Port Efficiency & Productivity

• Cited by clients as the most productive container port in North America. Average truck turn time is 21 minutes.
• Working container ships at an average of 41 moves per hour per crane (60% more efficient than most West Coast ports).
• Efficiently integrated rail and highway inland delivery systems providing fast access to the dynamic Southeast U.S. population and manufacturing centers.
• On-dock and near-dock rail.
• Dedicated non-container facilities handling specialized heavy lift, roll-on/roll-off, bulk, and traditional break-bulk cargo.

Port Technology

• The Port uses the ORION computer system to expedite the cargo clearance process (most cleared up to three days prior to arrival).
• The Port's Yard Management System provides up-to-date information on cargo shipments and more effectively makes use of the port's container yards.
• Several kinds of security technology are in place at the Port of Charleston:
  • Radiation Portal Monitors scan 100% of containers leaving the terminal
  • VACIS machines screen targeted cargo on-site
  • The new OmniView Gantry X-ray Inspection System - the only one of its kind in use for commercial screening at ports - provides further screening capabilities for port security officials.

Geography & Trade Routes

• Charleston's port terminals are closer to the open sea than any competing port by a significant margin.
• Northern Europe and Asia are the Port's top markets, combining for 53% of total volume, but more than 150 countries in all are served directly from the port's docks.
• Although shippers in two dozen states use Charleston to access international customers and suppliers, 45% of tonnage and about one-third of containers are related to South Carolina firms.

Percentage of Total Volume