Port of Long Beach logistics, Southern California markets and nationwide trucking.
Get a quoteWarehousing in Long Beach, Next to the Port
Receive containers minutes from the terminals, hold inventory by SKU, and release it in the quantities your customers order.
Port-side warehousing in Long Beach
Our warehousing in Long Beach sits close to the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles terminals. Containers come off the vessel, onto our own chassis and into our building on a short local move, and the empty goes back to the line while your inventory is counted, put away and tracked by SKU.
Port-side storage solves a specific import problem. Freight lands in batches tied to vessel schedules, but customers order it steadily. A Long Beach warehouse absorbs each batch quickly, before demurrage and per diem build, then releases the inventory over days or weeks by local delivery, LTL or truckload.
For how 3PL warehousing is priced and how to compare providers in general, see our national warehousing services page. This page covers how our Long Beach warehouse operates and when it is the right place to hold your freight.
From terminal to shelf: a container's path into our Long Beach warehouse
- 01Pre-alert
You send the bill of lading, packing list and item master (SKU dimensions, weights and carton counts). We set up the receipt in our warehouse management system before the vessel arrives.
- 02Pickup
Once the container is released, our Long Beach drayage trucks pull it from the terminal on our 20' or 40' chassis, or a triaxle chassis for heavier boxes.
- 03Unload and count
The container is unloaded at our dock. Cartons are counted against the packing list, damage is photographed, and floor-loaded cartons are built onto pallets. See container unloading in Long Beach.
- 04Barcode and put away
Each pallet gets a barcode label and is scanned to a storage location, so on-hand inventory is visible by SKU, PO and container number.
- 05Empty return
The empty container goes back to the terminal or depot the line designates, ending per diem.
- 06Release and ship
You release orders by SKU, PO or destination. We pick, load and ship by local delivery, LTL or full truckload, and send shipment status updates.
Which Long Beach storage option fits your freight
We run several kinds of storage in the same Long Beach operation. The right one depends on customs status and how long the freight will wait.
| Option | Customs status | Typical time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard warehousing | Released by CBP, duty paid | Days to months | Inventory waiting for orders, buffer stock, seasonal goods |
| Bonded warehousing | Not yet entered for consumption | Up to five years from importation | Deferring duty, re-exports, entries delayed for documents |
| Cross-docking | Released | Hours to a day or two | Freight already allocated with outbound trucks booked |
| Container storage | Released, still in the container | A few days | Loaded containers pulled ahead of the last free day, waiting for a delivery appointment |
Long Beach warehousing scenarios
Example: peak season buffer. A housewares importer lands 30 containers between August and October for holiday orders, while its Inland Empire DC is full. We receive the containers in Long Beach, store the freight by SKU, and release full truckloads to the DC each week as space opens, plus direct LTL orders to retail customers. The containers are emptied near the port instead of waiting at the DC for a dock door.
Example: steady replenishment for e-commerce. An online brand receives two containers a month and keeps four to six weeks of stock in Long Beach. Every week we ship replenishment pallets to its fulfillment centers in the quantities each one requests, labeled to each center's specs. Our e-commerce page covers how that flow is set up.
Example: small importers through a forwarder. A freight forwarder consolidates cargo for several small importers. LCL freight is deconsolidated at our container freight station, and importers who are not ready to take delivery keep their pallets in our warehouse until they are.
Import warehousing in Long Beach with bonded space under the same roof
Because we operate a CBP customs-bonded warehouse alongside standard storage, an importer can keep part of a shipment in bond and release the rest. Under 19 U.S.C. 1557, goods can stay in a bonded warehouse for up to five years from the date of importation, with duty paid only when they are withdrawn for consumption. Goods withdrawn for export generally leave without U.S. duty.
That flexibility matters when entry is delayed, when part of the inventory may be re-exported to Canada or Mexico, or when you want duty paid closer to the time of sale. Your licensed customs broker files the warehouse entry and withdrawals; we keep the freight under customs control and track it separately from released inventory. Read what is a bonded warehouse for the full picture.
