GPA
The CSX and Norfolk Southern-served Port of Savannah handled 486,000 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) in September, gaining 8% or 35,280 TEUs, over same month last year, GPA reported Oct. 23. In comparison, the Port in August handled 534,037 TEUs, up 44,000 TEUs, or 9% year-over-year, representing the third highest month in GPA history. For the fiscal year to date (July 1-Sept. 30), Savannah’s container trade is up 4.7% or 66,845 TEUs to nearly 1.5 million TEUs, according to GPA.
Comprising Garden City Terminal and Ocean Terminal, the Port of Savannah has 35 ship calls per week, 42 doublestack trains per week, and 14,000 truck gate moves daily.
It was GPA’s busiest September for total rail lifts, at 51,235 containers, up 21% or nearly 9,000 lifts, compared with the prior-year period, according to GPA. For the fiscal year to date, GPA achieved total rail lifts of nearly 150,000, an increase of 4.7%. The Appalachian Regional Port (ARP), a joint effort of the state of Georgia, Murray County, GPA, and CSX, set a record of 4,453 container lifts last month, up 48% or 1,450 lifts, GPA said. Since July, ARP has handled 11,465 containers, up 1,340 or 13%. The Port of Savannah’s Mason Mega Rail Terminal, served by CSX and Norfolk Southern, also had a strong performance, GPA reported, moving 46,782 containers, up 19% or 7,530 lifts in September. Mason Mega Rail, it noted, has moved more than 138,400 containers this fiscal year through September, an increase of 5,380 lifts or 4% compared with the same point in 2024.
The Port of Savannah completed 316,889 truck gate transactions in September, counting both import and export container moves, according to GPA. Turn times for dropping off or picking up a single container averaged 32 minutes last month. Dual export-import moves averaged 50 minutes. Dual moves, in which a driver drops off an export and picks up an import container, make up approximately 80% of truck transactions at the Port of Savannah. Truck drivers serving the Port of Savannah complete an average of six to eight turns per day, which GPA said represents “the industry’s best supply chain speed through a container port.”
“We’re focused on berth, rail, truck gate and container yard operations to offer the best service in these competitive times for our customers,” GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch said. “50-minute trucker turn times for dual moves at our gates and 22 hours average rail dwell are examples of operational metrics we’re consistently delivering.”
Port of Brunswick’s Colonels Island Terminal, one of the three GPA-owned deepwater terminals at the port, processed 55,811 units of autos and heavy equipment in September, down 30% or 24,100 units compared with the same month last year, according to GPA. Heavy equipment alone accounted for 4,119 units last month, it noted, down from 5,686 units in September 2024.
“Auto manufacturers have reduced production and shipment of some vehicles to the U.S. as they consider changes to manufacturing locations and target markets,” GPA reported. “Luxury vehicle exports to Asia are also down, related to stiffer competition from domestic Asian auto manufacturers. The September dip follows an August decline, with Roll-on/Roll-off volumes seeing paused shipments from manufacturers in Europe, Asia and Mexico.” Golden Isles Terminal Railroad, a Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary, serves the Colonels Island Auto Port, along with CSX and Norfolk Southern.
GPA said that construction of Berth 4 is ongoing with an expected completion in 2027.
“Market cycles are a normal part of business and reflected in supply chain flow,” Lynch said. “We’re focused on adding new berth capabilities to help our RoRo customers compete stronger in the future.”
Separately, GPA recently reported that S&P Global gave it “an excellent rating (high grade) of AA/Stable on GPA’s revenue bonds,” which is “effectively the equivalent rating that Moody’s issued last September 2024 at Aa2.”
Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville
Tanco Terminals is expanding its liquid barge facility at Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville to meet rising demand for blended fertilizers in southern Indiana and northern Kentucky, according to the Ports of Indiana, a statewide port authority operating three ports—Jeffersonville, Burns Harbor, and Mount Vernon—on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan. The $750,000 expansion includes the construction of two 45,000-gallon tanks designed to support Premier Ag, a Seymour, Ind.-based regional cooperative and new customer of Tanco Terminals, the Port reported Oct. 22.
The new tanks will allow Premier Ag to blend fertilizer additives for farmers on an order-by-order basis, tailoring them to local soil conditions, the Port said, noting that this capability is expected to significantly increase throughput at the terminal. Currently, Premier Ag stores UAN (liquid nitrogen) at Tanco Terminals, which allows it to offer 32% and 28% nitrogen that can now be blended with ammonium thiosulfate.
Tanco’s port facility receives liquid shipments via barge, rail, and truck, allowing Premier Ag to purchase products from multiple markets throughout the world and store them locally so products can be blended on an as-needed basis, according to the Port.
“This expansion is about more than just infrastructure—it’s about aligning with the needs of our customers and the market,” said Kip Middendorf, Vice President and Managing Director of Tanco Terminals, which was established at the Jeffersonville port on the Ohio River in 2000 for liquid asphalt and fertilizer products and at the Indiana-Burns port on Lake Michigan in 1977 for liquid bulk. “Premier Ag’s commitment to the Jeffersonville facility was a major driver in our investments, which not only meet today’s needs but also anticipate future growth.”
“Our expansion at Tanco Terminals is a key link in providing better service to our farmer customers,” commented Jeff Jarrett, Vice President–New Business Ventures & Fertilizer for Premier Ag. “Tanco Terminals and the Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville are key players in our strategic vision and ongoing investments.”
According to the Port, future expansion phases are planned as the project footprint is designed to accommodate up to four additional tanks. Tanco Terminals is also developing facilities that will allow Premier Ag to operate 24/7 so trucks can load product at all hours during peak agricultural seasons. Tanco Terminals is also pursuing opportunities in new markets, which could lead to continued growth and diversification at the Jeffersonville site, the Port said. Last December, Tanco Terminals announced it was investing $8.2 million to expand its “liquid tank farm” at Burns Harbor.
Among the railroads serving the Ports of Indiana are Burns Harbor Railroad, Mount Vernon Railroad, Evansville Western Railway, CSX, Louisville & Indiana Railroad, and Norfolk Southern.
