Georgia Ports Equipment Operator Johnny Ward pulls lumber bundles to be loaded onto a rail car at Georgia Ports Authority’s Mayor’s Point Terminal. Ward is one of hundreds of GPA employees who is working to keep critical cargo moving. (Georgia Ports Authority)  

The background song to Johnny Ward’s day is the hum of his forklift. He spends most days using it to load and unload bales and paper to and from trucks and rail cars. 

Ward is just one of the hundreds of Georgia Ports Authority employees whose work during the COVID-19 pandemic is helping to keep critical supplies moving. 

As an equipment operator for the GPA for the last seven years, he describes his job as, “busy, loading trucks and rail cars non-stop.” But he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“I love being an operator,” he said. Ward went on to explain that he enjoys the equipment and the simple hustle of operating it. 

Thank you, Johnny Ward, along with the hundreds of other GPA employees who #KeepCargoMoving.  

At the Georgia Ports Authority, we are proud to support efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by delivering the PPE, food and medical supplies needed to keep our communities safe and strong. These are the stories of Georgia Ports Authority employees who have remained committed, throughout the pandemic, to keeping critical supplies moving.