The Port of Brunswick, the busiest Roll-On/Roll-Off (Ro/Ro) port on the East Coast, is investing in infrastructure to drive efficiency and add capacity to prepare for future growth. The Port currently handles an average of 55 Ro/Ro vessel calls per month. The Ro/Ro freight transport market represents a critical segment of global maritime logistics.

This specialized shipping method enables vehicles, trailers, and other rolling stock to be driven directly onto vessels, eliminating the need for complex loading equipment and significantly reducing handling time. Operational efficiency is critical for this market sector, and the Port of Brunswick has several projects underway to drive progress in achieving these goals.

Dredging the Inner and Outer Harbor

Federally funded dredging is underway at the Port of Brunswick, with current operations expected to be completed in March. Additional work is scheduled for the summer. Dredging is a normal requirement for harbor maintenance. These changes will allow the port to serve vessels with a capacity of 4,000 to 8,000 CEUs (Car Equivalent Units). According to a Georgia Port Authority (GPA) representative, “Larger vessels are now the most common newbuild size, enabling carriers to move cargo in fewer trips. Vessels up to 10,000 CEUs are eventually expected to serve the US East Coast.”

GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch views the dredging effort as positive news for customers who rely on the Port of Brunswick to serve the Southeast market. “Deeper water will mean increased vessel transit efficiency,” he said. Greater depth also allows vessels loaded with more cargo to transit the channel without waiting for high tide, according to a representative of the Brunswick Bar Pilots Association.

Corps of Engineers Project

A separate Brunswick Harbor improvement project led by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is expected to start later this year. The Corps’ plan includes a bend widener and expansion of the turning basin. This is the area where tugboats help ships turn downriver for docking and quick departure. Congress has approved $11.3 million for the federal share of the harbor improvement projects. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and the state legislature have allocated just over $6 million to cover the state’s share of the project. In addition to facilitating global trade, the GPA is also a driver of economic growth for the state and the source of jobs for residents.

Port Adding a Fourth Berth to its Colonel’s Island Terminal

The major on-terminal project at the Port of Brunswick right now is the GPA’s $100 million construction of a fourth berth for Ro/Ro cargo. The new berth is expected to be completed in the fall of 2027. This project will also support the Port’s ability to handle larger vessels efficiently with no delays for arriving ships. In its current state, the Colonels Island Terminal provides industry-leading capacity and flexibility, according to the GPA.

“The Port of Brunswick provides efficient ocean-to-dealer connectivity to a broad leadership network across the Southeast,” said a GPA representative. He noted that Colonels Island is less than 2.5 miles from major interstates and provides short-line rail service to Norfolk Southern and CSX.

Ro/Ro: Oversized and Overweight

Not all Ro/Ro cargo involves automobiles. Port Brunswick is equipped to handle oversized and overweight cargo, like front-end loaders and dozers. “Nothing else in the US can match the scale of Port Brunswick’s on-terminal heavy-equipment processing center at Colonels Island Terminal,” said a GPA representative.

The facility offers outdoor storage of more than 310 acres and 77 acres of paved roller-compacted concrete, up to 12 inches thick. The GPA said, “This stands up to weight and tracked machinery better than asphalt. Colonels Island also has 40 acres paved in heavy asphalt for wheeled machines.”

The terminal has 680,000 square feet of covered storage for processing heavy equipment, including drivable and crated machinery. The Port manages various heavy equipment, including construction and mining machines like dump trucks, tractors, harvesters, excavators, motor graders, and stationary or crated units.

“More than 20 heavy equipment manufacturers use Colonels Island,” said a GPA representative. “Heavy equipment processing includes services such as fumigation, touch-up paint, and assembly.” Examples include excavators and buckets being attached on-terminal and components being added to basic equipment to build machines to order.”

Benefits of Ro/Ro Shipping

While all modes of shipping have challenges and benefits, Ro/Ro transportation has many advantages. It provides a secure method of shipping cargo with vehicles and goods carefully loaded and secured on the vessel, minimizing the risk of damage or loss during transit. It also offers cost advantages compared to traditional breakbulk shipping methods.

With specialized vessels for efficient loading and unloading, this transportation method can streamline operations and reduce handling costs. The Ro/Ro process simplifies the loading and unloading of cargo. The process is quick and efficient, with vehicles or towable units driving directly onto the vessel, which saves time compared to other shipping methods that require cranes or extensive handling.

Ro/Ro shipping also provides easy access to ports and destinations that may be challenging for other transportation modes. This accessibility expands trade opportunities and facilitates international commerce in remote regions.

Georgia Ports Drive Economic Growth

From the Port of Brunswick and its industry-leading Ro/Ro cargo handling to the Port of Savannah’s growing container volumes, these deepwater ports are Georgia’s gateways to the world. According to the GPA, they are the critical conduits through which raw materials and finished products flow to and from destinations around the globe. Regardless of headwinds due to geopolitical unrest and rapidly changing tariffs, the GPA seems to be taking a long-range view of global trade, continuing to make strategic investments to drive more efficiency and reduce transit times, two important factors in today’s supply chains.

Georgia ports are also a key driver of economic growth for the state. As one of the state’s largest public employers, the GPA directly employs more than 1,800 trained logistics professionals. The GPA, however, is responsible for generating far more employment throughout the state. GPA operations, together with private sector, port-related operations, account for more than 650,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $43 billion in income, $174 billion in revenue, and $6 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy.