By John Powers
In the not-too-distant past, all ports were breakbulk ports. Since then, many of them have forsaken their core commodities in favor of optimizing their container handling capabilities. Fortunately, breakbulk shippers still have formidable allies in Georgia.
Breakbulk shipments via Georgia's deepwater ports reflect the history of a relatively young nation. Forest products and naval stores were staples of the earliest manifests. Industrialization of the “New World” generated import and export consignments of iron and steel. An emerging manufacturing economy generated two-way shipments of project and RoRo cargoes. Most recently, the demand for environmentally-friendly energy has spawned shipments of wind energy components.
Three categories of freight lend themselves to breakbulk handling. "High, wide and heavy" and “out-of-gauge” are terms commonly used to describe larger pieces that defy containerization. "Neo-bulk" commodities are those which…”might move in significant volume to warrant dedicated hatch space on a breakbulk vessel,” according to GPA Director of Breakbulk and Bulk Operations, Craig Kessler. Finally, a number of commodities that could be containerized move between modes depending on economic conditions, trade imbalances and equipment availability.
Traditional advantages apply to both Savannah and Brunswick: strategic locations, competitive access to the majority of the nation’s population, unrivalled surface connectivity, high productivity, mode-specific terminals and a seasoned staff. Kessler adds, “We have the advantage of having terminals in Savannah and Brunswick, separate from Savannah’s container terminal, dedicated to breakbulk and RoRo operations.”
John Wheeler, Senior Director of Trade Development, expands the list. “There aren’t many breakbulk facilities, such as Savannah’s Ocean Terminal, that can accommodate bulky, oversize pieces. The ideal facility must have shipside rail. Cranes with adequate reach and lift are essential. Ample land must be available for staging consignments from multiple origins, sub-assembly, loading to rail or barge and forwarding to ultimate destination.”
These requirements dictate that the closest port is not always the best. “Given the costs of some these projects, transportation costs are not that large a piece of the total. Therefore, shippers may opt for a port a little farther away for the peace of mind of knowing that the necessary facilities and expertise are in place,” explains Wheeler.
The final factor – a ‘dedicated’ breakbulk team. Bill Jakubsen, GPA Trade Development Sales Manager explains, “To help shippers piece together the optimum handling package, we assemble a planning team comprising beneficial cargo owners, truckers/railroads, stevedores, 3PL’s and regulatory agencies. To the mix, GPA adds its dedicated breakbulk team (who average over 20-years experience), our in-house engineering staff and ongoing, timely communications compliments of our customer service experts.”
Kessler details the team approach, “We encourage all concerned players to define the cargo, cargo logistics and any special requirements. This establishes what is expected, who is accountable, and supports our working in concert. This is done pre-cargo, during cargo and post-cargo. Our engineers provide technical support for issues such as heavy-lift specifications as well details related to specialized heavy haul rail or truck transporters."
Jakubsen defines the ultimate objective of GPA’s “breakbulk initiative.” "We are identifying new markets, and work within existing ones to identify partners to create additional breakbulk opportunities through Georgia’s deepwater ports."