Jacksonville-based carrier Trailer Bridge and terminal operator Ports America have signed a 10-year agreement to handle stevedoring and deploy terminal technology for Trailer Bridge’s Jones Act barge service between Jacksonville and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The deal gives Ports America responsibility for cargo handling at Trailer Bridge’s Blount Island terminal at Jaxport and calls for implementation of Ports America’s Dockworks terminal operating system to improve cargo tracking and supply-chain visibility for customers.
The agreement includes two optional five-year extensions, creating a potential 20-year operating horizon.
Under the partnership, Ports America will provide stevedoring labor and terminal expertise for Trailer Bridge’s Jacksonville operation, consolidating cargo-handling functions under a single North American terminal operator with experience in ro-ro, breakbulk, and Jones Act trades.
Ports America will also roll out its Dockworks TOS at the Jacksonville terminal, with customer-facing visibility tools expected to come online in 2027. The technology investment aims to give shippers better real-time information on trailer and container movements along the Jacksonville-San Juan lane.
The arrangement reinforces Jacksonville’s role as a primary mainland gateway for Puerto Rico-bound freight, giving the port a long-term, technology-enabled operating framework for a major Jones Act customer. The partners expect a shared terminal platform to reduce handoffs, improve equipment utilization, and create a more predictable service profile for shippers dependent on the Jacksonville-San Juan corridor.
In July, Zim and Mediterranean Shipping Co. made the first call at Jacksonville as part of the new ZCP-Amberjack container service linking major container gateways in Asia with expanded access via connections to Latin America, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
Trailer Bridge operates an asset-light transportation model focused on domestic ocean service to Puerto Rico, alongside international freight forwarding and U.S. government logistics.
The long-term stevedoring and technology agreement is designed to stabilize operations on one of the most active Jones Act routes by tying physical terminal handling to a modern terminal system.
Ports America, which runs container, ro-ro, vehicle, military, and cruise terminals across North America, said the partnership extends its footprint in Jones Act cargo handling and supports efforts to improve reliability and transparency on the Puerto Rico trade.
Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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