b'2American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comGPA eyes container growth at the Port of Savannah GEORGIA PORTS 2024Rail investments, increased trade with India are two key developments.By Peter Buxbaum, AJOTThe Georgia Ports Author- work, which brings port ser-ityhandled451,670TEUvices to inland rail locations inFebruary,anincreaseofacrossthestateandbeyond over14%comparedtotheto lower transportation costs year before. Import contain- andeaseroadcongestion. ersgained19%andexportsTheportcurrentlymoves increasingby10%.Thosearound 20% of cargo via rail results marked two consecu- to inland destinations.tive months of growth after aThecenterpieceofthe challenging start to the fiscalinlandterminaleffortisthe year, which began in July. $220millionMasonMega Over the first six monthsRail facility, which set a Feb-of2024,GPAexpects3%ruaryrecordforintermodal growthincontainerscom- railcargolastmonth.Rail paredto2023,accordingtovolumesatMasonMega CliffPyron,chiefcommer- totaled 46,890 containers, an cialofficerattheGeorgiaincreaseof39%compared PortsAuthority.Butover(GROWTHcontinued on thelongerterm,headded,page 6) The Georgia Ports Authority links importers and exporters to global markets via 37 weekly container ship calls.prospectsarebrighter, thanks to an increase in man-ufacturing and logistics oper-ations in Georgia.Majorbrandsestablish-ing a presence or expanding in Georgia include Hyundai,REvolutionizing STRATEGIC Rivian,Kubota,Burling-ton,andBradshawHome.ADVANTAGE FOR Theyre coming here in partChassis THE BENEFICIAL becausetheSoutheasthas thenationsfastest-growing Provisioning CARGO OWNERpopulation, said Pyron, and because of our superior trans-FLEXIBILITYportation network. Access 20/40/45 chassis, remove TheGPAisenhancingconstraints of operating within a fixed container capacity at the Portfleet environmentofSavannah,withcurrent projects totaling $1.9 billion SCALABILITYslatedtoenabletheporttoReliably scale capacity, without handle10millionTEUbyinvesting in equipment2030. The renovation of the OceanTerminalwillenable ELIMINATE THEthefacilitytoaccommodateM&R BURDENlarger ships. GPA is also pro-gressing on expanded termi- CCM handles M&R on all pool nalcapacityattheGardenequipmentCity Terminal. OPERATIONAL B erth1 G ardenC ityt erminalr enovation EFFICIENCYThe Port of Savannah isCCM manages logistics to ensure one of the nations largest andoptimal levels of chassis fleet utilization fastestgrowingports,saidand availabilityPyron, serving as a gateway to45%oftheU.S.popula-POWERED BYtion, with goods travelling to important inland destinations suchas Atlanta,Dallas,and Memphis.ToaccommodateEnhanced efficiency and visibilityanticipatedgrowth,were investing $4.5 billion over the next 10 years to improve the port and surrounding areas. Therecentlycompleted renovation of Berth 1 at the PortofSavannahsmain GardenCityTerminal,a 1,500-acre facility, increased its berth capacity by 25% or 1.5millionTEUperyear. OtherelementsofGPAs master plan include Garden City Terminal West, a $204 millionprojectadding100 acresandonemillionTEU ofannualcapacityandthe $1.4billionrenovationof Ocean Terminal.Themasterplanalsoccmpool.com/sacp3-0emphasizesthegrowthof GPAsinlandterminalnet-BSYA 1086 CCM SACP AJOT 8x10 March Rev2.indd 1 3/12/24 8:10AM'