Pier Pass Fee

What is a Pier Pass fee?

The Pier Pass fee is a single flat fee charged for both daytime and nighttime container moves at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Beginning August 1, 2021 the TMF will be $34.21 per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) or $68.42 for all other sizes of container.

As of November 19th, 2018, this flat fee system, the revised OffPeak program known as PierPass 2.0, replaced the original OffPeak congestion based model. In the original PierPass system, a fee was assessed if cargo is moved out of the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach port during peak hours. The LA/LB port had implemented the Pier Pass traffic mitigation fee as part of an effort to reduce traffic congestion in the region.

If applicable, a Pier Pass fee will appear on your Flexport quote or invoice as a destination charge.

Which shipments does the Pier Pass fee affect?

The fee applies to loaded import containers moved through the terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The cargo owner typically ends up paying it, often as a pass-through charge on the invoice.

Check the PierPass website for the current rate, since the fee can change over time. Your forwarder can tell you whether your container will incur it.

Back to the full glossary.