The SC Ports Authority handled 152,917 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, in January, marking an 18 percent boost in container volumes over the same month last year, the company said in its press release.
January container traffic pushed fiscal year to date TEU volumes past the 1 million mark, with 1,072,438 TEUs moved since the period began in July. Fiscal year to date, TEU volumes are up 14 percent year over year.
As measured in pier containers, SCPA moved 88,619 boxes in January. With 614,372 boxes handled fiscal year to date, pier container levels are up 15 percent compared to the same period last year.
"While ship sizes grow, driving increases in the number of container moves per vessel, our port continues to work well," said SCPA President and CEO Jim Newsome. "Strong terminal productivity ensures trucks can efficiently move cargo in and out of our facilities without delays."
Non-containerized cargo also saw gains in January, with total fiscal year to date breakbulk volumes 7 percent higher than planned levels. In January Charleston handled 65,153 tons and is slightly above plan for the fiscal year. Georgetown handled 14,933 tons, bringing the facility's fiscal year gains to 15 percent over plan.
The SCPA posted record intermodal rail growth for in 2014, with an increase of 38 percent over last year. The SPCA handled 199,000 rail lifts last year with increases across all major lanes, including Memphis, Greer, Atlanta, Birmingham and Nashville. Rail volume has doubled since 2011, and nearly 20 percent of the SCPA's total container volume currently moves by rail.
A significant driver of continued rail volume increases is the Inland Port, which reached an all-time high in monthly rail lifts in January.
The Inland Port handled 5,068 rail moves last month, and 30,495 rail lifts completed fiscal year to date.