Warehouse services in our Long Beach building
- Receiving: container unloading, piece counts, damage photos and receiving reports
- Storage: palletized storage for imported goods, short or long term
- Inventory management: warehouse management system with barcoding and inventory tracking by SKU, PO and container
- Value-added handling: sorting, palletizing, relabeling and freight reconfiguration, keeping country-of-origin marks visible
- Order release: full or partial shipments by SKU, purchase order or destination
- Outbound: warehouse distribution from Long Beach by local delivery across Southern California, LTL and truckload nationwide, and cross-border trucking to Canada and Mexico
What a Long Beach warehouse changes compared with going straight inland
Example comparison for an importer whose DC is about 60 miles inland. Figures are illustrative.
| Step | Container goes straight to the inland DC | Container stops at our Long Beach warehouse |
|---|---|---|
| Container dray | Longer round trip, with traffic risk on inland corridors | Short local move from the terminal |
| Empty return | After the DC finds a door and unloads | Within days of pickup |
| Where freight waits | In the container, on per diem, if the DC is full | On pallets in our warehouse |
| Delivery to the DC | One container at a time, floor-loaded | Full 53' truckloads of palletized freight, timed to DC space |
| Extra cost | Per diem and possible yard storage at the DC | Receiving, storage and an extra outbound move |
Inventory reporting from our Long Beach warehouse
Warehouse storage in Long Beach is only useful if you can see what is there. These are the records we keep for every account.
| Record | What it shows | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving report | Cartons and pallets received per container, against the packing list, with exceptions and photos | Supports claims against the carrier or supplier, and confirms what you can sell |
| On-hand inventory | Quantity by SKU, with PO, container number and location | Lets you allocate orders without calling the warehouse |
| Shipment confirmations | What left, on which truck, with seal numbers and pallet counts | Matches invoices to customers and resolves delivery disputes |
| Shipment status updates | Outbound progress through to delivery | Keeps your customer service team ahead of the questions |
| Inventory aging | How long each SKU or pallet has been in storage | Flags slow movers that are building storage cost |
Releasing orders from warehouse storage in Long Beach
Orders leave our Long Beach warehouse on a written release: SKU, quantity, consignee, delivery address and requested ship date, sent by email or another agreed format. We pick by barcode scan, so the system records exactly which pallets or cartons shipped, and book the outbound truck unless you are sending your own carrier.
Local Southern California deliveries usually move fastest, because the trucks start near the warehouse. LTL and truckload releases depend on carrier pickup scheduling and, for retail receivers, on delivery appointments. Sending releases with the receiver's appointment already booked is the single biggest thing you can do to speed them up.
Common mistakes with port-side storage
- Treating a port-side warehouse as permanent storage for slow movers. Port-side space is best for fast-turning or allocated stock. Review aging monthly and move slow SKUs inland or to customers.
- Skipping the item master. Without carton dimensions and units per carton, receiving slows down and pallets get built inconsistently.
- Pulling containers before there is a plan. If outbound and storage are not agreed, containers sit loaded and per diem keeps running.
- Mixing bonded and released inventory in your own records. Keep the customs status of each lot clear so nothing bonded ships before it is entered.
Why choose a 3PL in Long Beach
- One operation from terminal to truck. Drayage, receiving, storage and outbound trucking are run by the same team on the same system.
- Both ports covered. Containers from the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles are received into the same inventory. See warehousing for Port of Los Angeles imports.
- Fast container turns. Short local drays and our own chassis let us empty and return containers quickly.
- Bonded and standard storage together. Inventory can move from bonded to released status without a second warehouse.
- Flexible outbound. Local delivery, LTL, truckload and cross-border service from one building.
Plan your Long Beach warehousing
Tell us your container volume, SKU count, expected storage time and where the freight goes next. We will outline a receiving, storage and distribution plan.
Request a Long Beach warehousing quoteFrequently asked questions
Where is your warehouse?
Our warehousing operation is in Long Beach, California, close to the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles terminals.
Do you store freight from both ports?
Yes. Containers from either port are received into the same Long Beach warehouse and tracked in the same warehouse management system.
Do you offer inventory tracking?
Yes. Every pallet is barcoded and scanned to a location, so on-hand inventory is visible by SKU, PO and container number, and you receive shipment status updates on outbound orders.
Can you ship partial orders from storage?
Yes. We release freight by SKU, purchase order or destination and ship it by local delivery, LTL or full truckload.
Do you offer bonded storage too?
Yes. Goods that have not been entered for consumption can be stored in our customs-bonded warehouse in Long Beach, then moved to standard storage once your broker files the entry and duty is paid.
How is storage billed?
Storage is usually billed per pallet per month, with receiving and outbound handling billed separately. We confirm the billing cycle, what counts as a pallet position and any minimums in your quote, so you can model the cost against your real receipt and ship dates.
Is short-term storage available?
Yes. Many customers use our Long Beach warehouse as a buffer for a few weeks during peak season or while waiting for space at their own DC.
Can you palletize and relabel freight before it ships?
Yes. We sort, palletize, relabel and reconfigure freight in the warehouse, building pallets to each receiver's specs.
Do you deliver to the Inland Empire and other Southern California locations?
Yes. We run local delivery across Southern California, including the Inland Empire, and ship by LTL and truckload nationwide.