Friction board
The import-friction board
A rules-based, descriptive read of where each major port complex is flowing or backing up
Data through Jul 7, 2026 · page updated Jul 10, 2026
Cite
- Ships awaiting berth
As of the latest readings, LA/Long Beach reads flowing, NY/NJ reads flowing. The friction read is a fixed, rules-based label built from where each complex's ship queue, truck planning-time index and loaded-import TEU sit versus their trailing-12-month normal. It is descriptive, never a forecast.
| Complex | Friction read | Ships awaiting berth | Truck PTI | Loaded imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA/Long Beach | Flowing | 2 ships (near normal) | 4.07 (near normal) | 868,221 TEU (near normal) |
| NY/NJ | Flowing | n/a | 3.82 (near normal) | 340,365 TEU (near normal) |
About The import-friction board
This board gives each major port complex one plain label, flowing, some pressure, or congested, built by a fixed rule. For each complex we take up to three components, the ship queue where one is published, the truck planning-time index, and loaded-import TEU, and compare each to its own trailing-12-month median. A component more than 15 percent above its normal is elevated. Zero elevated components reads flowing, one reads some pressure, two or more reads congested. The full rule is on the methodology page. It describes the current numbers; it does not predict the next move.
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The import-friction read per complex, the ship queue, the truck index, and the monthly TEU volumes behind them. One email a week, built from public BTS data. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.