PortMiami handles containerized cargo through three main marine terminals — POMTOC, South Florida Container Terminal and Seaboard Marine — each serving different carrier alliances and trade lanes. As an importer you rarely choose your terminal; your ocean carrier does, and that choice then dictates your appointment system, your gate hours, your chassis options and your free time clock.
Knowing which terminal your container is landing at, before the vessel arrives, is the difference between a clean pickup and a demurrage bill.
The three container terminals
POMTOC
Port of Miami Terminal Operating Company sits on the north side of Dodge Island and handles a broad mix of Asia, Europe and Latin America services. It operates its own gate appointment system and publishes separate hours for import pickup, empty return and export receiving.
South Florida Container Terminal
SFCT serves several major alliance services and has on-dock access to the Florida East Coast rail lead, which matters if your freight is continuing north by intermodal rather than by truck.
Seaboard Marine
Seaboard is the dominant Caribbean and Central American operator at PortMiami and runs high-frequency short-sea services. Transit times are short, which compresses the window between your ISF filing and vessel arrival more than a transpacific move would.
Access infrastructure that affects your drayage cost
- PortMiami Tunnel. Trucks move between the terminals and I-395 without crossing downtown surface streets, which stabilizes turn times.
- On-dock rail. The FEC connection allows containers to leave by rail without a separate drayage leg to an off-dock ramp.
- Big Ship Ready berths. Deepened channel and post-Panamax cranes mean larger vessel calls, which means larger discharge peaks and more gate congestion in the two days after a big ship works.
That last point drives real cost. A vessel discharging several thousand boxes floods the gate queue, and turn times stretch. Planning pickup around the discharge curve rather than the availability date is how experienced drayage operators control rates.
Appointments, availability and free time
Every terminal at PortMiami runs a terminal appointment system. A container is not pickable until three things are simultaneously true: customs has released it, the ocean carrier has released it (freight and any holds cleared), and the terminal shows it available with an open appointment slot.
Importers regularly lose free time because one of the three is missing while the clock runs. Free time generally begins on the last day of vessel discharge, not on the day you learn the box is available. Once it expires you are paying demurrage to the terminal — which is distinct from detention on the equipment, a distinction worth understanding before the invoices arrive.
Chassis
PortMiami operates on a pooled chassis model, and pool availability tightens exactly when volumes peak. Carriers with their own chassis fleet are insulated from that; carriers renting from the pool are not, and they pass through both the rental and the risk of a split.
LCL and less-than-container freight
If your cargo is LCL, it will not leave the terminal as your container. It moves to a container freight station for deconsolidation, and your timeline is set by the CFS schedule rather than the terminal gate. That process is covered in detail in our guide to clearing LCL through Port Miami.
A practical importer checklist
- Confirm the terminal on the arrival notice as soon as it is issued.
- File ISF on time and get entry filed before vessel arrival, not after.
- Clear the carrier freight release early — payment holds are the most common avoidable delay.
- Ask your drayage provider to book the appointment the moment availability posts.
- Track your free time expiry date explicitly, in writing, on every container.
- Plan the empty return; a missed return window creates detention on an otherwise clean move.
Go Freight runs its own tractors and chassis into all three PortMiami terminals and Port Everglades through its drayage services.
Frequently asked questions
Which terminals handle containers at PortMiami?
PortMiami has three main container terminals: POMTOC, South Florida Container Terminal and Seaboard Marine. Your ocean carrier determines which one your container lands at, and that terminal then sets your appointment system, gate hours and free time clock.
When does free time start on a PortMiami import container?
Free time generally begins on the last day of vessel discharge, not on the day the container becomes available to you. Once it expires, the terminal charges demurrage, which is separate from detention charged on the equipment.
Why can I not pick up a container that shows as discharged?
A container is only pickable when customs has released it, the ocean carrier has released it with all holds and freight charges cleared, and the terminal shows it available with an open appointment slot. A missing carrier release is the most common cause of delay.
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Go Freight is an asset-based Miami 3PL founded in 2004, running 100+ owned trucks, our own chassis pool, and a 104,000 sq ft bonded warehouse at 6901 NW 26 Ave, Miami, FL 33147. Request a rate or call (786) 445-0150.