Bayport Container Terminal Tracking: V136 FIRMS Code and Vessel Schedule

Bayport Container Terminal is Port Houston's container terminal at 12621 Port Road, Pasadena, TX 77586, and its FIRMS code is V136. To track a Bayport container, sign in to Port Houston's Lynx customer portal, select Bayport, and run a container availability query on the container number; Lynx also shows the vessel schedule, first receive and cargo cutoff dates, and gate transactions. For freight forwarders and NVOCCs moving ocean freight through Houston, Bayport is where vessels berth, containers gate in and gate out, and the drayage clock starts. This glossary page covers Bayport as an operating facility: layout, gate hours, cutoff windows, drayage access, container types handled, terminal fees, and how to track a container from the vessel to the truck.

New to the terminology first? See Terminal Handling Charges (THC) Explained for the fee vocabulary that shows up on every Bayport invoice.

Facility Overview

Bayport is a purpose built container facility in the Pasadena Industrial Complex on the Bayport Ship Channel off Galveston Bay, separate from Port Houston's older Barbours Cut Container Terminal in La Porte. The published Port Houston street address is 12621 Port Road, Pasadena, TX 77586; some mapping services reference the terminal against Seabrook, TX. Port Houston says it is investing $750 million in Bayport between 2023 and 2027, including additional wharves and more ship to shore cranes. The table below summarizes the facility profile a forwarder actually needs when booking or briefing a shipper.

For forwarders moving containerized cargo through Bayport as a regular lane, the operational data lives in your Ocean Freight Management Software: container milestones from carriers, terminals and AIS sit on the same platform as the booking.

Vessel Services and Carrier Rotations

Bayport is served by the major global carriers calling the US Gulf. Port Houston publishes the live rotation in its Bayport vessel schedule, and the carrier lineup below comes from that schedule and from carrier announcements. Alliance realignment (the Gemini Cooperation launch in early 2025, the Premier Alliance, and the Ocean Alliance grouping) continues to move specific service strings and vessel sizes.

• On the Bayport vessel schedule (13 October 2026): MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, ONE, Hapag-Lloyd, Evergreen, OOCL and ZIM, on services including INDUSA, MECL, LONESTAR, TP15, EC4, BRAZEX, PEX III, MEDGULF and Victory Bridge.
• Maersk Gulf Ocean Express: Gulf Ocean Express (GOEX, service code U7I), the Maersk intra Americas service that moved from Barbours Cut to Bayport on 13 May 2025 (first Bayport call vessel AS Camellia 520S). Source: Maersk Gulf Ocean Express terminal change at Houston, TX.
• Port Houston carrier list: Port Houston's portal page also names ACL, ANL, APL, COSCO, Hamburg Sud, Hyundai, NYK and others as regular lines across its two container terminals.

The practical implication for a forwarder is simple: check the carrier and service string on every booking. Alliance changes shift vessel sizes, transit times, and cutoff behavior, and a booking made against last year's service string will miss the current cutoff more often than the operations team expects.

Gate Hours and Cutoff Windows

Port Houston publishes one set of hours for Bayport and Barbours Cut. Always confirm the current schedule on the Port Houston hours and schedules page before dispatching a truck.

To work outside normal hours, the carrier or customer submits Port Houston's Extended Gate Request Form.

Appointment system. Express Pass is a mandatory appointment for truckers accessing Port Houston's container terminals. Trucking companies create the Express Pass transaction in Lynx before arriving, which gives the driver a quicker entrance and supports yard planning so drivers are served promptly. Forwarders should push the appointment booking down to their dray provider well before the free time clock runs out.

Cutoff windows. Cutoffs are set by the ocean carrier and service string. The Bayport vessel schedule shows a Begin Receive and End Receive date and time for each vessel, and Lynx shows first receive and cargo cutoff dates. As a planning baseline:

• Documentation cutoff: Set by the ocean carrier for each service. Confirm it on the booking.
• Physical cutoff: The End Receive time on the Port Houston vessel schedule is the last moment the terminal accepts the export for that vessel.
• Hazmat: The steamship line submits hazardous documentation to Port Houston, and the unit must be approved before it is delivered.
• Reefer cutoff: Sometimes tightened during peak or for specific temperature ranges.

Every carrier posts service specific cutoffs on its booking confirmation. When those numbers move (during a strike, weather event, or alliance service change), check the carrier notice and the End Receive time on the Port Houston vessel schedule.

