Harbor Trucking: PierPass fee hikes drive away business

The traffic mitigation fee (TMF) at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, will increase by 4.2% on Aug. 1.

The adjustment matches the combined 4.2% increase in longshore wage and assessment rates that take effect in early July, according to the West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA), which announced the increase Tuesday.

Beginning Aug. 1, the TMF will be $33.47 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) and $66.94 for all other sizes of container. 

The WCMTOA said the TMF helps offset the cost of operating extended gate hours. Labor costs are the largest single cost component of longer gate hours, it said.