Approximately one-third of all containerized imports each month arrive at the San Pedro Bay Port Complex, which includes the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. This complex is the 10th busiest port in the world and a significant economic driver for the local, regional, and national economy, affecting truckload and intermodal freight destined for the East Coast and Midwest.
In terms of truckload volume, Los Angeles ranks among the Top five freight markets, substantially influencing national freight market spot rates. By the end of 2025, Los Angeles imports are projected to be around 24% higher than the previous year, which will directly impact outbound truckload volumes, which are expected to increase by 31% compared to 2023. Furthermore, truckload capacity has tightened, leading to spot rates that are 13% higher year-over-year, averaging $2.32 per mile for outbound loads.
After a surge in imports during the pandemic and a cooling period last year, the Los Angeles freight market has rebounded much faster than most other markets. This recovery can be attributed to a higher volume of imports last year, as businesses sought to avoid disruptions caused by the International Longshoremen Association (ILA) labor actions on the East and Gulf Coasts. The recent threat of higher tariffs on Chinese imports with the change in administration also contributed to this recovery.
Following the record-high port congestion in January 2022, when 109 vessels anchored off Los Angeles waiting to unload, there have been minimal disruptions, even with the surge in imports at the end of 2024. Technology has significantly enhanced the port’s efficiency and growth, particularly through The Marine Exchange, which manages shipping traffic and pilots within the port complex.
Initially, The Marine Exchange operated in a much different manner. Since 1923, it has adapted to changes in the maritime industry, transitioning from using chalkboards, 3″x5″ cards, telescopes, runners, scouts, and megaphones to radios, radars, and computers. In earlier days, runners would literally run from the port up to the headland to spot incoming vessels and report back to base operations at the port. Today, it functions more like an air traffic control center for massive cargo ships worldwide.
Due to increased ship traffic, the Marine Exchange established the Vessel Traffic Advisory Service (VTAS) in 1981, a forerunner to the contemporary Vessel Traffic Service (VTS). The VTAS was a voluntary and informal system for monitoring vessel movements throughout the Los Angeles/Long Beach harbor, significantly enhancing navigation and safety amidst the large number of vessels utilizing this program.
In 2004, the Automatic Identification System (AIS) was implemented, adding a crucial safety enhancement. AIS is a vessel- and shore-based transponder system initially designed to help ocean-going vessels avoid collisions. A vessel equipped with AIS automatically transmits and receives essential static and dynamic data such as vessel name, call sign, position, course, and speed via two VHF-FM frequencies.
This system allows shipboard and shore-based users to access real-time information about surrounding vessels. The VTS LA/LB operates a network of land-based AIS receivers from Port San Luis in the north to San Diego in the south, enabling the monitoring and tracking of vessels along that coastline and up to 100 miles out to sea.
This capability provides detailed displays of vessels as they navigate the confined spaces of harbors. AIS allows VTS LA/LB to identify and track AIS-equipped vessels in all weather conditions, day and night, much further away than radar alone can.
About The Marine Exchange
The Marine Exchange of Southern California is a non-profit organization dedicated to the efficient flow of maritime commerce throughout the region for over a hundred years. Records of ship arrivals and departures date back to 1923, a continuous record only interrupted by World War II. Since then, the Marine Exchange has evolved into the Maritime Information Center for the Los Angeles–Long Beach Port Complex.
The Marine Exchange operates a continuous 24-hour service. It uses a state-of-the-art, comprehensive computerized database system to provide vital statistics and information on ships calling at the four major ports in Southern California: Port Hueneme, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and San Diego, as well as the marine oil terminal at El Segundo.
