Georgia Ports has started a new fast-track routing process for container vessels entering the Port of Savannah to optimize Savannah River transit for inbound ships to Garden City Terminal, according to the company's release.
The lay-berth option allows inbound vessels to pre-stage at Ocean Terminal and then move into a berth at Garden City Terminal as soon as another ship departs, accelerating discharge and loading.
The CCNI Arauco — a Maersk Gemini Service vessel — is set to start work at 1900 hrs on Thursday, September 11, 2025; without the lay-berth option, operations would have started at 0700 hrs Friday, September 12.
“This lay berth, combined with our eight start times for ship labor, creates exciting new possibilities for ships to stay on schedule or make up time. We want to thank Maersk for their leadership as the first customer to use it. This is a gamechanger for GPA and our BCOs (beneficial cargo owners) who will benefit greatly with it,” said Griff Lynch, President and CEO of Georga Ports.
The option enables working two more ships per week and reduces berth idle time from 12–15 hours to three hours.
Georgia Ports (Georgia Ports Authority, GPA) reports $3.2 billion invested in infrastructure over the past decade and anticipates $4.5 billion in the next ten years under its master plan.