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Intermodal services from the NWSA are limited primarily to Chicago and the Midwest, Jacob said.

“ LA-LB isn’ t just attempting to claw back market share from the East and Gulf coast ports,” he said.“ They’ re at the same time consolidating volumes from across the entire West Coast.”

To stem its loss of cargo and return to growth, Jacob believes the NWSA must double down on its investments in intermodal infrastructure and focus on promoting more efficient, lower-cost IPI service.

For its part, the NWSA said it is taking PMSA’ s admonition to invest in infrastructure and intermodal efficiency seriously.

“ The market share trends PMSA has documented are real, and we are investing accordingly— in terminal infrastructure, increased intermodal efficiency and aggressive efforts to attract and retain services,” the NWSA said in a statement to the Journal of Commerce.“ We are not complacent about our long-term competitive position and instead are doubling down on our best-in-class service and port investment.”

email: bill. mongelluzzo @ spglobal. com

NY-NJ updating port tariff to combat rising backlog of empty boxes

By Michael Angell

Motor carriers have reported wait times of up to five hours to return empty containers to NY-NJ( pictured). Orbon Alija / Getty Images

The Port of New York and New Jersey is expanding the fee it charges ocean carriers for long-dwelling empty containers to include off-dock depots outside of the port, a move that comes as port truckers face increasingly long and frequent delays when returning empties.

But trucking interests question whether the now threeyear-old fee will ever effectively address the port’ s bouts of empties congestion, which impacts shippers downstream through delayed container returns and detention costs.

In an April 1 email, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey( PANYNJ) notified ocean carriers and other stakeholders of the revised marine tariff that went into effect May 1. One of biggest changes is in the“ container imbalance fee,” which the port first instituted in 2023 to incentivize ocean carriers to remove the pandemic-era backlog of empty containers at New York-New Jersey.

“ Desperate truckers often line up several hours before the depot opens, contributing to the backups.”

Along with new language that says ocean carriers must“ proactively and regularly manage” their empty container inventories, the revised tariff also references empties lingering at“ nearby depots” along with marine terminals on PANYNJ property.

PANYNJ said the container imbalance fee always considered empty containers at off-port depots, even if not stated in the original tariff. Port Director Bethann Rooney said in a statement the revision reinforces the imbalance fee program, which also has a new formula for calculating the excess empties that face the $ 100-per-container fee.“ The container imbalance fee is a key tool, helping reduce congestion caused by excess empty containers,” she said.“ This... update strengthens the programs with clearer terms and greater accountability, ensuring our port remains one of the most reliable and fluid gateways in the country.”

Trucks turned away

The trouble for truckers, though, is reliability and fluidity just outside of the port.

APM Terminals contracted with one off-dock facility, Port Newark Depot( PND), in February 2025 to handle the empties from Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd as they started services under the Gemini Cooperation alliance.

APM said in a statement the off-dock empty yard“ helps preserve on-terminal space for full cargo moves and reduces gate congestion... while giving truckers the flexibility to pick up empties for export and return them off-terminal when appointments are constrained.”

However, PND also faces bouts of congestion and delays that have been frustrating truckers.

30 Journal of Commerce | June 1, 2026 www. joc. com