February 14, 2022
Intermodal

Port of Savannah: 18 Months of Record Volume

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor

Port of Savannah posted a record 479,000 TEUs in January, up 4% from same period last year.

The Port of Savannah, Ga., handled 479,700 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in January—a 4% gain over the same month last year, when cargo volumes grew 22%, Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) reported.

This the 18th consecutive month of record volumes, GPA said.

Over the past year and a half, the Port of Savannah has grown container volumes by 1.2 million TEUs, and in 2021 alone, by more than 930,00 TEUs.

“The steps we have taken to add capacity have broken the logjam in global logistics for our customers and created jobs throughout the supply chain,” GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch said. “The dedication and hard work of our GPA employees, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), and our other partners throughout the logistics community have also played a key role to keep cargo flowing.”

GPA, which added 145 employees in 2021, said it has now arranged a fifth pop-up container yard to further grow capacity. The Port of Savannah is loading import containers for delivery to the 330-acre CCX Yard in Rocky Mount, N.C., which CSX owns and began operating in November 2021. As part of its initial arrangement with the Class I railroad, GPA will use up to 400 container slots (about 800 TEUs), for an annual capacity of 40,000 TEUs.

“The CCX terminal is a demonstration of how CSX is creating sustainable supply chain solutions for customers by expanding our intermodal network in eastern North Carolina and connecting to the busy I-95 corridor,” CSX Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Nathan Goldman said during a November 2021 ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We are proud that this project will be a catalyst for economic growth and development in the region.”

The other four GPA pop-up facilities are located near manufacturing and distribution centers in Savannah, Atlanta, Statesboro and the Appalachian Regional Port. They offer a total of 410,000 TEUs of additional container space; bring cargo closer to customers; and reduce the amount of storage time at Garden City Terminal, according to GPA.

“The success of our inland pop-up yards has provided an excellent relief valve and reduced the number of containers at the Port of Savannah,” said GPA Board Chairman Joel Wooten.