The Port of Long Beach just had the busiest month in its 115-year history. In September 2026, the port moved 997,177 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), beating its old record of 987,191 TEUs set in October 2024.
That number is 25% higher than September 2025, according to FreightWaves. And Long Beach wasn’t alone. Its neighbor, the Port of Los Angeles, also set a new monthly record with 1,042,652 TEUs.
Imports led the way
Most of the growth came from imports. Loaded imports at Long Beach jumped 31.3% compared to last September, reaching 509,390 TEUs. Exports were up 7.8% to 91,747 TEUs, and empty containers rose 22.1% to 396,040 TEUs.
Together, the two San Pedro Bay ports moved more than 2 million TEUs in a single month, a record for both ports individually and combined.
Port leaders also pointed out that the record month was handled with no congestion at the docks, which shows how much operations have improved since the backups of a few years ago.
A strong year so far
September wasn’t a one-time spike. Through the first nine months of 2026, Long Beach has handled 7,675,255 TEUs, up 3.9% from the same period last year. August was also the port’s best August on record.
The port has a long-term goal of doubling its yearly capacity to 20 million TEUs by 2050, and months like this one show why that kind of planning matters.
What this means for trucking
Every container that comes off a ship has to go somewhere, and a large share of them leave the port on a truck. More cargo at the ports means more drayage moves, more loads heading to warehouses and distribution centers, and more freight moving inland across the country.
For shippers, strong port volume usually means it’s a good time to plan ahead. Booking capacity early and working with a reliable partner can make a big difference when freight is moving at this pace.
For carriers, busy ports can mean steady work, especially for drayage and regional operations serving Southern California.
At CW Carriers, we keep a close eye on port activity because it often shows what’s coming next for truckload freight. A record September at Long Beach is a good sign that goods are moving and demand is holding up heading into the end of the year.
