Terminal appointments
Container terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach use appointment systems for pickups and returns. Appointments are released by each terminal and can be limited during busy periods. We book appointments as soon as a container is available, but we can’t guarantee a specific appointment time. That’s why the last free day and a prepull matter.
Terminals also publish gate hours, and many charge cargo fees such as the PierPass Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) for certain moves. These are terminal charges, not trucking charges, and are typically paid through the terminal’s own systems.
Empty returns
After an import is unloaded, the empty container goes back where the steamship line instructs. Often that’s the original terminal, but it can be a different terminal or depot, and return appointments can be limited. A return location far from the pickup terminal can change the price, so our estimates state the return assumption.
The EIR (equipment interchange receipt)
An EIR is the terminal’s record of a container and chassis passing through the gate. It shows the container and chassis numbers, condition and the exact date and time of each gate move.
Why it matters: per diem, chassis days and storage are calculated from these actual gate times, not from the dates on a quote or a plan. That’s why a quote shows those items as estimates, and the final bill follows the EIR dates.