PierPASS, the non-profit organization created by Los Angeles and Long Beach marine terminal operators, is getting ready to launch its OffPeak initiative on July 23.

According to PierPASS, the objective of the OffPeak program is to provide an incentive for cargo owners to move marine containers from terminals at night and on weekends, in order to reduce truck traffic and pollution during peak daytime traffic hours and to alleviate port congestion. Approximately 40 percent of containerized goods imported into the U.S. move through the
seaports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

OffPeak will be rolled out for night and weekend gates at the two ports beginning this Saturday at 8:00am, according to PierPASS. Importers and exporters who move containers through the ports during peak daytime hours will pay a $40-per-TEU fee from the start of the program. Cargo owners who arrange to truck their containers to and from the ports between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m. Monday through Thursday, or 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, will be exempt from the fee, which is being initiated reportedly to compensate terminal operators for additional costs of keeping truck gates open longer.

BDP has been monitoring the impending launch of PierPASS and the OffPeak program. As OffPeak goes live, BDP will be ready with a comprehensive service to manage it and mitigate its potential impact. Customers, whose supply chain moves through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, will be able to rely on BDP to maintain the uninterrupted flow of their cargo.

We will study Pier Pass OffPeak from the get go – its practices, potential fallout, and opportunities – with an eye to keep things simple for all parties. Early on, we will be looking for process improvements and logistics options that go beyond administration, to leverage advantage from the program as well.

Detailed information on PierPASS and the OffPeak program is available at www.pierpass.org. Or, e-mail,cargoflo@bdpnet.com. We welcome your questions.