Port of Brunswick, Georgia, is the nation’s busiest for autos, heavy equipment.

The Port of Brunswick, Georgia, has become the nation’s busiest port for autos and heavy equipment, handling more than 2 million tons of Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro/Ro) cargo in 2024. According to USATradeonline, Brunswick was also the top port in the nation for Ro/Ro exports last year, handling 901,912 units of autos and heavy equipment last year. Autos are up 13.3% and heavy equipment is up 160%.

Colonel’s Island Terminal in Brunswick GA
Georgia Ports Authority is adding capacity at Colonel’s Island Terminal in Brunswick to meet growing demand.

Infrastructure Investments Drive Growth

The Georgia Port Authority completed $262 million in improvements at the Port of Brunswick in 2024, adding new warehousing and processing space, as well as 122 acres of Ro/Ro cargo storage. Construction has started in a new railyard on Colonel’s Island, while a fourth berth for Ro/Ro vessels is in the engineering phase.

“This is an important milestone in our journey to be the best Ro/Ro port in the industry,” said Griff Lynch, Georgia Ports President and CEO. He said that added capacity will extend Brunswick’s service area because moving cargo from farther-to-reach inland factories to the Georgia coast is more cost-effective by rail than by truck.

Phase I of the new railyard will increase the port’s annual rail capacity from approximately 150,000 autos to more than 340,000 by mid-2025. Phase II will expand the annual rail capacity to 590,000 units, which is greater than three times the current capacity.

Separately, construction on a fourth Ro/Ro berth is in the planning stages and is expected to start during the summer months of 2025. The new berth should be complete in 2027, according to a GPA spokesman, and will more efficiently accommodate vessels carrying 10,800+ car equivalent units (CEUs.)

One primary factor driving growth at the Port of Brunswick is the increase in auto and heavy equipment manufacturing in the GPA’s service area. The U.S. Southeast also has the fastest-growing population of any region in the country, driving an increase in consumer demand.

“Our growth comes as auto manufacturers seek to increase business through Georgia,” said Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch. “This project will expand capacity, improve our ability to serve inland factories, and increase the safety of rail operations, both on- and off-terminal, and lessen community impact to our neighbors.”

GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain echoed Lynch’s words, saying, “Our vision is to design, build, and operate the number one Ro/Ro port in the world with our customers and partners. Across-the-board improvements in our shipping channels, berths, rail capacity, storage, and processing capacity will help ensure that as their volumes grow, our customers will enjoy world-class service and make long-term gains in their businesses.”

Port Supports Businesses

The GPA plans to be ready to grow with its customers as indicated by the recently signed 20-year agreement with Wallenius Wilhelmsen (WW) in April 2024, consolidating the company’s logistics operations at the Port of Brunswick.

“At its expanded Brunswick facility, WW is not only handling Ro/Ro processing but also order fulfillment for heavy equipment, configuring the machinery for the end user before delivery,” said Lynch. “We’re excited to be handling this additional business and the nation’s most efficient gateway for Ro/Ro cargo.”

Bigger Ships

Lynch also said that the Port of Brunswick anticipates handling larger vessels, carrying a greater number of autos and heavy equipment. The typical Ro/Ro vessel today has a range of 4,000 to 8,000 CEUs. Lynch added that “Ro/Ro carriers are expected to bring 10,800 CEU vessels to Brunswick in the next two to three years.”

“Similar to the dynamic of growing container ships, these larger Ro/Ro vessels are expected to call on fewer ports and handle greater influxes of Ro/Ro units during each visit,” he said. “The 1,700-acre Colonel’s Island terminal is uniquely qualified to handle these larger transactions thanks to our scale of operations and efficiency.”

In addition to on-terminal improvements, the shipping channel in Brunswick will also be upgraded through federal projects. Lynch said that the channel improvements will help ensure Brunswick is ready to handle the larger vessels headed its way.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and the state legislature have allocated just over $6 million for special harbor improvements at the Port of Brunswick. This allocation will go toward the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as Georgia’s share of the project costs. The plan includes a bend widener and expansion of the turning basin. An expanded vessel meeting area at St. Simons Sound is expected to improve safety for vessels passing each other in two-way traffic.

Focus on Workforce

Because of the unique demands of handling Ro/Ro cargo, the Port of Brunswick works diligently to attract and retain trained employees. While 2024 was a time of labor unrest, the GPA does not foresee any labor issues in 2025.

“With the six-year contract recently signed between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, we expect stability among the workforce,” said a GPA spokesman.

Georgia Ports Offer Comprehensive Trade Options

While its sister, the Port of Savannah, handles all of GPA’s container trade, the Port of Brunswick handles breakbulk cargo, including crates of rubber, rolls of paper, and paperboard, as well as heavy equipment. According to a GPA spokesman, “Specialization of Ro/Ro and breakbulk in Brunswick, and container trade in Savannah provides greater capacity and expert handling for all of our customers’ cargo.”