Intermodal Briefs: POLB, SC Ports

At the Port of Long Beach, Calif., dockworkers and terminal operators moved 750,424 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) last month, up 14.4% from April 2023. (POLB Photograph)

The Port of Long Beach, Calif., marked its eighth consecutive month of year-over-year cargo growth in April. Also, South Carolina Ports’ (SC Ports) rail-served inland ports in Dillon and Greer logged record volumes last month.

POLB

POLB said trade gained momentum in April, with dockworkers and terminal operators moving 750,424 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) last month, up 14.4% from April 2023. Imports rose 16.3% to 364,665 TEUs and exports dropped 19.9% to 98,266 TEUs over the prior-year period, it reported. Empty containers moving through the Port increased 30.7% to 287,493 TEUs.

The Port moved 2,753,244 TEUs through the first four months of 2024, up 15.8% from the same period last year.

“Imports are steadily climbing as we continue to work with industry partners to rebuild our market share,” POLB CEO Mario Cordero said during the cargo volume announcement May 14. “We are strengthening our competitiveness with our brand of operational excellence, customer service and ongoing infrastructure investments that will keep cargo moving efficiently well into the future.”

“Our highly skilled workforce and terminal operators continue to raise the bar on growing cargo volumes safely and sustainably,” added Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bobby Olvera Jr.

Further Reading:

• POLB Selects Iteris to Complete Multimodal Transportation Study
• The Year of Rail: Making Cargo Connections
• People News: POLB

SC Ports

It was a record April for Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon, according to SC Ports, which owns and operates both rail-served inland ports, as well as marine terminals at the Port of Charleston. Inland Port Dillon had its highest monthly cargo volumes ever in April, handling 4,730 rail moves, a 26% year-over-year increase. Alongside CSX, the Dillon operation handles consumer goods, soybeans, forest products, cotton seed and agricultural products, supporting major retailers and agricultural producers in the Pee Dee region and throughout the Carolinas.

Inland Port Greer moved 16,105 containers, up 20% from the same month last year, according to SC Ports. Alongside Norfolk Southern, Inland Port Greer handles goods for advanced manufacturers, mega retailers and consumer goods industries across the region. Since opening in 2013, its cargo base has diversified, and many of companies have invested in the upstate to take advantage of the inland port, SC Ports said. Greer is currently being expanded. The project has already yielded more than 8,000 feet of additional rail track, and its container yard project is nearing completion. The work will double Inland Port Greer’s cargo capacity, according to SC Ports.

“Our inland ports are seeing cargo increases month after month as more port-dependent businesses take advantage of the reliable, swift, and direct rail connection between the Port of Charleston and inland markets,” SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin said. “Our inland ports are an example of what we do best—strategically invest to deliver a creative solution that further supports importers and exporters.”

SC Ports said that container volumes “remained steady” at its marine terminals. SC Ports and the broader maritime community handled 215,058 TEUs and 119,840 pier containers in April. The automotive sector “reflected strength,” SC Ports added, with 18,118 vehicles rolling across its docks last month. Monthly vehicle volumes are up 40% from last year, it noted.

“We are expanding port capacity and capabilities ahead of demand to efficiently handle goods for our customers,” Melvin said. “We are proud to offer reliable, efficient port service to the booming Southeast market.”

SC Ports handled 216,410 TEUs and 118,481 pier containers in March.