Drayage Access and Motor Carrier Requirements

Motor carrier access runs through Port Houston's truck registration program: drivers present a TWIC card at the terminal's TWIC entrance, and the trucking company needs an active Lynx account to create Express Pass appointments. Port Houston also publishes terminal traffic maps, a Bayport safety manual, and a Daily Empty Container and Chassis Acceptance list on its Crane and Trucker Information page, which tells drivers which empties and chassis each terminal will take that day. Forwarders should confirm chassis availability with the drayage provider before dispatch, particularly during holiday peaks.

Port Houston states it serves trucks in 60 minutes or less at its container terminals. Live gate cameras for Bayport are posted on the Port Houston gate information page and refresh every 10 seconds.

For forwarders that already have relationships with Houston area drayage carriers, the practical selection filter is TWIC compliance, Express Pass discipline, chassis access, and demonstrated Bayport experience under peak conditions.

Container Types Handled

Bayport handles the full range of containerized cargo:

• Standard dry containers in 20 foot, 40 foot, and 40 foot high cube.
• Refrigerated containers (reefers) for temperature controlled cargo, with separate reefer cutoffs set by the carrier.
• Hazardous cargo under the documentation process Port Houston runs with the steamship lines. Hazmat containers move under separate cutoff and approval procedures.
• Out of gauge (OOG) and flat rack cargo for oversized industrial and energy sector equipment. Advance notice, specialized handling, and additional charges apply.
• Empty containers for return, repositioning, and pool operations, subject to the daily empty acceptance list.

For hazmat, OOG, and reefer bookings, notify the carrier and terminal early. These container types have tighter cutoff behavior than standard dry cargo.

Fees and Terminal Handling Charges

Terminal charges at Bayport are set by Port Houston Tariff No. 15, which covers Bayport Container Terminal, and by each ocean carrier's terminal handling pass through. For current rates, consult the Port Houston tariffs page or its Price Estimate Tool; forwarders should pull the exact rates at quote time. Treat the categories below as the line items to model on every quote.

• Terminal handling charge (THC): The lift and yard handling fee, applied per container at load and discharge. Passed through by the ocean carrier on the ocean freight invoice.
• Free time and demurrage: Import containers have a free time window after discharge; beyond it, demurrage accrues on a daily per container basis. Check the tariff and the carrier's terms for the current window and rates.
• Per diem (chassis and container): Charged by the ocean carrier once the container leaves the terminal, until the empty is returned. Chassis per diem is separate and charged by the chassis provider.
• Customs exam charges: Port Houston accepts payment for terminal services by check or through a payment guarantee in Lynx, which requires a Port Houston credit account.
• Reefer and hazmat charges: Reefer power in the yard and hazardous cargo can carry additional charges; check the tariff for the current rates.

Read the underlying mechanics in Demurrage: What It Means and How Charges Work in Shipping so the free time clock and the fee category names carry the same meaning across every Bayport quote your team issues.

How to Track a Bayport Container

Container status at Bayport is available through three overlapping systems. Forwarders that consolidate the three views into one platform stop chasing status and start acting on it.

Bayport Vessel Schedule

Vessel schedules at Bayport are published in three places, and each source updates on a different latency.

• Port Houston schedules and arrivals: The Port Houston container terminal schedules page links a Bayport Vessel Schedule, a Vessel Arrivals and Departures report, and a Vessel Services Description. The schedule lists each vessel with quay, service, line, ETA and ATA, start and end of work, and the Begin Receive and End Receive window for exports. This is the terminal side view of when the vessel will actually be worked.
• Ocean carrier schedules: Each carrier publishes its own service string schedule with ETA and ETD windows. Carrier schedules reflect service commitments; the Port Houston schedule reflects the berth plan. When they diverge, the terminal side view is closer to what will happen on the day of arrival.
• Third party AIS trackers: AIS aggregators show the vessel's current position and speed toward Bayport. Useful for confirming a vessel is on approach, less useful for confirming a berth window.

Container Availability and Status Codes

A container availability lookup at Bayport returns the current terminal side status for the box, which is a different question from vessel arrival. The core statuses forwarders act on are:

• Discharged: The container has been unloaded from the vessel and is in the terminal yard, but not yet released.
• Available for pickup: Freight, customs, and terminal holds are clear and the container can be dispatched under an Express Pass appointment.
• Hold (customs, freight, exam): A CBP hold, a carrier freight hold for unpaid charges, or an exam hold is preventing release. Each hold type has a different resolution path and a different responsible party.
• Last Free Day: The date on which free time expires and demurrage begins to accrue. This is the operational deadline forwarders monitor most closely on any Bayport container that has already been discharged.

Lynx can send a notification when a container becomes available. Forwarders should still pull availability daily on every discharged Bayport container from discharge through pickup, so a new hold does not become a Last Free Day surprise.

