Port of Virginia exceeds volume and efficiency expectations

It’s hard to believe we’ve been keeping an eye on the Port of Virginia since early 2016 when the infrastructure was just starting to become an issue.
Under the alerts that post-Panamax vessels were going to emerge from a widened Panama Canal, we documented so many successes as the port grew larger, dredged deeper, and moved more containers year after year. However, as infrastructure is rebuilt and equipment upgraded, there’s massive potential for delays and work stoppage.

It’s a rare occasion we can celebrate a 33% reduction in truck turn times as we look to setting a port record of 3 million TEUs for 2019. Not only can the port serve ultra large ships with more than 14,000 TEUs, but delays are minimized by the increase in efficiency and infrastructure support that’s been put into place well before the first mega ship docked. As impressive as the numbers look, the Port of Virginia did not grow as fast as some other East Coast Ports. The slower growth allowed for the leeway to make improvements at a better pace to manage the influx of cargo without overwhelming new systems.

“We’ve pivoted toward being a little more aggressive toward growth now that we’re bringing on our infrastructure,” he said. “So you’ll see us continue to try to build our volume momentum. And, secondly, we’re also very active and have been active the last three years on economic development across the state.”

As always, we at Nelson International will be watching as the news updates with more information about the booming Port of Virginia.