The Port of Savannah recorded its busiest March ever, with container trade rising 22.5%—an increase of 98,000 TEUs—compared to the same month last year. The port also set an intermodal cargo record, moving 52,645 containers by rail, a 17% increase year over year.
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) handled 534,000 twenty-foot equivalent container units in March, for its second monthly record in a row. In February, GPA moved 479,850 TEUs, also a high.
"The rate of growth 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," said Griff Lynch, president and CEO of GPA.
In intermodal cargo, GPA said the Port of Savannah set an all-time record of 52,645 containers moved by rail, an increase of 17% over the same month last year.
The March performance edged out the previous record of 52,446 rail moves set in January 2021.
Similarly, the Appalachian Regional Port in Northwest Georgia handled 3,566 containers in March, an increase of more than 1,100 containers or 47% compared to March 2024.
Rail cargo remained fluid on the 85-acre Mason Mega Rail Terminal, with average rail dwell in March of only 22 hours between vessel offload and departing train. GPA said Mason Mega Rail — located on terminal at the Port of Savannah — handles 42 double-stacked trains per week.
"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," said Ed McCarthy, chief operating officer at GPA. "That translates into supply chain velocity for our customers who want to exercise more control on order fulfillment speed."
The 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.
GPA noted that 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, thanks to this terminal efficiency.
To support faster service for ocean carriers, 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 hours a day, seven days a week.
Additionally, GPA 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 3 hours.
"The Ocean Terminal lay berths will launch a new era of flexibility at the Port of Savannah, allowing us to turn vessels with greater speed and efficiency," Lynch said.
Faster customs inspections
A new US$44.5 million U.S. Customs facility at Garden City Terminal will also double the size of the agency's previous location by early June, streamlining on-site inspections for Georgia Ports customers.
"For our customers, the speed and convenience of on-terminal Customs inspections cannot be overstated," Lynch said. "Our owner-operator model and unmatched terminal space means containers don’t have to be hauled off-port for Customs – saving cargo owners both time and money."