Tracking Portal Login and Access

Lynx is an account based portal. Registration covers Barbours Cut, Bayport or both terminals, and offers several access types: query access, trucking company, shipping line, guarantee payments and terminal employee. Approved roles can also manage container holds and updates. Port Houston announced a new customer service portal for August 2026 and invites users to sign up for terminal updates and training on the Lynx portal page.

• MCA mobile site: At mca.porthouston.com, users pick Bayport or Barbours Cut and see terminal announcements, container availability, booking inquiry, the vessel schedule with cutoff dates, and gate inquiry.
• Ocean carrier portals: Each carrier requires its own login for shipment level views, document release, and hold resolution.
• Forwarder platform: When Bayport is one of many terminals on the lane sheet, the practical answer is a single sign in to the forwarder platform that federates the terminal, carrier, and vessel data. That way the ops team signs in once and sees every container.

Bayport vs Barbours Cut: What Is the Difference?

Both terminals are operated by Port Houston, and forwarders new to the Gulf lane sometimes conflate them. Bayport is the newer container facility, opened in 2007. Barbours Cut opened in 1977 at Morgan's Point and still handles substantial container volume. The practical differences below matter when a carrier reassigns a service between the two facilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Bayport Container Terminal located?

Bayport Container Terminal is located at 12621 Port Road, Pasadena, TX 77586, in the Pasadena Industrial Complex on the Bayport Ship Channel off Galveston Bay. It is operated by Port Houston (main line: 713-670-2400). Source: Port Houston Gate Information page at https://porthouston.com/toolbox/container-terminals/gate-information/.

What is the FIRMS code for Bayport Container Terminal?

The FIRMS code for Bayport Container Terminal is V136. Forwarders filing entries and in bond moves for Bayport containers use V136 to identify the facility where the goods are located, and carrier arrival notices for Bayport commonly show the same code.

What are Bayport's gate hours?

Bayport gate hours are Monday to Friday 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with the ingate closing at 6:00 PM. The terminal is closed on Saturday and Sunday unless Port Houston approves an Extended Gate Request. Every truck also needs an Express Pass, the mandatory appointment that trucking companies create in the Lynx portal before arrival.

What is the vessel cutoff at Bayport Container Terminal?

Cutoff windows at Bayport are set by the ocean carrier and service string. The Port Houston Bayport vessel schedule shows the Begin Receive and End Receive date and time for each vessel, and the End Receive time is the last moment the terminal accepts an export for that sailing. Every booking confirmation posts the service specific cutoff.

Which ocean carriers call Bayport Container Terminal?

The Port Houston Bayport vessel schedule for 13 October 2026 lists vessels from MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, ONE, Hapag-Lloyd, Evergreen, OOCL and ZIM. Maersk's Gulf Ocean Express (GOEX, service code U7I) moved from Barbours Cut to Bayport on 13 May 2025. Alliance realignment continues to shift specific service strings, so confirm the vessel and rotation on every booking.

Does Bayport have on dock rail service?

Port Houston's Bayport page does not describe on dock rail service. Port Houston's published rail ramp is the near dock ramp at Barbours Cut, with 42.1 acres and four working tracks. Confirm the rail option for a Bayport container with the ocean carrier or the railroad before routing cargo inland.

How do I check container availability at Bayport?

Bayport container availability is queried in Port Houston's Lynx portal or on the MCA mobile site at mca.porthouston.com by selecting Bayport and entering the container number. Availability is a terminal side status distinct from vessel ETA, and forwarders should pull it daily on any discharged Bayport container until the container is picked up.

Where can I find the Bayport vessel schedule?

The Bayport vessel schedule is on the Port Houston container terminal Schedules and Arrivals page, which links the Bayport Vessel Schedule, the Vessel Arrivals and Departures report, and the Vessel Services Description. Lynx and the MCA mobile site also show the vessel schedule with cutoff dates.

Do I need a login to track a Bayport container?

Yes for Lynx, which is an account based portal with access types for query users, trucking companies, shipping lines and payment guarantors. The MCA mobile site offers container availability, booking inquiry and vessel schedule lookups, and ocean carrier accounts are required for release, documentation, and hold resolution actions.

What is the difference between Bayport and Barbours Cut?

Both terminals are operated by Port Houston. Bayport is the newer container facility (opened 2007, five berths, 314 acres of container yard, FIRMS V136) at 12621 Port Road, Pasadena. Barbours Cut (opened 1977, six berths, 300 acres of container yard, FIRMS S787) is the older terminal at 1515 E. Barbours Cut Boulevard, La Porte, and has Port Houston's near dock rail ramp. Both share the same gate hours, Lynx portal and Express Pass rules.

Keep Reading

• Terminal Handling Charges (THC) Explained 2026: What Forwarders and Shippers Should Know
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