PierPass Traffic Mitigation Fee increasing August 1

The cost of picking up containers during the day will rise in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, according to the West Coast Marine Terminal Operator Agreement.    Terminal Operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will increase the PierPass Traffic Mitigation Fee by 4 percent, effective August 1.
   The West Coast Marine Terminal Operator Agreement (WCMTOA) said the fee increase to $69.17 per TEU from $66.50 per TEU will sustain continued operation of PierPass OffPeak gates amid labor cost increases resulting from the contract recently agreed to by the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
   WCMTOA periodically adjusts the TMF based on changes in maritime labor costs. The TMF was last adjusted in August 2013.
   The Traffic Mitigation Fee helps pay for the night and Saturday marine terminal shifts created by the PierPass OffPeak program to relieve daytime congestion in and around the ports. It also provides a financial incentive to move cargo during less-congested times. The TMF is charged for non-exempt containers moving during peak hours (Monday through Friday, 3 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
   The fee does not apply to empty containers and chassis, transhipment cargo, cargo entering or leaving terminals during off-peak hours, and import or export cargo that transits the Alameda Corridor in a container by rail and is subject to a fee imposed by the Alameda Corridor Authority.