The Port of Savannah handled 534,037 TEUs in August, up 44,000 TEUs or 9% year-over-year. It was the third-busiest month in Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) history. Container volumes reached 1,010,725 TEUs fiscal year-to-date through August, a 3.2% increase from last year.
In September, GPA launched a new fast-track routing system for vessels entering Savannah. Inbound ships now dock temporarily at Ocean Terminal until space opens at Garden City Terminal. The first vessel using this process cut 12–15 hours from its schedule. GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch called the system “a gamechanger” that reduces berth idle time from up to 15 hours down to three.
Meanwhile, auto and machinery volumes at the Port of Brunswick fell. Colonels Island Terminal handled 63,926 units in August, down 14.3% year-over-year. Fiscal year-to-date volumes dropped 11.8% to 132,918 units.
Georgia’s ports continue to drive economic growth. A University of Georgia study found they support nearly 651,000 jobs statewide, up 7% from last year. The ports generated $174 billion in sales, $77 billion in GDP, and $43 billion in personal income in fiscal 2024.
The GPA Board has approved $614 million in improvements at Ocean Terminal, part of a $1.54 billion renovation. The project will expand truck gates, add a new ramp to U.S. 17/Interstate 16, and allow the facility to serve two large ships at once by 2028. Long term, GPA plans to invest $4.5 billion in infrastructure, including new berths at Ocean Terminal and a new container terminal on Hutchinson Island.
On 18 September, GPA also celebrated National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. More than 14,000 trucks move through Savannah’s terminals daily. COO Ed McCarthy said: “We honor our trucking community for the critical role they play in keeping Georgia’s supply chains strong.”
