It was a busy summer on the West Coast. The Port of Los Angeles just finished the busiest three-month stretch in its history, and right next door, the Port of Long Beach had its best August ever.
According to gCaptain, the Port of Los Angeles handled more than 2.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) across June, July, and August 2026. August alone brought in 955,907 TEUs.
Los Angeles keeps the momentum going
August volume at the Port of Los Angeles was about the same as last year, but it came in 6% above the port’s five-year average for the month. That is a strong result, especially after a June that topped 1 million TEUs.
Through the first eight months of 2026, the port has handled just over 7 million TEUs. That is 1.5% more than the same period last year and 5% above its five-year pace.
Port Executive Director Gene Seroka also said September was shaping up to be another strong month, a good sign heading into the end of the year.
Long Beach posts its best August on record
The Port of Long Beach had a strong month of its own. It moved 919,992 TEUs in August, up 2% from August 2025. That made it the port’s busiest August ever and the fifth-strongest month in its 115-year history.
Imports rose 3.6% to 456,100 TEUs, and exports grew 4% to 99,754 TEUs. Through the first eight months of the year, Long Beach has moved 6,678,078 TEUs, up 1.3% compared to last year.
Together, the two San Pedro Bay ports handled nearly 1.88 million TEUs in August.
What this means for trucking
When ports are this busy, trucks are busy too. A big share of the containers coming through Los Angeles and Long Beach leave the port by truck, whether it’s a short drayage move to a nearby warehouse or a longer haul to distribution centers inland.
Strong import numbers in late summer usually mean retailers are stocking up early for the holiday season. That freight has to keep moving after it leaves the docks, which keeps demand steady for carriers serving Southern California and the major lanes heading east.
For shippers, this is a good time to plan ahead and lock in capacity before the holiday rush picks up. For carriers, it points to steady work through the fall.
At CW Carriers, we pay close attention to port activity because it gives us an early look at where freight is heading next. A record summer on the West Coast is a good sign that goods are moving and demand is holding strong.
