Current PierPass rate: the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is $40.63 per 20 foot container (TEU) and $81.26 for all other container sizes, effective August 1, 2026, per the PierPASS announcement of July 1, 2026. You log in, register and pay the TMF at pierpass-tmf.org.
PierPass is a not for profit company created by the marine terminal operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. It manages the OffPeak program, which moves a portion of container truck traffic outside peak daytime hours, and collects the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) on container moves through the two ports. Importers and exporters pay the TMF on loaded containers moving through LA or Long Beach, unless the move is exempt.
If you are a freight forwarder, NVOCC, or US importer, the PierPass TMF shows up on almost every ocean import invoice for shipments arriving at the LA/Long Beach gateway. It is a flat fee per 20 foot container (TEU, twenty foot equivalent unit) and a second flat fee for all other sizes, set by the terminal operators of the West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA) and adjusted to follow longshore labor costs. The August 1, 2026 adjustment raised it by 4.77%. This guide explains what PierPass is, the current TMF rate, how to log in and pay, current OffPeak hours, and what shippers and forwarders need to know in 2026.
Key Takeaways
The Traffic Mitigation Fee is the fee that funds PierPass's OffPeak program. The program was created in 2005 to reduce truck congestion at the LA/Long Beach terminal gates during daytime hours and to lower diesel emissions in the surrounding communities. Every loaded container move through the LA/Long Beach ports is subject to the TMF unless it is exempt, regardless of whether the truck arrives during peak daytime hours or OffPeak hours.
Before 2018, the TMF was charged only on daytime moves to incentivize OffPeak gate usage. Since the revised OffPeak program began in November 2018, the TMF is charged as a flat fee on every loaded container move, and terminal appointment systems manage gate flow. This change made TMF charges more predictable for shippers but also meant every loaded container move now carries the fee.
The fee is the responsibility of Beneficial Cargo Owners (BCOs) or their agents, which usually means the importer of record on imports and the exporter on exports. Under the WCMTOA Marine Terminal Operator Schedule No. 1, the fee is payable to PierPass LLC, and every cargo interest (the shipper, the consignee and any other party with an interest in the cargo) is jointly liable for it. In practice, the payment flows like this:
For forwarders, the TMF appears under "TMF", "Pier Pass Fee", or "PPF" on the destination charges section of the invoice. Always pass it through as a separate, identified line item so the customer can match it to the PierPASS rate.
PierPASS publishes the TMF in the WCMTOA Marine Terminal Operator Schedule No. 1, revised August 1, 2026, and announces each change on pierpass.org. Since mid 2012 the fee has been adjusted annually to reflect longshore labor costs based on Pacific Maritime Association figures. The rates in force since August 1, 2026 are:
| Container Type | TMF from August 1, 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20 ft (TEU) | $40.63 | Per loaded container, import or export |
| 40 ft and 40 ft high cube | $81.26 | The "all other sizes" rate |
| 45 ft and other sizes | $81.26 | Same "all other sizes" rate |
| Empty container, empty chassis or bobtail | $0.00 | Exempt |
Exempt moves: under Rule 7 of the schedule, the TMF does not apply to empty containers or empty chassis, to import or export cargo that transits the Alameda Corridor in a container and pays the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority fee, or to transshipment cargo. Bobtail trucks are also exempt. If you pay the TMF on an exempt container, you can claim a refund from PierPass LLC within 30 days of the payment date.
Loaded containers moved by truck at LA and Long Beach also carry the Clean Truck Fund (CTF) Rate. The two ports set it at $10 per TEU for nonexempt trucks, and collection began on April 1, 2022, according to the Port of Los Angeles Clean Truck Program. Zero emission trucks are exempt, and the Port of Los Angeles exempts low NOx trucks registered in the Drayage Truck Registry by December 31, 2022 until December 31, 2027. For a loaded container moved by a nonexempt truck, the two fees add up as follows:
| Container | TMF | CTF ($10 per TEU) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft (1 TEU) | $40.63 | $10.00 | $50.63 |
| 40 ft (2 TEU) | $81.26 | $20.00 | $101.26 |
OffPeak is the late shift gate window managed by the terminal operators. It exists to spread truck traffic across more hours of the day and reduce daytime congestion. While daytime moves are now allowed without a TMF discount, the OffPeak program continues to operate.
Under the WCMTOA schedule, OffPeak hours are 6:00 p.m. to 2:59 a.m. Monday through Friday, plus all day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Peak hours are 3:00 a.m. to 5:59 p.m. on weekdays. Each terminal chooses which OffPeak shifts it opens, and the schedule revised August 1, 2026 lists:
Each terminal runs its own appointment system, linked from the PierPASS appointments page. An appointment is required to pick up an import container. Appointment windows are two hours long, and the last appointments are 3:30 p.m. for the day shift and 1:30 a.m. for the night shift. Without an appointment, the truck risks being turned away or sitting in long queue lines.
The PierPASS payment system is at pierpass-tmf.org, the site behind the "Pierpass Login" link on pierpass.org. The same registration covers the TMF and the Clean Truck Fund Rate. A company must register an account before it can pay.
STEP 1
Register the company account
Create the account at pierpass-tmf.org/registernewaccount. BCOs or their agents register, and one account can hold several user logons.
STEP 2
Add notification contacts
Add your drayage provider's email to the Containers Released (TMF Paid) event so the trucker knows when the TMF release has gone to the terminal.
STEP 3
Pay import containers before pickup
The TMF on an import container must be paid before the container leaves the terminal. Pay by credit card, debit card or electronic check, or under a PierPASS credit agreement.
