The Port of Vancouver moves 3.8 million TEUs per year across four container terminals — yet every third truck still leaves the port empty. PortChief connects carriers, forwarders, and terminals in real time so every drayage trip generates revenue, from Deltaport to the inner harbour.
Terminal Network
PortChief integrates with all four container terminals across the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority jurisdiction. Whether your trucks service Roberts Bank, the Burrard Inlet inner harbour, or the Fraser River, you see every available swap opportunity on a single dashboard — card view, map view, or AI chat.
The Port of Vancouver set a new record in 2025 with 3.8 million TEU — 9% above 2024 — driven by Canada's diversification away from US-only trade routes. Yet the drayage sector still runs on phone calls, spreadsheets, and tribal knowledge. Roughly one-third of Vancouver's container TEU moves by drayage truck between four terminals spread across Roberts Bank, the Burrard Inlet, and the Fraser River.
1 in 3 trucks empty
The Solution
PortChief is the only platform purpose-built for container mission swapping at ports. Instead of dispatching an empty truck back to the terminal, carriers publish their available capacity and PortChief's AI instantly matches it with a complementary mission — turning a cost centre into a revenue line.
Carriers and forwarders already eliminating empty runs across Deltaport, Centerm, Vanterm, and Fraser Surrey Docks
By the Numbers
Record annual container throughput — 9% above 2024 and 3% above the previous 2021 record. Vancouver is Canada's undisputed container gateway.
Total cargo moved through the port in 2025 across all commodities — 170 million metric tonnes — making Vancouver the largest port in Canada by tonnage and the third-largest in North America.
The Challenge
Record volume, persistent empty kilometres. The drayage sector still runs on phone calls, spreadsheets, and tribal knowledge. When a truck drops off a container at Centerm and deadheads 30 km empty back to Surrey, the carrier absorbs fuel, driver time, and bridge tolls.
Industry data shows every third container move is an empty repositioning trip, costing carriers $200-400 per deadhead run. Empty container repositioning costs the logistics industry over $20 billion annually.
Ready to Swap at Port of Vancouver?
Join the carriers and forwarders already eliminating empty runs across Deltaport, Centerm, Vanterm, and Fraser Surrey Docks. Start matching missions in minutes — no integration required.
Importers bringing Asian goods through Vancouver and exporters shipping lumber, pulp, and agricultural products to the Pacific Rim both suffer from imbalanced container flows. PortChief’s marketplace surfaces backhaul opportunities that reduce per-container drayage cost by up to 30%.
