In February, 479,850 TEUs were handled—a 6% gain over the same month in 2024.
CSX and Norfolk Southern serve the port.
“The rate of growth [in March] was due in large part to two factors: Cargo coming back from the U.S. West Coast after the completion of labor contract negotiations, and second, customers front-loading orders to avoid new tariffs,” GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch said.
According to GPA, the record 52,645 containers moved by rail in March edged out the previous record of 52,446 rail moves set in January 2021. Similarly, the Appalachian Regional Port (ARP) in Northwest Georgia handled 3,566 containers in March, GPA noted, up 47% or more than 1,100 containers from the prior-year period. This represented the highest volume for ARP since October 2024, when the inland terminal handled 3,666 containers.
Rail cargo remained fluid on the Mason Mega Rail Terminal, GPA said, with average rail dwell in March of only 22 hours between vessel offload and departing train. Located on terminal at the Port of Savannah, Mason Mega Rail handles 42 double-stacked trains per week.
The Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal completed 333,571 truck turns in March, with the port setting a weekly gate record of 80,505 truck turns in the week ending March 16, according to GPA.
“From our docks and the container yard, to the truck gates and on-terminal rail, our operations teams are achieving strong metrics in cargo flow,” GPA Chief Operating Officer Ed McCarthy said. “That translates into supply chain velocity for our customers who want to exercise more control on order fulfillment speed.”
Average truck turn time in March was 35 minutes for a single move and 55 minutes when a driver was both delivering an export and picking up an import, according to GPA. Such dual moves accounted for 86% of containers moving by truck. Local truckers can make up to six to eight moves a day to area warehouses, due to this terminal efficiency, it said.
“On behalf of the Georgia Ports Authority, I would like to thank our employees, Gateway Terminals, the local International Longshoremen’s Association, and the railroads, shipping lines and motor carriers who are our frontline partners in logistics, serving our customers,” GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain said. “In Georgia, we are united in our commitment to serving the farms, factories, and businesses that support the economy of our state and nation.”
To support faster service for ocean carriers, GPA said that the Port of Savannah has added three new start times to work vessels—at 6 a.m., 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.—for a new total of eight start times per day. Vessel operations in Savannah are performed 24/7.
Additionally, GPA said it plans to use dock space at Ocean Terminal as a lay berth or staging area for large vessels to be worked at Garden City Terminal. “Starting in May, this will allow for a much quicker transition between ships, cutting berth idle time from 12 hours to three hours,” it noted.
According to GPA, a new $44.5 million U.S. Customs facility at Garden City Terminal will double the size of the agency’s previous location by early June, “streamlining on-site inspections for Georgia Ports customers.” The new location will accommodate not only Customs, but also other federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Further Reading:
- For GPA, Containers Up, Capacity Growing
- Port of Brunswick Takes Top Spot for Autos, Heavy Equipment
- GPA Lands $26.5MM Federal Grant for Colonel’s Island Rail Improvements Project
- GPA Approves $127MM for Blue Ridge Connector
- GPA Prepares for the Future, Adds Inland Rail Connectivity
- CSX, GPA Launch ‘Carolina Connector’ Service
- Georgia Ports Advances Inland Rail Hub Plan
