Nationwide Trucking from the Ports

Nationwide trucking from the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports

National Freight & Drayage provides nationwide trucking for freight that enters the country through the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. After a container is drayed, unloaded, transloaded or stored at our Long Beach operation, we move the freight over the road by full truckload or LTL to distribution centers, stores, plants and customers across the U.S., with cross-border service to Canada and Mexico.

Keeping the port move and the over-the-road move under one coordinator removes the handoffs where freight usually stalls: a container that is unloaded before a trailer is booked, a warehouse release that misses the truck, or a bill of lading that does not match what was loaded. We plan the outbound load while the container is still at the terminal.

The scale of the San Pedro Bay complex is why this matters. The Port of Long Beach handled about 9.9 million TEUs in 2025 and the Port of Los Angeles more than 10.2 million. Much of that cargo is bound for customers far outside Southern California, and long haul trucking is how a large part of it gets there.

Our nationwide trucking services

Choose the service that fits your shipment size, handling needs and delivery requirements.

How port freight becomes an over-the-road load

Every interstate freight move that starts with an ocean container passes through the same six stages. Problems at any stage push back everything after it, so we plan them together.

1. 01
   Container release

   The container must be cleared by CBP (your licensed customs broker files the entry), released by the ocean carrier once freight charges are paid, and free of terminal holds. Freight that has not cleared customs can still move, but only in-bond with a bonded carrier such as us.

2. 02
   Drayage to Long Beach

   We pull the container from the terminal with TWIC-carrying drivers and port-registered trucks, on our own 20' and 40' chassis for standard boxes and triaxle chassis for heavier containers. We also pull 40' high cube, 45', reefer, hazmat, open-top and flat-rack containers. See port drayage for how appointments, free time and empty returns work.

3. 03
   Unload, transload or store

   At our facility the container is devanned, and the freight is palletized, relabeled or sorted by destination as needed. It either goes straight into an outbound trailer through transloading or cross-docking, or into warehousing for later release.

4. 04
   Build the outbound load

   We decide FTL or LTL, plan the trailer so weight is spread across the axles, load and seal it, and issue a bill of lading that matches piece count, weight and references such as PO numbers.

5. 05
   Over-the-road linehaul

   The truck runs to destination within federal hours-of-service limits. We send shipment status updates along the way and flag anything that threatens the delivery appointment.

6. 06
   Delivery and proof of delivery

   The receiver checks the seal and counts the freight. Any shortage or damage should be noted on the delivery receipt before signing, because that notation is the starting point for any claim.

Which nationwide trucking mode fits your shipment?

The right mode depends mostly on how much trailer space and weight the shipment uses, then on how much handling the freight can tolerate. Our full truckload and LTL freight pages go deeper on each.

Common nationwide trucking lanes from the ports

Most of our truckload freight from Long Beach and Los Angeles runs on a handful of regular lanes. Transit times below are typical estimates for a solo driver after pickup, not guarantees; see all freight lanes for route detail.

Federal rules that shape long haul trucking

Two sets of federal rules set the pace and size of every long haul trucking move: driver hours of service and vehicle weight limits. Neither can be negotiated, so a realistic plan starts from them.

Under FMCSA hours-of-service rules, a property-carrying driver may drive up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and may not drive after the 14th hour since coming on duty. A 30-minute break is required after 8 cumulative hours of driving, and weekly limits of 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days apply, which a 34-hour restart resets. A solo driver therefore covers a fixed amount of road each day, and a missed appointment can cost a full day rather than a few hours.

On the weight side, 23 CFR 658.17 sets the federal gross vehicle limit on the Interstate System at 80,000 pounds, with 20,000 pounds on a single axle and 34,000 pounds on a tandem axle group, subject to the bridge formula. A heavy load must be placed so the trailer tandems and the tractor drive axles both stay within limits, which is why we plan the load pattern before the first pallet goes in.

What the rules mean for your freight

What drives interstate freight cost

Interstate freight pricing is built from a handful of factors. Knowing them helps you compare quotes on equal terms.

