Customs Hold Container Drayage at the Port of Long Beach
CBP holds, FDA holds, exam referrals. We monitor your container's status, coordinate the exam, and pull the box the moment it's released — before demurrage eats your margin.
When CBP puts a hold on it, every hour costs you.
A CBP exam hold is a waiting game — but not one you should be playing alone. Demurrage at POLB starts accruing after your last free day, CES facilities have their own cutoffs, and by the time Customs releases the container, the terminal might be closed. One missed appointment and you're paying another day.
Precision monitors your container's status on AMS, communicates with CES (like Pacific CES or Vanguard), and has a driver staged to pull the box the moment it's released. We don't let your container sit overnight accruing charges when we could have had it off the pier by 4 PM.
Whether it's a CBP exam, FDA hold, USDA hold, or in-bond transfer — one call to dispatch and we quarterback the release.
Every type of hold, every CES facility.
CBP Exam Holds
MET, VACIS, and intensive exams. We coordinate with CES, monitor release, and pull same-day when possible.
FDA / USDA Holds
Prior notice holds, FDA detention, and USDA agricultural holds — we stage, deliver, re-deliver as needed.
CES Facility Transfers
Container moves to Pacific CES, Vanguard, or other approved CES locations on request.
Real-Time Status Monitoring
Dispatch tracks your container's CBP status continuously, not just when you call.
Staged Driver Ready
Driver pre-assigned so the moment CBP releases, we're at the gate pulling — not scheduling.
Direct Dispatch Line
No ticket queue. Call dispatch, get a real person who knows your container.
From hold to release — how we keep it moving.
You tell us you're on hold
Email dispatch the container #, type of hold (CBP / FDA / USDA), and any CES assignment. We take it from there.
We monitor + coordinate CES
Dispatch tracks the hold status, books the CES appointment if needed, and pre-assigns the driver so we're ready the moment it's released.
Pulled and delivered same day when possible
The minute CBP clears the container, we're in line. Most released-before-noon containers are delivered same day.
Why freight forwarders route holds to us.
We watch the status 24/5
Dispatch checks AMS and CES portals throughout the day. You don't have to call us for updates — we're already on it.
Relationships at every CES
35 years means we know the CES operators by name. Appointments book faster, problems resolve faster.
No demurrage roulette
Our goal is simple: get your box off the pier the day it's released. Every hour matters, and we know it.
CBP releases we handled this month.
Related Long Beach services.
Common questions.
A customs hold means U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has flagged your container for further review or examination before it can be released for pickup. The hold prevents the terminal from releasing the container to any drayage carrier until CBP clears it. Hold types range from non-intrusive scans (VACIS) to full physical examinations at a Centralized Examination Terminal (CET). During the hold period, demurrage charges typically continue to accrue, which is why engaging a drayage carrier early — before the release — is critical for minimizing costs.
A VACIS exam is a non-intrusive scan — the container is x-rayed or gamma-ray scanned without being opened. It is typically completed in one to three days and the container remains at the marine terminal. A CET exam requires the container to be physically moved to an off-terminal Centralized Examination Terminal, where it is opened, unloaded, inspected by CBP, and repacked. CET exams take longer — often three to seven days or more — and require an additional drayage move from the terminal to the CET facility. Precision handles both scenarios, including the terminal-to-CET dray leg for CET exams.
In most cases, yes. Demurrage is charged by the steamship line or terminal operator for each day the container remains beyond its allotted free time, regardless of whether the delay is caused by a CBP hold. Some steamship lines offer limited demurrage relief for containers under government examination, but this varies by carrier and is not guaranteed. Your customs broker can advise on whether your steamship line offers any hold-related demurrage waivers. What Precision controls is the speed of pickup once the hold is released — we monitor your container’s status and dispatch immediately when the release posts.
It depends on the hold type. VACIS (non-intrusive scan) holds are typically resolved in one to three days. CET exams take three to seven days on average, though intensive exams that require laboratory analysis can take ten days or longer. General CBP holds — where the container is flagged but no specific exam is assigned — can resolve in one to five days or escalate to an exam. These timelines are controlled by CBP, not the carrier. Precision’s role is to be ready to move the container the moment the hold clears, so no additional time is lost on the drayage side.
CET exam costs — including container unloading, physical inspection handling, storage at the CET facility, and repacking — are charged by the CET operator to the shipper or their customs broker. These charges are separate from Precision’s drayage fees. Precision handles the transportation: moving the container from the marine terminal to the CET facility and from the CET facility to your final destination after release. The exam-related costs and the drayage costs are two different line items on your total landed cost.
In most cases, yes. Precision is headquartered in La Mirada, approximately 20 minutes from the Port of Long Beach and the CET facilities in the Long Beach/Carson area. We own our trucks and employ our drivers, so we do not need to source capacity from a load board after the release posts. If we are monitoring your container and the release drops during operating hours, we can typically dispatch for same-day pickup — either from the marine terminal (for VACIS releases) or from the CET facility (for exam releases). For time-critical situations, see our same-day drayage page.
Have the following ready when you contact Precision: container number, bill of lading number, the hold type if known (VACIS, CET, tailgate, intensive, or general hold), the terminal where the container is located, your customs broker’s contact information, the delivery destination address, container size, and your last free day. If you do not yet know the hold type, contact us anyway — we will track the container and identify the hold status. The sooner you engage a carrier, the better positioned we are to execute the pickup immediately upon release.
Container on CBP hold at Long Beach?
Send us the container and hold type — we'll monitor, coordinate, and pull the moment Customs releases. No demurrage surprises.