Port of Virginia posts 2nd best March for containers

Rail and inland moves were up at the Port of Virginia compared to March 2015, but total box volumes fell based on anomalies a year ago, when the port saw volumes surge due to inclement weather at the end of February delaying vessel arrivals until March.    Container traffic at Port of Virginia terminals fell 7.2 percent to 120,519 TEUs in March, which the port authority attributed to one-time exceptions a year ago.
   Truck moves to deliver or collect containers were down 13 percent, compared to March 2015.
   The Port of Virginia experienced surge in container traffic last year, when inclement weather at the end of February delayed vessels, pushing their arrival into March. At the same time, many shippers were temporarily rerouting cargo by all-water routes to the East Coast because of West Coast port congestion exacerbated by a labor disruption on the docks.
   “However, March 2016 TEU and container volumes were the second highest March in the history of the port, so our volumes are still solid and our fiscal year results are 3.6 percent above the same period last year,” John Reinhart, executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, said in a statement. “Further, the service times for the motor carriers calling our terminals improved as well.
   “We are forecasting modest growth for the balance of the year, so our focus will be on service, cost-control and implementing critical infrastructure improvement,” he added.
   The Port of Virginia set a new record for the amount of rail cargo handled in a month having processed 46,600 rail containers, or 39 percent of March’s total container volume.
   “Our message about the strength of our rail connections to critical Midwest markets is resonating with the market,” Reinhart said. “Rail volume at the port is up 15 percent and 10 percent for the calendar and fiscal year, respectively.”
   In addition to the strong rail business, Virginia Inland Port (VIP) and Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) also showed growth in March, in comparison with March 2015. Container volume at RMT grew by 58 percent and VIP realized an increase of 45 percent when compared with same period.
   “Since Richmond Marine Terminal has been under our management, this is the first month that volumes there have exceeded 2,000 units,” Reinhart said. “Richmond and the inland port are showing their capabilities and potential and they will be vital as we go forward with our plans to significantly increase capacity at our primary, deep-water terminals over the next three to four years.”