The Port of Baltimore channel has fully reopened to all vessel traffic as of June 10, 2024, following 11 weeks of painstaking progress clearing debris from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
As the ninth largest United States. port for international cargo, the Port of Baltimore handles over 52 million tons of vessel freight annually.
The Key Bridge collapse represented a major disruption to both domestic and international supply chains in addition to the displacement of 34,000 vehicles that traveled the bridge daily.
Now, with the final massive pieces of bridge truss — composed of concrete, cables, and steel rebar — cleared from the 700-foot-wide channel, regular operations can resume at the Port of Baltimore.
At Anderson Trucking Service, Inc. (ATS), we’ve kept a close eye on the progress of recovery operations in Baltimore since the moment of impact so we can keep our customers informed on the immediate and long-term impact on their freight.
Like so many shippers, we’ve been looking forward to the day that the Port of Baltimore could safely reopen, and we’ve prepared a quick guide on what to expect in the days to come.
With our expert guidance at your fingertips, you’ll be prepared to hit the ground running as this significant cargo hub returns to its former glory.
- Port of Baltimore operations
- Will the Port of Baltimore reopening impact the freight market?
- How can shippers make Baltimore shipments successful?
Port of Baltimore Operations
For shippers, the experience of shipping to and from the Port of Baltimore should be largely the same as it was pre-closure.
The biggest factor for shippers to consider in the wake of the reopening will be congestion, both in the port itself and on the roads in and out of Baltimore.
From cargo held at the port for the duration of the closure to the new freight coming in, the Port of Baltimore will be inundated with a fresh wave of traffic for the first few weeks after the reopening.
We expect congestion at the port will return to pre-closure levels in about two to four weeks.
In the meantime, advance planning will be critical, much as it was during the closure. Work with your transportation provider to build in a little extra time for your Baltimore-bound shipments to prevent slowdowns in your supply chain.
Will the Port of Baltimore Reopening Impact the Freight Market?
While the overall impact on the freight market won’t be earth-shattering, shippers will be glad to hear that things will shift back to “normal” — or whatever “normal” is for the freight market in 2024.
Related: Truckload Transportation Industry Forecast 2024
With traffic returning to the Port of Baltimore, we’ll see capacity return to the area, too.
We’ll also see less traffic at other East Coast ports like Norfolk and New York/Newark, which took on much of the re-routed freight in the weeks following the Key Bridge collapse.
These other eastern ports will feel the impact of the reopening in the form of reduced twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU), forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU), and roll on/roll off (ro-ro) freight volumes, but with time, volume should return to their pre-closure levels.
With so many trucks heading to the newly reopened port, shippers are likely to see better rates out of the Baltimore area, at least in the short term.
But shippers should be aware of the heightened potential for accessorial fees, particularly detention and layover costs, related to the increased congestion in and around the port.
On the whole, though, we expect the reopening to have a positive effect on the freight market. Shippers will shift back to their familiar, preferred shipping routes and capacity will flood into the area, helping to stimulate the market and turn Baltimore into a freight hotspot once more.
How Can Shippers Make Baltimore Shipments Successful?
In a word: Communicate.
The Port of Baltimore’s temporary closure required shippers to increase their level of communication and flexibility with their shipping partners, and we recommend maintaining that diligence in the days and weeks following its reopening.
If you’re shifting your operations back to Baltimore in the near future, talk with your transportation provider about their preparedness for new challenges at the port, such as increased congestion.
A good transportation provider will arm their drivers with knowledge before they head to the port to pick up their first shipment post-opening.
Drivers will want to have the required certifications, portal registrations, and load-related paperwork in order before they subject themselves to the port entry queue.
Otherwise, they may be turned away at guard check, adding time (and frustration) to your shipment.
While shippers can’t personally oversee each driver’s paperwork completion, they can complete their own paperwork in a timely fashion and communicate with their provider to ensure they have all the information they need to do the same.
Prep Your Supply Chain For the Next Disaster
As the Port of Baltimore returns to its former glory in the wake of the tragic Key Bridge catastrophe, the city of Baltimore and the global freight industry can begin to heal, as can shippers’ supply chains.
The Key Bridge collapse was an unforeseeable circumstance, but this kind of industry-wide disruption to “business as usual” is not as rare as one might think.
National and world events have a regular, if unpredictable, effect on the global economy — an effect that ripples out across industries.
As a freight shipper, it’s in your best interest (and the best interest of your business) to future-proof your supply chain as much as possible in our ever-changing world. Check out our recent article on protecting your supply chain from disruptive events for a quick primer.
By understanding why and how disruptive events like the Port of Baltimore closure can directly impact your business, you can better prepare your business to navigate today’s unpredictable and dynamic freight market.
