Key numbers
US port congestion & dwell time (September 2026)
The headline numbers, each written as one sentence you can quote, with the date its data runs through and a citation. Free to republish with attribution — see the methodology. The charts behind these numbers are one click away.
LA/Long Beach import-friction read #
The import-friction read at LA/Long Beach is Flowing, a rules-based summary of its ship queue, truck planning-time index and loaded-import TEU versus their trailing-12-month normal (The Dwell).
About this data: The Dwell import-friction read, a composite of BTS supply-chain indicators · Import-friction read and the live metrics behind it · LA/Long Beach · through Aug 25, 2026
NY/NJ import-friction read #
The import-friction read at NY/NJ is Flowing, a rules-based summary of its ship queue, truck planning-time index and loaded-import TEU versus their trailing-12-month normal (The Dwell).
About this data: The Dwell import-friction read, a composite of BTS supply-chain indicators · Import-friction read and the live metrics behind it · NY/NJ · through Jun 1, 2026
Savannah import-friction read #
The import-friction read at Savannah is Some pressure, a rules-based summary of its ship queue, truck planning-time index and loaded-import TEU versus their trailing-12-month normal (The Dwell).
About this data: The Dwell import-friction read, a composite of BTS supply-chain indicators · Import-friction read and the live metrics behind it · Savannah · through Aug 25, 2026
LA/Long Beach ships awaiting berth #
0 ships were awaiting berth at LA/Long Beach, the live weekly queue from MARAD and the Marine Exchange. This is a ship queue, not a dwell time.
About this data: MARAD and the Marine Exchange, via BTS Supply Chain and Freight Indicators · Container ships awaiting berth · Queue count, not a dwell time · LA/Long Beach · through week of Aug 24, 2026
LA/Long Beach truck planning-time index #
The truck planning-time index around LA/Long Beach is 2.19, the FHWA drayage-window congestion signal (a value of 1.0 is free-flow).
About this data: FHWA National Performance Management Research Data Set, via BTS · Truck planning-time index · Road congestion proxy, not terminal turn time · LA/Long Beach · through Jul 2026
NY/NJ truck planning-time index #
The truck planning-time index around NY/NJ is 2.37, the FHWA drayage-window congestion signal (a value of 1.0 is free-flow).
About this data: FHWA National Performance Management Research Data Set, via BTS · Truck planning-time index · Road congestion proxy, not terminal turn time · NY/NJ · through Jun 2026
Los Angeles loaded imports #
Los Angeles loaded imports were 530,558 TEU in the latest month published, the import-demand read (the port authority's number, re-published by BTS).
About this data: Port authority monthly container statistics, republished by BTS · Monthly loaded imports, loaded exports and empties · Los Angeles · through Jun 2026
Long Beach loaded imports #
Long Beach loaded imports were 387,025 TEU in the latest month published, the import-demand read (the port authority's number, re-published by BTS).
About this data: Port authority monthly container statistics, republished by BTS · Monthly loaded imports, loaded exports and empties · Long Beach · through Jun 2026
NY/NJ loaded imports #
NY/NJ loaded imports were 388,842 TEU in the latest month published, the import-demand read (the port authority's number, re-published by BTS).
About this data: Port authority monthly container statistics, republished by BTS · Monthly loaded imports, loaded exports and empties · New York/New Jersey · through Jun 2026
US vessel dwell at berth (archived) #
The US average container vessel dwell at berth, the AIS-derived ship metric BTS reported through mid-2023, last read 27 hrs. It is not box dwell and not the ship queue.
About this data: BTS Monthly Average Container Vessel Dwell Times, top 25 US ports · National average time a container ship sits at berth · Ship at berth, AIS-derived, not box or terminal dwell · National, top 25 US ports · through Jun 2023
Rail terminal dwell #
Rail terminal dwell across the Class I railroads averaged 21.4 hours as of August 15, 2026, the average time a railcar resides at an intermodal terminal (STB EP724, a railcar clock, not container dwell).
Busiest US container port (loaded imports) #
Los Angeles is the busiest tracked US container port by loaded imports, 2,675,892 TEU over the first 6 months of 2026. Across all 9 tracked ports, loaded imports are 12,072,600 TEU year to date, up 1.5% versus the same months of 2025. This ranks import DEMAND (loaded inbound boxes); it is not a congestion reading. Loaded imports rank import demand, not congestion (monthly TEU from the port authorities, via BTS).
About this data: Port authority monthly container statistics, republished by BTS · Loaded-import TEU by port, ranked; year-to-date and latest month · Import-demand ranking, not a congestion reading · The tracked US container ports · through Jun 2026
Ports tracked #
The Dwell tracks the ship queue, the truck planning-time index and monthly TEU across 9 US container ports from the public BTS record, updated as of September 1, 2026.