• Lane and distance. Rates follow the specific origin-destination pair. Lanes where more freight leaves than returns cost more because the carrier must reposition the truck.
• Fuel surcharge. Usually a separate line that moves with a published weekly diesel price, so two quotes with the same base rate can differ by fuel terms.
• Equipment and weight. Standard dry vans are the baseline. Loads close to the legal weight limit narrow the pool of tractors that can take them.
• Timing. Short-notice loads, weekend deliveries and peak-season weeks cost more because capacity is tight.
• Accessorials. Detention, layover, extra stops, driver assist, liftgate, inside or residential delivery, and truck ordered not used (TONU) charges are all billed on top of linehaul.
• Freight profile for LTL. Density, freight class, packaging and whether the freight can be stacked change LTL pricing far more than distance does.

When comparing quotes, line them up by base rate, fuel and expected accessorials rather than by total alone.

What we need to quote nationwide trucking

A complete request gets an accurate quote and avoids rebilling after delivery. Send as much of this as you have:

• Pickup point: our Port of Long Beach facility after drayage, or another Southern California address
• Delivery address and facility type: distribution center, store, plant, construction site or residence
• Commodity description, and NMFC class if you ship LTL regularly
• Pallet or piece count with dimensions for each handling unit, and whether units can be stacked
• Total weight including pallets and packaging
• Declared value, so liability coverage can be set correctly
• Ready date, delivery window and the receiver's appointment rules
• Special services: liftgate, inside delivery, driver assist, sort and segregate
• Customs status: whether the freight is cleared or must move in-bond
• Reference numbers the receiver requires on the bill of lading

Common over the road trucking mistakes and how to avoid them

Most over the road trucking problems come from planning gaps rather than the drive itself. These are the ones we see most often with import freight.

1. 01
   Booking the truck before the container is released

   A truck booked for freight still on a customs or carrier hold leads to TONU fees or a rushed rebook. Confirm release first, then lock the outbound date.

2. 02
   Quoting weight from the packing list

   Packing lists often show net product weight. Pallets, wrap and cartons add weight, and LTL carriers reweigh. Quote gross shipped weight.

3. 03
   Ignoring the receiver's appointment rules

   Large distribution centers often require appointments booked days ahead and reject late trucks. Share the receiver's routing guide when you book.

4. 04
   Leaving liability unstated

   Carrier liability under the Carmack Amendment can be limited by written declared value or released rates. If the freight is valuable, settle coverage before pickup.

5. 05
   Mixing purchase orders without a load plan

   A trailer with several POs for one receiver needs each PO grouped and labeled, or the receiver may refuse or delay check-in.

6. 06
   Moving uncleared cargo on a domestic bill

   Freight not yet released by CBP may only move under an in-bond document with a bonded carrier. See in-bond shipments.

Cross-border trucking to Canada and Mexico

Cross-border service extends our nationwide trucking to Canada and Mexico. We coordinate the move from Southern California and hand the freight off to authorized partner carriers for the border crossing; Mexico-bound freight crosses mainly at Otay Mesa. The shipment must clear export and import formalities at the border, handled by licensed customs brokers, and we coordinate with your broker. See cross-border trucking, with detail for Mexico and Canada.

Clean documents are what keep a cross-border truck moving. The commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading must agree on description, quantity and value, and the broker for the destination country needs them before the truck arrives at the crossing.

Foreign cargo that lands in Long Beach or Los Angeles and is only passing through the U.S. can travel to the border as a transportation and exportation (T&E) in-bond movement under 19 CFR Part 18, without a U.S. consumption entry. In-bond freight must reach the port of exit within 30 days under 19 CFR 18.1, and only a bonded carrier can haul it. As a bonded carrier, we can handle that leg; see bonded drayage.

Why start cross country trucking at the port

Starting cross country trucking at a port-side facility gives you choices that a container driven straight inland does not. Freight can be split by destination, held until a receiver is ready, or combined with other cargo to fill a trailer.

It also limits container charges. Once the ocean container is unloaded in Long Beach, the empty goes back to the terminal quickly, which helps control per diem; see demurrage and detention. By cube, three 40-foot containers often fit into two 53-foot trailers, so the outbound side needs fewer trucks, though heavy freight reaches the weight limit before the trailer is full.

For importers who need freight to flow continuously, freight consolidation and a container freight station let several smaller ocean shipments become one outbound truckload.

Frequently asked questions