South Carolina Ports recently completed a $500 million infrastructure project, bringing the fifteenth ship-to-shore crane online and building its own chassis pool. Truckers are already enjoying the fruits of the SC Ports Authority’s vision as container movement continues to exceed expectations.
“It is truly remarkable to see the final crane of our new fleet moved into place on the Wando Welch Terminal wharf. This is the culmination of years of effort, planning and coordination by our team and project partners,” SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin reportedly said. “Our modern equipment provides smarter operations and more fluidity for the supply chain.”
The fifteen cranes possess a 155-foot lift height and stretch out over upwards of 22 containers. Their addition allows the Port of Charleston to handle among the largest vessels over three berths simultaneously. Along with the cranes offloading multiple ships, the Wando Welch Terminal has also reportedly been modernized. Changes include state-of-the-art container yards, revamped traffic flow, and a facility specifically for major retailers. SC Ports haven’t experienced bottlenecks that left cargo ships idling off the coast in months.
The port authority reportedly extended Sunday gate hours for freight haulers into the busy fall delivery season. Officials also hired over 150 people to maintain its efficiency which saw dwell times dip to a comfortable 36 hours. Launching its port-owned and operated chassis pool opens the door to more truckers taking advantage of East Coast opportunities.
“SC Ports is launching its SMART Pool to enhance the reliability, safety, quality and availability of chassis equipment to support supply chain fluidity,” Melvin reportedly said. “SC Ports boldly invests in infrastructure ahead of demand, ensuring we have the capabilities and capacity to meet our customers’ needs.”
The Wando Welch Terminal, North Charleston Terminal, and Leatherman Terminal combined to move 216,097 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and 119,872 pier containers in July. The port system also saw 21,034 vehicles at its Columbus Street Terminal in July, marking a 36 percent increase over July 2021. The Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon facilitated 11,383 rail movements. Truckers along the Eastern Seaboard can anticipate increased freight movement coming from the SC Ports.
Sources:
https://ajot.com/news/sc-ports-completes-infrastructure-project-while-maintaining-fluidity
SC Ports Completes Years-Long Infrastructure Project at Port of Charleston
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