b'50American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comandiscommittedtoongo- theRedSeahaveforced(GROWTHcontinued from ing investments to serve bothmanyvesselstoreroutepage 14)containerized cargo and gen- aroundtheCapeofGoodOneofourmainbusi-eralcargo,includingbulkHope, adding time and costnesses right now is wind energy androll-on,roll-off(Ro/Ro)to voyages. These diversionsequipment,andwerestill cargo. The port views its com- have contributed to increasedgoing strong, Rees confirms. mitmenttodiversifiedcargocargo volumes at the Port ofWe bring in three to four ships as a strategic advantage. CharlestonandotherEastwithbladespermonth,and RemainingdiversifiedCoastports.Globalsupplymost of them are shipped out continuestoserveuswell,chaindisruptions,likethebyrail,whichisconvenient saidaPortrepresentative.pandemic,havepromptedfor shippers because they can Regardless of evolving tradeshipperstoshiftcargotobypass Houston.dynamics,ourmissionisEastCoastandGulfportsRees explains that Galves-Aerial view of the Port of Wilmington, NC unchanged:toenhancetheto avoid congestion at Westtonhasbeenabletoattract economyofNorthCarolinaCoast ports. morewindbusinessbecause (DIVERSEcontinued fromto be delivered and in serviceby supporting and improvingThe South Carolina portstheportofferstheskilled page 46) by the first quarter of 2026. the states logistics network. have consistently added infra- labor, optimum clearances for directconnections,allow- The Port handles a widestructuretosupportgrowth,the components, and transpor-ingintermodaltransportofrangeofcargo,includingl oCations uPPorts whileseekingoperationaltation connectivity via rail and cargotodestinationsacrossbulk, breakbulk, and roll-off,C ontinuede ConoMiC efficienciesonanongoinginterstatehighway.Theport 22states. Accordingtoportroll-on(Ro/Ro)cargo.Theg rowth basis. evencoordinatedwiththe representatives,ThePortlarge,refrigeratedcontainerAccording to a Port repre- OtherfactorssuchasCity of Galveston and Texas ofWilmingtonsintermodalcapacity and its cold storagesentative, The Greater Wilm- tariff policies and other regu- DOT to modify the turn onto railisservedbyCSX,andhub make the Port of Wilm- ingtonRegionhasbecomelatoryprograms,likethosetheInterstate45feederroad the Port of Morehead City isington a hub for agriculturalaleaderincommerceandproposedforChinese-builtto accommodate trucks carry-served by Norfolk Southern. and food-related industries.industry. From fiber optics andships or those impacting auto- ing the large blades. In addi-Ourwarehousefacili- aircraftenginestopharma- motive imports, are just a fewtion,theportauthorizedan t eChnologyP rovides tiesallowustoservemul- ceuticaltestingandplastics,of the factors that the Southadditional 47.78 acres for For-C ustoMers withg reater tiplebusinesssectorsandthisregionoffersanindus- CarolinaPortsmustcon- eign Trade Zones in 2023 to v isibility supportvariousmodesoftrial base that is diverse andstantly monitor and follow. accommodatetheexpanding ThePortofWilmingtontransport, from rail to truckgeared for the future. Thisisawait-and-seewind turbine import business.alsoinvestsintechnologytointermodal,saidaPortThe Ports are a key factorsituation,saidaportrep- Port of Galveston is ide-likeitsweb-basedNavisN4representative.ThePortofinattractingnewbusinessesresentative.ButthePortally located for moving these TerminalOperatingSystem.Wilmingtonhasonemil- and industries to the area. AnofCharlestonbenefitsfromproducts to the Southwestern Thisensuresthattheport- lionsquarefeetofcoveredextensivehighwaysystemdiversetradelanes,whichand Central US, where all the usercommunityiswell- storagewithrailaccesstoand mainline railroads com- will certainly help blunt somewind projects are being con-informed about the status andberths,transitsheds,ware- plement the Port of Wilming- of the impact. structed, Rees says, adding availabilityoftheircargo,houses, and open storage. ton in connecting companiesthat the location, so close to explainedaportrepresen- ThePortofWilming- tobuyers,suppliers,ands outhC arolinaP orts openwater,makesPortof tative.Theportalsoofferstons general cargo terminal is21st-centuryopportunities,P rovides$87billion in Galvestonidealforproject aCustomerAccessPortalequipped with covered dry bulksaid a Port representative. e ConoMiCb enefits cargo.Thecosttouseour (CAP) that provides visibilityfacilities with import conveyorOvertheyears,Southport is minimal, compared to directly into the ports system,systemsforgrainandotherCarolinaPortshasgainedHouston where youre spend-making it possible for truck- bulkcargo,withwarehouses(REACHcontinued fromacompetitivepositionasaing eight hours round trip in ing companies and drivers todedicated to on-dock containerpage 48) majorcontainerhub,han- fuel costs. At Port of Galves-pre-advisetrucktransactionsstripping and stuffing. like many located on the Eastdlingasignificantvolumeton, you can be in and out of to ensure there are no issuesIn December 2024, a newCoastoftheUS,mustnavi- of containerized cargo. Withtheport,andbackinopen with an intended visit beforewarehouse was completed togate factors they cannot con- deepwater access and exten- water, in 40 minutes. arriving at the terminal. Thisprovide the Port of Moreheadtrol,includinggeopoliticalsiveinfrastructure,theportReesexpectsthecargo improves gate operation effi- Citywithexpandedcapacitychangesandtradeshifts,ashasalargecontaineryard,businesstorampupeven ciency and reduces dray timesforbulkandbreakbulkcar- wellasglobalsupplychainnumerousreeferslots,andmoreoncemostofPortof for truck drivers. goes. Morehead City, like thedisruptionsthatcanalsoadvancedtechnologysys- Galvestons$105million WiththeNavisN4.0Portof Wilmington,featuresimpact port volumes. Finally,temstodriveoperationaloverhaulofitscargofacili-Terminal Operating System,covered dry bulk facilities andchanging US tariffs and tradeefficiency. The ports are alsotiesiscompletedin2026. whichlinksthePortofexport conveyor systems. policies. major economic contributorsReesconcludes,Theport Wilmingtonscontainerandto the state and its residents. improvements we are work-CFS operations on one plat- d ualf oCus is a r ed -s ear erouting , s uPPly The South Carolina Portsing on now will put us in a form,weleverageone Ter- s trategiCC hoiCe C haind isruPtions (REACHcontinued ongreat position to handle more minalOperatingSystemtoThe Port has a dual focusAttacksonshippinginpage 52) project cargo and breakbulk.coveroperationsacrossall portfacilitieshandlingdif-ferentcargotypes,saida Port representative.e quiPMent andw arehousei nvestMentsd rivee ffiCienCyThe Port has also invested in a new gate system that fea-tures RFID technology, weigh-inmotionscales,andoptical character recognition portals.Future improvements will focus heavily on the general cargosideofthebusiness, including a new gate for users ofthePortof Wilmingtons general cargo terminal, said aPortrepresentative.The new North Gate project will eliminatetruckdelaysand bring the port entrance closer to the designated truck route and interstate network.Tokeeppacewiththe growing demand for general cargoservicesinWilming-tonandMoreheadCity,the Port has ordered new gantry cranesforbothterminals. The new cranes are expected'