Total container trade up 18.5 percent, rail volumes up 22 percent; rail dwell time is
less than one day on imports, delivering supply chain velocity
April 10, 2024 – The Georgia Ports Authority handled 436,000 twenty-foot equivalent container units in March, for an increase of 18.5 percent in trade compared to the same month last year.
“With double-digit growth in the first quarter, we’re excited about where we’re going and thankful for the continued trust our customers place in Georgia Ports,” said GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch. “No other port in the country can match Savannah’s efficient operations, thanks to our GPA employees and our partners at the International Longshoremen’s Association and Gateway Terminals.”
GPA has achieved growth of 11 percent in total container trade during the first three months of calendar year 2024. Intermodal rail cargo reached 44,902 containers at the Port of Savannah in March, an increase of 22 percent and a 17 percent increase fiscal year-to-date.
“GPA’s intermodal team and our partners, CSX and Norfolk Southern, are doing phenomenal work, with cargo reaching inland destinations only three days after crossing our docks,” Lynch said. “Cargo discharges from a vessel, arrives at inland destinations the next day and is available to customers by day three.”
Supporting GPA’s intermodal cargo expansion is the Mason Mega Rail Terminal, the largest on-port rail facility in North America. Rail dwell is less than one day with daily rail departures carry cargo to major markets such as Dallas, Memphis and Atlanta.
“Growing rail infrastructure in Savannah and across the region extends port services to more customers, cuts transportation costs and reduces emissions,” said GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain. “Mason Mega Rail, combined with rail hubs in Atlanta; our Appalachian Regional Port (in Murray County, GA); and the soon- coming Blue Ridge Connector help avoid traffic congestion by shifting containers from long-haul trucks to rail.”
The Blue Ridge Connector is under construction near Gainesville, GA, along the manufacturing and logistics corridor of Interstate 85. It will be GPA’s second operated inland network Georgia facility, linking Northeast Georgia with the Port of Savannah’s 37 global container ship services. The $134 million facility is expected to open in 2026.
Another aspect of GPA’s growing infrastructure is Garden City Terminal West, a new 100-acre container yard adjacent to the Port of Savannah’s main terminal. The site features a new truck gate and secure roadway link to Garden City Terminal. Lynch said the additional capacity improves supply chain flexibility when paired with Georgia Ports’ inland rail reach.
“Garden City Terminal West and Mason Mega Rail Terminal combine to provide capacity, range and new long- term storage options,” Lynch added. “Importers who need to store cargo until it is needed for retail or manufacturing, as well as exporters who need to shift containers to an off-site location can tap GCT West to lower costs.”
About Georgia Ports
Ports are economic engines. Georgia’s ports and inland terminals support more than 561,000 jobs throughout the state annually, contributing $33 billion in income, $140 billion in revenue and $3.8 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. Since 2012, GPA has invested $3.27 billion in building new port and inland infrastructure and is planning on spending an additional $4.5 billion in the next ten years as part of its port master plan to expand cargo handling capabilities to support future supply chain requirements. GPA’s community engagement efforts are industry-leading with a $6 million donation to communities located near the Port of Savannah to support a multi-year, local workforce housing initiative. CNBC ranked Georgia #1 in the U.S. for infrastructure in America’s Top States for Business in 2023. Area Development – a site selection news outlet for the U.S., has ranked Georgia as the Top State to Do Business for ten consecutive years. For further information, visit gaports.com or email [email protected]