As the world continues to recover from the global pandemic, shippers have faced varying challenges caused by supply chain shortages and port congestion. The goal of assuredly moving product from factory to consumer in ways to improve delivery time and costs has driven a shift toward diversification of specialized containerized shipping methods to expedite the movement of goods from point of departure to point of use.
Port Canaveral is a major East Coast port with a long history of handling a broad mix of bulk and breakbulk cargos, including petroleum products, fertilizer, juice concentrate, lumber and building materials, aggregates, and other commodities. Cargo throughput numbers at the port have been steadily increasing year over year, hitting new high volumes of tonnage in the last fiscal year (2022).
Consumer demand in Florida and throughout the southeastern US remains strong for primary materials used in roadway and railway building and residential and commercial construction; products such as crushed granite, slag, plywood, and lumber; in addition to imported frozen and refrigerated produce, and most recently, canned vegetables.
Availability or lack thereof of specialized containers such as reefers has prompted the increasing use of multi-purpose ships, including refrigerated bulkers for transporting palletized breakbulk cargos, such as frozen food or other perishable products — commodities that have been traditionally shipped as containerized cargo. This move toward diversifying shipping options has provided retailers with alternatives to what has typically been traditional single-shipping commitments in the container trade.
With some cargo owners reverting to what may be considered “old school” shipping methods, Port Canaveral has benefitted from the increased volumes of inbound palletized goods. The port’s strategic location along the Atlantic shipping lanes provides deepwater access with unrestricted air draft for all types of vessels, and is known for its efficiency in handling non-containerized cargo.
Refrigerated and frozen products shipped as bulk or breakbulk cargo are not desirable for offload nor efficiently handled at container ports. Port Canaveral provides cargo owners with the opportunity for better and faster turnaround of products from ship to store shelves to save time and money and lessen the chance for spoilage — overall, highly attractive advantages that a growing number of wholesalers and retailers are recognizing.