Monthly loaded import container volumes (TEUs) for the five largest US container gateways. Loaded imports flow directly into drayage and intermodal trucking demand within 2–6 weeks of vessel discharge, which makes these readings a leading indicator for spot-rate and contract-bid activity.
Total loaded imports
1557.0k
▲ 44.5k TEU MoM
Sum across 5 ports, 2026-04
Source: Port authorities (combined)
YoY change
-0.9%
vs. same month last year
Source: TruckRadar composite
| Port | This month (k TEU) | Prior month | MoM change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 412.9 | 398.6 | +14.3 | Official → |
| Long Beach | 396.4 | 382.1 | +14.3 | Official → |
| New York / New Jersey | 366.7 | 359.2 | +7.5 | Official → |
| Savannah | 232.1 | 226.8 | +5.3 |
US loaded import container volumes are one of the earliest demand signals available to trucking fleets and dealers. Each loaded import container becomes a drayage move off the terminal within days and, if routed inland via truck or intermodal rail, becomes a long-haul load within weeks. This page tracks the five largest US gateways: Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York/New Jersey, Savannah, and Houston. Across these five ports the 2026-04 reading totals 1557.0 thousand loaded import TEUs, down 0.9% year over year. Los Angeles leads at 412.9k and Long Beach follows at 396.4k. Because these flows convert to trucking demand with a 30–60 day lag, dealers and fleet planners use port volumes to time equipment orders, driver hiring, and contract-bid posture. Readings are drawn from each port authority's official monthly statistics release.
Realized freight
Cass Freight Index →
Monthly shipments and expenditures from Cass payments data.
Supply chain sentiment
Logistics Managers' Index →
Monthly LMI diffusion of transport, inventory, and warehousing.
TEU stands for twenty-foot equivalent unit, the standard container measurement. One 20-foot container equals 1 TEU; one 40-foot container equals 2 TEUs. All figures on this page are expressed in thousands of loaded import TEUs, excluding empty containers and US-exports.
Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York/New Jersey, Savannah, and Houston together move the majority of US containerized imports. Each loaded import container becomes either a drayage move from port to warehouse or an intermodal move to inland rail ramps, meaning port TEU counts are a direct leading indicator for truckload and drayage demand.
Loaded imports typically convert to drayage moves within 5 to 15 days of vessel discharge, and long-haul capacity gets pulled from ports within 2 to 6 weeks as inland distribution runs. A sustained surge in port TEUs usually shows up in contract bid pricing and spot rates 30 to 60 days later.
Each port publishes its own monthly statistics release. LA and Long Beach typically report during the second week of the following month. NY/NJ, Savannah, and Houston generally release later in the month. TruckRadar.AI refreshes the data table within a week of the latest participating port.
Empty containers and US-exports don't produce new inland trucking demand the way loaded imports do, and their reporting conventions vary across ports. Focusing on loaded imports gives a cleaner, comparable signal for fleets and dealers tracking intermodal and drayage demand.
Outside of these five, the Northwest Seaport Alliance (Seattle/Tacoma), Port of Oakland, Port of Virginia, Port of Charleston, and the Ports of Miami and Jacksonville are the next-tier US container gateways. TruckRadar.AI may expand this page to include them in future editorial cycles.
| Houston | 148.9 | 145.8 | +3.1 | Official → |