Platton is an import-focused San Francisco freight forwarder, delivering to warehouses across San Francisco, the Peninsula, Silicon Valley and the East Bay. The Bay Area's container port is the Port of Oakland, not San Francisco itself. For importers based in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, or anywhere in the Bay Area, container freight arrives via Oakland's four major terminals and clears US customs there. Platton prices ocean freight and air side by side, so you can compare cost and transit time before you book.
Platton runs these import services into the Bay Area on one platform.
San Francisco does not operate a commercial container port. Bay Area container freight moves through the Port of Oakland, across the bay in Oakland, CA. The port handles trans-Pacific traffic from Asia and ranks as the third-busiest container gateway on the West Coast after Los Angeles and Long Beach. Platton covers all four major Oakland container terminals: TraPac Oakland, Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT), Ben E. Nutter Terminal (Everport), and Matson Terminal.
Ocean transit from north Asia to Oakland runs approximately 10 to 14 days from Busan, Qingdao, and Shanghai on direct services. Oakland frequently offers faster truck gate turns than San Pedro Bay during peak season, making it a competitive routing option when LA/Long Beach dwell is elevated.
Oakland is the Bay Area's gateway for Asia-Pacific imports. Platton books Oakland-bound cargo from Ningbo, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Ho Chi Minh City and Haiphong, from Nhava Sheva, Mundra and Chennai in India, and from Thailand.
For air cargo, Bay Area importers have two options. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) handles broad trans-Pacific and transatlantic air freight volume. Oakland International Airport (OAK) serves as a secondary cargo gateway with direct access to East Bay distribution. Platton arranges air freight into both airports, with final delivery on the same platform.
Along the I-880 corridor, Platton delivers to warehouses in Oakland, San Leandro, Hayward, Union City and Fremont. Deliveries also reach the rest of the Greater Bay Area, from Milpitas and San Jose to the Peninsula, and run along I-80 and I-580 to the Central Valley. For inland destinations, Platton sends containers east by rail through BNSF's Oakland International Gateway or through Union Pacific's Oakland ramp.
Bay Area container trucking runs on Platton's US import drayage network, which averages 36 hours from gate-out to delivery. When a container is split for several stores or customers, the freight moves on by LTL shipping, and full trailer loads go by FTL trucking across California and the rest of the US. For pickup at your supplier's factory, Platton also offers door-to-door shipping into the Bay Area.
Platton books sea freight into Oakland in any volume, from LCL for a few pallets to FCL in 20-foot and 40-foot containers. Buyers consolidation brings cargo from several suppliers in the same region into one container at origin, which usually costs less than several separate LCL shipments.
Air freight from Asia and Europe reaches SFO or OAK within days. If an ocean container runs late, you can switch part of the order to air and keep your shelves stocked while the rest sails. Platton sends proactive updates on every air shipment, and a real person answers fast when plans change.
Platton warehouse services, bonded and non-bonded, store cargo that needs to wait and transload containers into domestic trailers. For online brands, e-commerce order fulfillment ships customer orders straight from the imported stock. Amazon FBA prep covers FNSKU labels, poly bagging and carton and pallet compliance, so your inventory is ready for Amazon check-in.
The Bay Area's import mix is shaped by its tech economy and its position as a trans-Pacific gateway.
Consumer electronics and tech hardware, where Silicon Valley demand drives high-frequency inbound from Asia
Apparel and fashion for Bay Area brands and regional retail distribution
Furniture and home goods for Northern California retailers and direct-to-consumer brands
E-commerce fulfillment inbound to Bay Area and Northern California distribution centers
Industrial equipment and spare parts for Northern California plants and workshops
Food and beverage products for Bay Area grocers and specialty retailers
Health and wellness products such as supplements and personal care
Silicon Valley launches run to fixed dates, and Platton plans tech imports around them: the first units fly into SFO, and the volume that follows sails into Oakland at ocean rates. High-value loads can carry cargo insurance, and supplier document validation confirms that invoices and packing lists from your supplier are complete before the cargo ships.
