The objective of new queuing process for container vessels for ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland is to reduce the number of vessels at anchor/loitering area, allowing vessels to slow steam and optimize voyage transit time.
The new transparent process will increase safety and improve air quality. Container vessels will be assigned a place in the queue based on a calculated time of arrival (CTA), determined when they depart from last port of call (LPOC) before Los Angeles, Long Beach or Oakland.
Based on the aforementioned process, vessels can slow steam and spread out across the Pacific rather than crowd into the congested waters off Los Angeles and Long Beach while they await a berth. More specific, the following goals will be achieved:
-No ships loitering anywhere within the SAQA (Safety and Air Quality Area) of the Ports of LA/LB/OAK
-Anchorage utilization down to 40-60% capacity inside and outside the breakwater (25-35 vessels) for all types of ships in LA/LB
–No Container ships at anchor within LA/LB port complex for more than 1-3 days
Container vessels should remain outside the Safety and Air Quality Area (SAQA) until 72 hours prior to reasonable expectation of berthing time. Ship Operators are encouraged to go through the FAQ document prepared by the Marine Exchange of California. The new queuing information and related exemptions will be available on the websites of PacMMS.
The Safety and Air Quality Area is defined as the area shoreward of the lines between the following coordinates: 
- 30-20N 117-00W
- 32-00N 118-00W
- 32-00N 122-20W
- 35-45N 124-50W
- 35-45N 122-35W
- 37-00N 123-30W
- 40-18N 125-30W
- 42-00N 125-20W
Source: http://www.pacmms.org
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