STEP 4
Claim export bookings before the gate
For exports, enter and claim the booking number in your account before the container arrives. Terminals refuse containers with unclaimed bookings, and direct pay export fees are due by the Tuesday after the container enters the terminal.
A TMF hold is the status a terminal shows on an import container whose TMF is still unpaid. The terminal will not release the container until PierPASS sends the TMF release. Under the WCMTOA schedule, terminals can also refuse service to users in arrears on the fee and hold a lien on their later cargo, so one unpaid balance can block other containers.
TMF is just one of several fees an LA/Long Beach import shipment can incur. Understanding which fee is which prevents disputes with carriers and customers.
| Fee | Charged By | Triggered By | Avoidable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| TMF (Traffic Mitigation Fee) | PierPass | $40.63 per TEU or $81.26 per other container, on every loaded move through LA/LB | No, but quick payment avoids holds |
| Clean Truck Fee (CTF) | Port of LA / Port of LB | $10 per TEU on loaded containers moved by nonexempt trucks | Yes, when a zero emission truck moves the container |
| Demurrage | Terminal operator | Container stays past free time at the terminal | Yes, by picking up on time |
| Detention | Ocean carrier | Container held beyond free use time | Yes, by returning empty on time |
| Chassis usage | Chassis pool provider | Per day chassis rental | Sometimes, with shipper supplied chassis |
For the broader cost picture on US imports, see our Customs Duty and Import Tax guide.
For freight forwarders moving heavy volume through LA/Long Beach, PierPass TMF is a predictable but high frequency cost line item. Best practices used by forwarders to handle the fee cleanly:
Modern Ocean Import Freight Management Software handles TMF as a standard line item on the destination charges invoice, tied to the shipment that generated it. GoFreight pulls container status from ocean carriers, railroads, terminals and AIS onto the same shipment record.
Other operational pressures at LA/LB (chassis dwell, gate congestion, missed appointments) are covered in our 5 Ocean Import Bottlenecks That Slow Freight Forwarders Down guide.
PierPass TMF is a port fee, and it is separate from your CBP obligations. Every ocean import to the US still requires the Importer Security Filing (ISF) at least 24 hours before vessel loading, and the AMS manifest filing. Paying the TMF does not cover any CBP compliance requirements.
GoFreight files ISF 10 and ISF 5 and ocean AMS in product through integrated filing partners, covered on our Customs Management Software for Forwarders page.
Ship Faster. Scale Smarter.
GoFreight keeps the PierPass TMF and Clean Truck Fund Rate charges, ISF filing and container status for every LA and Long Beach import on one shipment record.
PierPass is a not for profit company set up by the marine terminal operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. It manages the OffPeak program, which spreads truck traffic across late shift hours, and collects the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) on container moves through the two ports. Importers, exporters, and freight forwarders moving cargo through LA/LB pay the TMF as part of their port charges.
The PierPass fee is the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF), a flat charge of $40.63 per 20 foot container and $81.26 for all other sizes since August 1, 2026. It applies to loaded import and export containers at the LA and Long Beach terminals. Empty containers, Alameda Corridor cargo that pays the ACTA fee, and transshipment cargo are exempt.
PierPass costs $40.63 per 20 foot container and $81.26 per 40 foot, 45 foot or other size container, effective August 1, 2026. PierPASS adjusts the rate to follow longshore labor costs, and the 2026 change was a 4.77% increase. Check pierpass.org before quoting customers, because an old rate on a quote shows up later as an invoice discrepancy.
The Traffic Mitigation Fee is the per container fee that funds the PierPass OffPeak program at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. It is charged on both peak daytime moves and OffPeak shift moves at a flat rate since the revised OffPeak program began in November 2018. Before that, only peak daytime moves paid the fee. The current rate is $40.63 per TEU and $81.26 for all other sizes.
PierPass applies only to the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. It does not apply to Oakland, Seattle/Tacoma, New York/New Jersey, Houston, Savannah, Charleston, or any other US port. Other ports have their own fee structures and operating hours.
The fee is paid by the Beneficial Cargo Owner, which is usually the importer of record on the Bill of Lading. In practice, freight forwarders and customs brokers pay the TMF on the importer's behalf and bill it through as a destination charges line item on the freight invoice.
A TMF hold is a release block placed on a container until the Traffic Mitigation Fee is paid. The terminal will not release the container to the drayage truck while the hold is in place. The hold lifts when the fee is paid at pierpass-tmf.org and PierPASS sends the TMF release to the terminal. An unpaid hold delays pickup and can push the container into demurrage.
You log in to PierPass at pierpass-tmf.org, the payment site linked as "Pierpass Login" on pierpass.org. Cargo owners and their agents, such as freight forwarders and customs brokers, register on the same site to pay the TMF and the Clean Truck Fund Rate, and can add their drayage company to the Containers Released (TMF Paid) email notice. A registered account is required to pay the TMF and clear holds.
The revised OffPeak program, often called OffPeak 2.0, began in November 2018. Before that, the TMF was charged only on peak daytime container moves, and OffPeak moves were free of the fee. Since then, the TMF is charged as a flat rate on every loaded container move regardless of shift, and terminal appointment systems manage gate flow.
A loaded 20 foot container moved by a nonexempt truck pays $50.63: the $40.63 TMF plus the $10 per TEU Clean Truck Fund Rate. A 40 foot container pays $101.26, which is $81.26 TMF plus $20 CTF. Zero emission trucks are exempt from the CTF.