The Bay Area runs on a constant inbound supply of tech hardware and consumer goods from Asia. Oakland is the gateway, but the routing decision is not automatic. When LA/Long Beach congestion builds, Oakland often clears faster and costs less in terminal fees and drayage wait time. Platton evaluates the routing per shipment, shows a real landed cost for Oakland versus LA/Long Beach, and recommends based on origin port and transit target. Platton also holds confirmed space on the sailing you need, peak season included.
One contact covers TraPac, OICT, Ben E. Nutter, and Matson. If your carrier changes terminals between bookings, drayage dispatch follows without re-quoting. The final invoice includes drayage and port fees with no hidden line items.
#1 Import-Focused Forwarder, US
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US offices in Seattle, Portland, Chicago and Savannah
Weekly sailings from Asia and Europe with Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Evergreen and Hapag-Lloyd
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AI-driven platform with real-time container tracking, automated documents and rates locked at booking
Drayage from 42 US ports and rail ramps, with 93% same-day port pickup
No. San Francisco itself does not operate a commercial container port. Bay Area container freight moves through the Port of Oakland, across San Francisco Bay in Oakland, CA. For importers based in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, the Peninsula, or anywhere in the Bay Area, container freight arrives via Oakland's four major terminals and clears US customs at the Oakland port of entry. Platton handles drayage from Oakland to destinations across the Bay Area, with onward transit available across Northern California or eastbound by intermodal rail. Air freight options use both SFO and OAK airports depending on routing.
Check that the forwarder dispatches drayage from all four terminals, so your container is picked up wherever the vessel berths. Ask for a quote that shows drayage, port fees and delivery before you book, and for online tracking from the origin port to your dock. The guide on how to choose a freight forwarder lists the other checks worth making. Platton dispatches drayage from all four Oakland terminals.
Platton dispatches drayage from all four major container terminals at the Port of Oakland: TraPac Oakland, Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT), Ben E. Nutter Terminal (Everport), and Matson Terminal. The four terminals cover trans-Pacific service from north Asia along with Hawaii and Guam carrier strings at Matson. Whichever Oakland terminal the steamship line calls at, the truck leaves on the day of release and runs your container up I-880 to San Leandro, Hayward and Fremont or across the Bay Bridge to San Francisco. If a carrier shifts terminal assignment between bookings, drayage dispatch follows without requoting.
Direct trans-Pacific ocean services from north Asian load ports including Busan, Tokyo, Yokohama, Qingdao, and Shanghai run roughly 10 to 14 days port-to-port to the Port of Oakland. South China origins including Yantian and Shekou run one to three days longer. Oakland transit is typically a day or two longer than Seattle and Tacoma on the same north Asia origins, but materially shorter than Los Angeles. After arrival, customs clearance and drayage from TraPac, OICT, Ben E. Nutter, or Matson typically add another one to three days before the container reaches a Bay Area warehouse, putting factory-to-DC transit inside three weeks for most lanes.
Yes. With LCL, you pay for the cubic meters you use, which suits smaller orders. LCL takes a few days longer than FCL. Once your volume comes close to filling a 20-foot container, FCL usually costs less per unit. The FCL vs LCL guide compares cost and transit time in detail.
Yes. Platton books one pallet or a full container into Oakland. A pallet ships as LCL and goes by truck to your Bay Area address once it is released at Oakland.
A Bay Area import with clean documentation and the ISF filed at origin is usually released within one to three days after its vessel berths at one of the four Oakland terminals. CET exam, VACIS scan, or full intensive exam selections extend the timeline, and any FDA review on food and beverage cargo or USDA review on agricultural products adds days when holds are issued. A truck dispatched as soon as customs releases the container limits demurrage.
Silicon Valley demand drives high-frequency inbound from China, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam covering finished electronics, semiconductors, server hardware, and component parts.
Typical loads also include laptops and accessories, networking gear, displays, test equipment and spare parts. Deliveries go to warehouses, offices, labs and fulfillment centers in San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Fremont and across the rest of the Bay Area.
SFO suits most air cargo from Asia and Europe, since it has far more direct flights. OAK suits cargo headed for East Bay warehouses. Before you choose, compare arrival times and the price per kilo of chargeable weight.
Get instant, live pricing for ocean, air and drayage into the Bay Area, or email cs@platton.ai with your origin, cargo and delivery address.
Platton handles freight forwarding through every major US gateway. Explore other locations:
