The Los Angeles/Inland Empire market is built around the largest port complex in North America. For any brand importing from Asia, this is usually the first market evaluated, and the surrounding warehouse inventory reflects it — one of the deepest concentrations of Class A distribution space anywhere in the country.
Port & Rail Access
The Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach together handle roughly 40% of all containerized imports entering the United States. Both BNSF and Union Pacific operate major intermodal rail yards serving the ports, moving containers directly inland without a separate drayage-heavy transfer for rail-bound freight.
Highway Access
The Inland Empire (Ontario, San Bernardino, Riverside) has become the preferred warehouse location for brands wanting port proximity without downtown LA real estate costs, with direct access to I-10, I-15 and I-215 for onward distribution nationwide.
Why Brands Choose LA/Inland Empire for 3PL & Warehouse Selection
If your supply chain starts with an ocean container from Asia, this market minimizes the drayage and transit time between port and warehouse door better than any inland alternative — the tradeoff is real estate and labor costs that run higher than most of the rest of the country, which is exactly the kind of calculation an in-house vs. 3PL and network design analysis should weigh explicitly.