The Port of Virginia moved 265,490 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in October, which is growth of more than 11 percent – for containers as well — when compared with the same month last year and an all-time record for the amount of cargo handled in a single month.

October’s TEU volume broke the previous record set in May 2017 by 18,619 units, or 7.5 percent.

“To process that amount volume in a month — 127,000 imports and nearly 139,000 export container loads—and do so safely and with efficiency is testament to the high level at which The Port of Virginia team and our labor partners are performing,” said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority (VPA).

“The berth, gate, rail and barge operations are all flowing,” Reinhart added. “Our strategic growth plan is firing on all cylinders. We continue to move containers more swiftly, safely and sustainably than ever before. Our breakbulk tonnage increased nearly 12 percent and automobile imports jumped nearly 103 percent. Next week we are going to put our new 40-plug mobile power unit to work on the Richmond Express and this development will help to build refrigerated cargo business moving across Richmond Marine Terminal.”

Peak season volumes, brought by ultra-large container vessels, are steady and Reinhart says the trend will continue through December. Further, construction teams are making headway on the expansion at Virginia International Gateway (VIG) and tracking according to schedule. The first RMGs (rail-mounted gantry cranes) are set for delivery in January 2018 and are scheduled to be operational by late April.

With two months remaining in the year, the port is tracking for a positive finish to 2017. On a calendar-year basis, total TEU volumes are up 7.9 percent; containers up 8.2 percent; rail, up 4 percent; trucks, up 10 percent; and barge volume, up 28.5 percent.

“Through our strong month-on-month performances, we are building our brand and reputation domestically and internationally as the Mid-Atlantic global gateway for cargo of all types,” Reinhart said. “We know that next year, as we get into heavy construction at Norfolk International Terminals and the first phases of VIG go live, the industry and cargo owners will be watching. We continue to plan to ensure that we process volumes safely, efficiently and consistently while focusing on mitigating any adverse impacts on the operation as construction progresses.”