The freeway the ports were built on
Interstate 710 begins at Ocean Boulevard on the edge of the Port of Long Beach and runs north through Long Beach, Compton, Paramount, South Gate, Bell, and Commerce toward East Los Angeles. For freight leaving San Pedro Bay by truck, it is the road. Roughly seventy percent of containers move out of the two ports on a truck rather than a train, and a very large share of them use this freeway.
That volume shows. The 710 is an older freeway carrying a modern freight load, with tight ramps, short merges, and pavement that has taken decades of loaded Class 8 traffic. Truck-only lane projects and a full corridor rebuild have been studied and argued over for years. In the meantime, it is what it is — and it produces a particular, predictable set of breakdowns.
I-710 exit reference: the harbor to the 105
Northbound order from the port. Give dispatch the exit name on the sign as well as the number — several of these ramps are signed by street name only.
| Exit / Area | Cross street | Notes for drivers |
|---|---|---|
| South end | Ocean Blvd / Terminal Island | The 710 begins here at the harbor. Pier T and Pier G traffic joins. |
| 1 | Anaheim Street | Surface truck route west into Wilmington |
| 2 | Pacific Coast Highway (SR-1) | Major port-area surface connection |
| 3 | Willow Street | Connects to SR-103 / Terminal Island Freeway |
| 4 | Wardlow Road | North Long Beach industrial |
| 5 | I-405 (San Diego Freeway) | Major interchange — heavy merging, common breakdown spot |
| 6 | Del Amo Boulevard | Warehouse district, east–west truck route |
| 7 | Long Beach Boulevard | North Long Beach |
| 8 | SR-91 (Artesia Freeway) | Major interchange at the Compton line |
| 9 | Alondra Boulevard | Paramount / Compton warehouses |
| 10 | Rosecrans Avenue | Heavy warehouse and yard traffic |
| 11 | Imperial Highway | Lynwood |
| 12 | I-105 (Century Freeway) | Major interchange |
| 13 | Firestone Boulevard | South Gate industrial |
| 14 | Florence Avenue | Bell / Cudahy |
| 16 | Atlantic Boulevard | Bell |
| 17 | Bandini Boulevard | Commerce — heavy distribution |
| 18 | Washington Boulevard | Commerce / Vernon rail and warehouse district |
| 20 | I-5 (Santa Ana Freeway) | East L.A. interchange |
Where trucks break down on the 710
- The Ocean Boulevard ramps. Loaded trucks joining the freeway from a standing start on a grade. Cooling systems and clutches show their age here.
- The I-405 interchange. The single busiest conflict point on the corridor. Short merges, heavy braking, and a lot of tire and brake failures.
- The SR-91 interchange at the Compton line. Same story, with more warehouse traffic entering and leaving.
- Pavement between Del Amo and Rosecrans. This stretch is hard on suspension. Airbags, hangers, U-bolts, and shock mounts fail here more than anywhere else we work.
- Tire failures, everywhere. Hot pavement, heavy loads, and a lot of chassis tires that were already marginal when they left the pool.
- Derates north of the port. A DPF that soot-loaded during a long gate queue often throws its fault twenty minutes later — which puts the truck right here.
Safe places to stop
If the truck will still move, getting off the 710 beats the shoulder every time. The shoulders here are narrower than the freeway’s traffic volume deserves, and the traffic mix is overwhelmingly heavy.
Working north from the harbor, the industrial streets off the Anaheim, PCH, Willow, Del Amo, and Rosecrans exits all have places a truck can sit without blocking anything. Southbound, the same exits work in reverse. If you cannot move, get as far right as possible, well clear of the travel lane, and avoid stopping on a ramp, on a bridge deck, or just past a curve.
Emissions enforcement on this corridor
The 710 is one of the most heavily monitored freight corridors in California. Roadside emissions monitoring devices under CARB’s Clean Truck Check program screen passing trucks, and a flagged vehicle gets a notice to submit to testing. Tampered or deleted aftertreatment is a serious exposure here — not a grey area. Our California truck emissions guide covers what the rules actually require and what they do not.
What to do while you wait
Hazards on, triangles out, and stay out of the travel lanes. If it is safe, wait away from the truck — behind a barrier or well off the road — especially at night. On the 710, "well off the road" can mean up the embankment; take it. Our breakdown guide covers triangle placement and what to tell dispatch.
Services most often needed on I-710
- Emergency Roadside Assistance
- Mobile Tire Service
- Suspension & Driveline Repair
- DPF, DEF & Regen Service
- Air Brake Service
- Cooling System & Radiator Repair
- Jump Start & Fuel Delivery
- Electrical & Charging Repair
Areas along this route
I-710 roadside repair FAQ
Where does the 710 start?
At Ocean Boulevard on the edge of the Port of Long Beach, right at the harbor. It runs north from there toward East Los Angeles.
Why does so much break on the 710?
Volume and pavement. It carries an enormous share of the nation’s container freight on a freeway built decades ago, so suspension, tire, and brake failures cluster on it — particularly between Del Amo and Rosecrans.
Which 710 interchange causes the most breakdowns?
The I-405 interchange, followed by SR-91 at the Compton line. Both have short merges and heavy braking with a very high percentage of trucks.
Do you cover the whole 710?
We cover it from Ocean Boulevard north through Long Beach, Compton, and Paramount. Call with your direction of travel and the nearest exit — north of there, ask dispatch and they will tell you straight.
Can you do a regen on the shoulder of the 710?
Sometimes, and sometimes not — it depends on why the truck is derated and whether it is safe to sit there while a stationary regen runs. See our DPF regen guide, and tell dispatch the exact fault code when you call.