Importers shipping through Los Angeles or Long Beach ports often see a fee called PierPass charged per container on their container shipping invoices.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach created this system to spread truck traffic across more hours. This reduces congestion at the gates during busy daytime periods. It also helps pay for the extra labor and costs of keeping terminals open longer. The program started as a fee charged at certain times of the day, and over time, it became an appointment-based system. Today, it still affects most imports arriving at the two ports.
Below, we explain what PierPass is, how it works today, its benefits and limits, and practical ways shippers and truckers can manage the cost.
What PierPass Actually Is?
PierPass is the not-for-profit program set up by the West Coast marine terminal operators to fund and manage extended gate hours at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. It collects a Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) on most laden containers that move through the terminals and uses the money to cover the added cost of night and weekend shifts, and to operate an appointment system that spreads truck visits more evenly across the day.
The program began in 2005 and was revised in 2018 to an appointment-based model commonly called OffPeak 2.0.
How PierPass Came to Be?
In the early 2000s, cargo growth produced severe port congestion, long queues on surface streets, and heavy truck idling near port neighborhoods. Political pressure and local regulation created an urgent need for a solution that terminals could implement quickly.
PierPass launched OffPeak in 2005 to incentivize shippers to move containers during nights or weekends. The original program used higher daytime fees to nudge behavior. After industry feedback and consulting analysis, PierPass retooled the program in 2018: instead of differential day/night pricing, an appointment system plus a single flat fee for all shifts was introduced to reduce bunching and add predictability.
How Does It Work Today?
Appointments
Most terminals require truckers to book an appointment to pick up import containers; the appointment systems are managed by individual terminals. Appointments are the primary congestion-management tool under OffPeak 2.0.
Fee Collection
The Traffic Mitigation Fee is charged by container, usually expressed per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent). The TMF applies to most loaded import and export containers. However, some moves do not have to pay the fee. These include empty containers, rail intermodal containers, transshipment cargo, domestic cargo, and bare chassis.
Payers
The PierPass fee is paid by BCO, beneficial cargo owners (importers or their agents), and collected via PierPass account systems or through intermediary billing channels. In practice, the cost is often passed down the logistics chain — drayage firms, freight forwarders, or importers end up absorbing it unless contract terms specify otherwise.
How Much Are Pier Pass Fees?
Fees change with labor and program costs. The PierPass financial report for 2024 notes that TMF revenues for the year totaled $302.5 million, and that the TMF was $35.57 per TEU through August 31, 2024, then was adjusted to $37.71 per TEU for the remainder of the year (with $75.42 for other container sizes).
The report estimates the extra cost of the off-peak program at about $41.69 per TEU in 2024. It also shows that 8,340,643 TEUs were subject to the TMF that year.
The pier pass cost is subject to annual adjustments every August, based on real gate and yard operating costs and changes in longshore wages.
(Important historical note: When PierPass moved to the single-fee appointment model in 2018, it set a flat fee of $31.52 per TEU. That figure was the starting point for OffPeak 2.0, but subsequent labor and cost pressures have pushed the TMF higher since then.)
Benefits and Limits
Benefits
Independent reviews and the Ports’ own data show PierPass substantially moved truck trips out of daytime peaks. Early results exceeded expectations: in 2005, the program shifted 30-35 percent of container moves to off-peak in its first year, diverting millions of truck trips and easing daytime gate congestion. Over the life of the program, PierPass reports tens of millions of truck trips shifted to off-peak hours.
By adding scheduled off-peak shifts, the ports effectively increased throughput without new roads or terminals, while funding those shifts from the TMF rather than local taxpayers.
Limits and Criticisms
Timing Gaps
Studies by the FHWA and METRANS found that daytime gate congestion decreased. However, a new problem appeared. Trucks started to gather before the night shift began.
The one-hour gap between shifts caused many trucks to arrive at the same time in the early evening. This created lines at some terminals. It also reduced the program’s ability to ease highway congestion during certain peak hours.
In short, changing the time of truck arrivals does not remove congestion. It can simply move the congestion to a different time.
High Cost for Small Shippers
As the PierPass fee is charged for each container, the TMF affects small or low-value shipments more than high-value cargo. Small importers with low profit margins may find the TMF to be a high cost.
Equity and Policy Questions
Economists say that pricing incentives and appointment systems are only part of the solution to port congestion.
Other options also exist. These include variable or dynamic pricing, discounts for low-emission trucks, and government regulations. Each option has advantages and disadvantages.
Research on congestion pricing shows that political support and fairness are often the biggest challenges.
Practical Advice for Shippers
If you move containers through LA/LB, here are some pragmatic tips.
Plan appointments early. Terminals use appointment portals and availability can be tight. Book predictable time slots when possible. When shipping through Los Angeles or Long Beach ports, your global freight forwarder, like Foresmart, will handle your import in a timely manner to save your efforts.
Audit your invoices. PierPass fee should only apply to non-exempt laden containers; empties, rail intermodal, domestics, transshipments, and some chassis moves are exempt. Verify that exemptions are honored.
Explore consolidation and routing alternatives. Small shippers should look for better ways to ship and move their cargo. You can save money on fees by consolidating small shipments into one large container (for a one-time shipment), using trains instead of just trucks, or exploring different ports. The best choice depends on what your business needs.
Negotiate contract language. If you are a high-volume importer, work TMF pass-through and appointment responsibilities into supplier or carrier contracts. Although PierPass fee is nonnegotiable, freight costs are still negotiable.
FAQ
What is the TMF/PierPass fee?
The TMF (PierPass fee) is now a flat fee charged per container for most loaded import and export shipments moving through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Can the PierPass fee be avoided?
Strictly no. Importers usually cannot avoid the TMF if their cargo moves through these ports. However, you can ship through other ports outside the PierPass program (for example, ports outside Los Angeles/Long Beach) to incur the fee.
What is Clean Truck Fund (CTF)?
Many people do confuse the PierPass fee (TMF) with the Clean Truck Fund (CTF). Both are container fees connected to the same ports, but they serve different purposes. TMF is for port traffic management, while CTF is for air quality and environmental goals. Only containers hauled by Zero-Emission (ZE) trucks or certain low-NOx trucks are exempt from CTF.
What exactly do PierPass charges cover?
The TMF funds extended gate operations (night and weekend shifts), appointment systems, and the administrative costs to run the OffPeak program. The fee helps terminals pay for extra labor and yard handling.
How much is the PierPass/TMF today?
For the current 2026 rate, the TMF is around $30 – $40 per TEU and over $70 for other container sizes, like 40-foot or 45-foot. You should consult about it with PierPass or your freight forwarder about the new adjustment notices.
The TMF (PierPass fee) is now a flat fee charged per container for most loaded import and export shipments moving through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Strictly no. Importers usually cannot avoid the TMF if their cargo moves through these ports. However, you can ship through other ports outside the PierPass program (for example, ports outside Los Angeles/Long Beach) to incur the fee.
Many people do confuse the PierPass fee (TMF) with the Clean Truck Fund (CTF). Both are container fees connected to the same ports, but they serve different purposes. TMF is for port traffic management, while CTF is for air quality and environmental goals. Only containers hauled by Zero-Emission (ZE) trucks or certain low-NOx trucks are exempt from CTF.
The TMF funds extended gate operations (night and weekend shifts), appointment systems, and the administrative costs to run the OffPeak program. The fee helps terminals pay for extra labor and yard handling.
For the current 2026 rate, the TMF is around $30 – $40 per TEU and over $70 for other container sizes, like 40-foot or 45-foot. You should consult about it with PierPass or your freight forwarder about the new adjustment notices.
