The Port of Savannah handled 486,000 twenty-foot equivalent container units in September, an increase of 35,280 TEUs or eight percent compared to the same month last year. For the period from July 1 to September 30, Savannah’s container trade is up 4.7 percent, or 66,845 TEUs.
“We’re focused on berth, rail, truck gate, and container yard operations to offer the best service in these competitive times for our customers,” said Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch.
The executive said the point of entry is consistently delivering operational metrics, such as 50-minute trucker turn times for dual moves at port gates and an average rail dwell of 22 hours.
It was GPA’s busiest September for total rail lifts, at 51,235 containers, up 21 percent or nearly 9,000 lifts compared to September 2024.
For the fiscal year to date, GPA achieved total rail lifts of nearly 150,000, an increase of 4.7 percent. The Appalachian Regional Port set a record of 4,453 container lifts last month, an increase of 48 percent or 1,450 lifts. Since July, the ARP has handled 11,465 containers, up 1,340 or 13 percent.
The Port of Savannah’s Mason Mega Rail Terminal also posted strong performance, moving 46,782 containers, up 19 percent, or 7,530 lifts, in September. Mason Mega Rail has moved more than 138,400 containers through September of this fiscal year, an increase of 5,380 lifts, or 4 percent, compared to the same period a year earlier.
The Port of Savannah completed 316,889 truck gate transactions in September, counting both import and export container moves. Turn times for dropping off or picking up a single container averaged 32 minutes in September.
Dual export-import moves averaged 50 minutes. Dual moves, in which a driver drops off an export and picks up an import container, account for approximately 80 percent of truck transactions at the Port of Savannah, reducing trips and emissions. Truck drivers serving the Port of Savannah complete an average of six to eight turns per day, representing the industry’s best supply chain speed through a container port.
Expansion outlook for Georgia
Construction of Berth 4 is ongoing with an expected completion in 2027.
“Market cycles are a normal part of business and are reflected in supply chain flow. We’re focused on adding new berth capabilities to help our RoRo customers compete strongly in the future,” Lynch added.