Pier Pass Fee

PierPass is a fee program created by marine terminal operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to fund off-peak (night and weekend) gate operations. When the program launched in 2005, its stated purpose was to reduce daytime truck congestion at the nation’s busiest port complex by incentivizing cargo owners to pick up and deliver containers during evening and weekend shifts. The fee, officially called the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF), is assessed on loaded containers entering or leaving the terminals during peak daytime hours.

How the Fee Works

The TMF applies to loaded import containers picked up during peak hours (Monday through Friday, 3:00 AM to 6:00 PM) and loaded export containers delivered during the same window. As of 2025, the fee is approximately $36.32 per TEU (twenty-foot container) and $72.19 per FEU (forty-foot container). These rates are adjusted periodically based on program costs and terminal operating expenses.

Containers moved during the off-peak shift (6:00 PM to 3:00 AM Monday through Friday, and all day Saturday) are exempt from the TMF. This creates a financial incentive for trucking companies and cargo owners to schedule pickups and deliveries outside of peak hours. An importer moving 20 containers per month through San Pedro Bay saves roughly $1,444 monthly by shifting all pickups to off-peak hours.

Changes to the PierPass Program

PierPass underwent a significant restructuring in 2018. The original program charged much higher TMF rates (over $70 per TEU) and offered the off-peak shift as a completely free alternative. Truckers flooded the night shift, creating the same congestion problems at night that had existed during the day. The 2018 restructuring lowered the TMF rate, introduced an appointment system for off-peak gates, and added a per-container fee for all off-peak moves (lower than the TMF but no longer free).

The appointment system requires truckers to reserve a pickup or delivery slot in advance, spreading truck arrivals more evenly across the available hours. This reduced the peak-of-the-peak congestion that occurred during the first hours of the off-peak shift when hundreds of trucks would line up simultaneously.

Who Pays the PierPass Fee

The TMF is assessed against the beneficial cargo owner (BCO) or their designated agent. In practice, the fee flows through the supply chain differently depending on the arrangement. Some ocean carriers include the PierPass fee in their destination charges and pass it to the shipper. Some freight forwarders absorb it into their bundled port charges. Some drayage carriers add it as a line item on their delivery invoice. Importers should clarify with their logistics provider who is paying the fee and whether it appears as a separate line item or is embedded in other charges.

PierPass and Drayage Scheduling

For importers using drayage carriers to move containers from the port to a nearby warehouse, PierPass significantly affects scheduling decisions. Drayage carriers operating during peak hours pass the TMF to the importer and may also charge higher rates because daytime traffic in the Los Angeles basin adds 1 to 2 hours of drive time compared to night moves. A drayage run from the port to a Long Beach warehouse that takes 45 minutes at night can take 2 hours during daytime peak traffic.

The combination of TMF avoidance and faster transit times makes off-peak drayage the default choice for most cost-conscious importers. However, off-peak moves require the receiving warehouse to operate night shifts or weekend shifts to accept deliveries. Not all warehouses offer extended receiving hours, which forces some importers to accept peak-hour pickups and pay the TMF.

Relevance to FBA Sellers

FBA sellers importing containers through Los Angeles and Long Beach pay PierPass fees on every loaded container, either directly or through their logistics provider. For sellers importing 5 to 15 containers per month, the annual PierPass cost ranges from $4,300 to $13,000 depending on peak vs. off-peak pickup timing. Prep centers in the Long Beach area, including MeisterPrep’s facility, typically operate extended receiving hours that accommodate off-peak container deliveries, helping sellers avoid the TMF.

PierPass is specific to San Pedro Bay. Other U.S. ports do not have an equivalent program, though some (like the Port of Oakland and the Port of New York/New Jersey) have implemented their own congestion mitigation fees under different names and structures.