Los Angeles and Long Beach See Record Container Backlog Awaiting Rail

A growing backlog in the rail movement of containers from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to the eastern United States is causing concern among retailers, amid the risk that merchandise intended for the year-end season will not arrive on time. According to the ports themselves, the problem stems from four months of record or near-record cargo volumes and the inability of Class I railroads to reposition enough equipment in Southern California.

As of October 26, around 35,700 import containers were awaiting rail at terminals in the port complex, of which 10,562 had been on-site for at least nine days. The situation was more critical in Los Angeles, where 8,133 of the 19,626 containers awaiting rail exceeded those nine days (41.4%), compared with 2,429 of the 16,062 in Long Beach (15.1%). The average dwell time for rail-bound containers across the complex rose to 7.19 days in September from 6.75 in August, while dwell time for truck-bound containers increased from 2.95 to 3.18 days, according to data from the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association.

Both ports handled record monthly volumes in September. Los Angeles moved 1,042,652 TEUs, the busiest month in its 118-year history and more than 20,000 units above the previous record set in July 2025, with laden imports up 19% year-over-year and empty containers at their highest level on record. Long Beach processed 997,177 TEUs, surpassing the previous record of 987,191 TEUs set in October 2024, with imports growing 31.3% year-over-year; in the first nine months of 2026 that port accumulated close to 8.1 million TEUs, more than 3% above the same period the previous year.

Among the causes cited by freight broker C.H. Robinson is a shortage of intermodal railcars in Southern California, which limits equipment availability and complicates the repositioning of empty containers, while truck-bound container movement remains relatively normal. Adding to this are Caltrans preparatory works ahead of the planned 16-month closure, starting November 7, of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, which carries an average of 53,000 vehicles daily. Market participants consulted by ICIS indicated they are adding between two and four additional days to already extended delivery times.

The situation is further aggravated by the risk of a labor dispute: about 250 port watchmen from ILWU Local 26 voted to authorize a strike that could begin Sunday, November 1, affecting eight terminals in the complex, which according to the Pacific Maritime Association account for about 85% of Long Beach's cargo and 33% of Los Angeles's. Despite the buildup of containers on land, there was no comparable increase in vessels at anchor: during the week of October 26, only one ship was waiting to berth, according to data from the Maritime Administration and the Marine Exchange. Long Beach, for its part, announced extended gate hours during nights and Saturdays for six weeks, with the exception of Thanksgiving week.