Container dwell times across truck and rail in April were mostly stable at the San Pedro Bay port complex.
Cargo destined for local delivery via truck averaged 2.59 days at marine terminals in April 2026 at the port of Los Angeles-Long Beach, essentially unchanged from March 2026’s 2.61 days and well below the 2.78 days in April 2025.
Truck dwell has remained under the three-day mark for 15 consecutive months, according to the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, reflecting continued fluidity in gate operations and drayage availability across the busiest U.S. container gateway.
The domestic trucking market has been wracked by change this year as overhanging capacity from the pandemic exits the market, and stepped-up federal enforcement further thins the number of carriers. That’s helped boost rates for long-haul trucking, but drayage costs and capacity have been mostly unaffected.
Rail-destined containers through LA-Long Beach averaged 5.06 days in April 2026, up from 4.41 days in March and modestly above the 4.72 days recorded in April 2025.
“Rail times reflect some month-to-month movement, but performance remains on par with port complex rail dwell times that have remained somewhat elevated for the last five months starting in December 2025,” the PMSA said.
Railroads in April saw steady increases in most freight categories including intermodal. Rising truck rates usually precipitate a shift by shippers to cheaper moves by rail.
“Fifteen straight months under the three-day truck dwell threshold is a milestone worth noting,” said Natasha Villa, external affairs manager of the PMSA, in a release. “Gate operations have been consistently fluid, and the complex continues to move cargo reliably for the shippers and supply chain partners that depend on it. Rail saw some movement in April, but the broader picture was mostly consistent with the last five months of performance.”
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Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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