San Pedro Bay Ports Steady Truck Dwell & Increased Rail Dwell

January 2024

Through the month of December, cargo traveling through the San Pedro Bay Port Complex and destined for local delivery via truck spent an average of 2.69 days at port terminals. The December figures saw a decrease from November’s average of 2.78 days. The December truck dwell time is within the normal range. 

Dwell time for rail-destined cargo increased in December with cargo spending an average of 4.98 days at terminals, compared to 3.90 days during the previous month.

A factor contributing to the average dwell time for local and rail-bound containers is the proportion of containers that dwell for five or more days. In December, 6.8% of local containers dwelled for more than five days; 32.3% of rail-bound containers dwelled for five or more days.

"While truck dwell time remains consistent from month to month, there was a slight increase in the rail dwell time,” stated Natasha Villa, External Affairs Manager of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA).  “The container dwell times are key metrics to track to gain insight on how efficiently cargo is moving through the supply chain.”