay port complex published by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. August 2026 figures are as reported by FreightWaves on 16 September 2026 and July 2026 figures as reported by Sourcing Journal; June 2026, January 2026 and August 2025 figures are from PMSA’s own releases. Port volumes are from the Port of Los Angeles August 2026 cargo release and Port of Long Beach August figures as reported by Container News. Import forecasts are from the Global Port Tracker as reported by DataPortuaria and gCaptain. Averages do not describe any specific terminal or booking. Confirm applicable free-time terms, haulage arrangements and rail cutoffs with your carrier.
Leave a Reply