U.S. Import Logistics Through Los Angeles and Long Beach

US import logistics from the San Pedro Bay ports

US import logistics is everything that happens to an ocean container after it reaches the United States: release, terminal pickup, any in-bond movement, unloading and handling, storage, and delivery to the final receiver. For most Asia imports, that work starts at the Port of Los Angeles or the Port of Long Beach, which together handled roughly 20 million TEUs in 2025.

We run that physical side from our operation in Long Beach, near both ports. Our services cover drayage on our own chassis, bonded drayage under our bonded carrier authority, a CBP customs-bonded warehouse, container freight station handling, transloading, cross-docking, warehousing and full truckload and LTL trucking nationwide, with cross-border service to Canada and Mexico. International importers' logistics teams, freight forwarders and customs brokers use us as their import container logistics partner on the U.S. side.

This page explains how our import logistics service fits together, how we work with the other parties on an import, and how to decide which path each container should take. For the vendor-neutral, step-by-step version covering ISF, entry, bonds and regulations, read our guide to importing through Los Angeles and Long Beach.

How our import logistics covers the U.S. side

Each step of a typical import, who owns it, and where we fit.

Why port to door logistics works better with one team

Port to door logistics breaks down at the handoffs. When the trucker, the warehouse and the long-haul carrier are separate companies, no one owns the whole timeline, and decisions that should be made together get made in isolation. A container gets dropped at a warehouse that cannot unload it for three days, or a load is pulled on the last free day because no one told the trucker the entry was ready a week earlier.

With one team handling the physical side, the decisions that drive cost get weighed together: is it cheaper to pay a day of storage or a day of detention, should this box be transloaded or delivered whole, should freight go to the bonded warehouse now or wait one more day for release. That is what integrated freight solutions mean in practice. You get one status thread and one party accountable from terminal gate to delivery.

We are equally comfortable handling one piece of the chain. Plenty of customers use us only for drayage or only for bonded storage, and the rest of their supply chain stays with existing providers.

Choosing a path for each import container

Not every container should take the same route. This is the decision framework we use with customers when a vessel is approaching.

Where import logistics costs come from, and how we keep them down

Most avoidable U.S.-side charges come from time: containers held too long at the terminal, on a chassis, or at a receiver. These are the ones we manage most actively.

Visibility from terminal to delivery

Every shipment we handle is tracked from terminal availability through delivery. Our warehouse management system records receipts by barcode, so inventory is visible by SKU, purchase order or container, and you get shipment status updates at each milestone: picked up, received, unloaded, shipped and delivered. When a hold appears or a receiver reschedules, we tell you with enough time to choose the next step.

How we work with customs brokers and forwarders

We do not file customs entries. A licensed customs broker does that for the importer of record. Our job is the physical side, and we coordinate with your broker on release status, in-bond moves and bonded warehouse entries and withdrawals so the paperwork and the freight stay in step.

For freight forwarders and NVOCCs, we act as the destination partner in Southern California, receiving delivery orders, handling drayage and CFS work, and sending status updates their customers can use. For customs brokers, we provide the bonded carrier and bonded warehouse capacity that keeps uncleared freight under CBP control. For importers who manage their own freight, we are the single U.S.-side operator they call.

Starting import logistics with us

A first shipment usually takes these steps.

1. 01
   Send the shipment details

   Share the bill of lading, container numbers and sizes, weights, the vessel and ETA, the port and terminal if known, whether the freight is palletized or floor-loaded, and where it needs to go.

2. 02
   Connect us with your broker

   We confirm who is filing entry and whether any container may need to move in bond. If entry is likely to be late, we plan a bonded move in advance.

3. 03
   Agree on the path

   Using the framework above, we agree on direct delivery, pre-pull, transload, CFS or bonded storage for each container, and we book receiver appointments.

4. 04
   Pickup and status updates

   We track availability and the last free day, book terminal appointments, pull the container on our chassis and send status as it moves.

5. 05
   Handling, storage and delivery

   Freight is unloaded, handled and stored in our warehouse system, then shipped by FTL or LTL or delivered locally. Empties go back to the terminal within free time wherever possible.

Asia import logistics: what changes by origin

The U.S.-side steps are the same for every origin, but each country brings its own planning issues. Asia import logistics planning should account for these.

• China: tariff actions under Section 301 and other authorities, forced-labor import rules, factory shutdowns around Chinese New Year, and heavy use of floor-loaded containers. See China to Long Beach import logistics.
• Vietnam: services that may transship through other Asian hubs, close CBP scrutiny of origin claims, Tet holiday closures, and a large share of furniture, apparel and footwear. See Vietnam to Long Beach import logistics.
• Every origin: confirm classification and current duty rates with your broker, check wood packaging compliance, and book drayage when the vessel sails, not when it arrives.

Where the freight goes after the port

Much of what comes through San Pedro Bay stays in Southern California, moving to distribution centers in the Inland Empire, the South Bay and the rest of the Southern California region. We handle those local and regional moves directly from Long Beach.

Freight bound for the rest of the country usually moves best after transloading into 53-foot trailers, then by full truckload or LTL freight. That keeps the ocean container near the port, where it can be returned quickly, and puts more freight on each truck.

Import logistics guides by origin

How imports from major origin countries move through Los Angeles and Long Beach, with the planning issues specific to each.

Frequently asked questions