While the container and breakbulk shipping sectors have experienced a roller-coaster ride over the past few years, ports that have seen strong market demand — and invested in capacity to stay ahead of the curve — have certainly enjoyed the ride. Strong population growth has fueled demand for consumer goods, e-commerce, food and beverage products, and construction and building materials. Diversification of supply chains and nearshoring to Mexico and Central America are creating new opportunities. Shippers are demanding more direct services to those ports closest to their distribution centers, minimizing drayage costs, while generating environmental benefits by reducing truck miles traveled, as well as emissions and idling time.
Florida provides the perfect snapshot of these trends with strong population growth, now home to 22 million residents that make it the third-largest state. This, combined with a red-hot tourism sector welcoming over 130 million visitors per year, results in one of the most dynamic markets in the country. The Tampa Bay/I-4 Corridor — Florida’s distribution hub — is home to the largest concentration of DCs in the state, with Port Tampa Bay perfectly positioned as the closest port to serve this market. Truckers now do three to four round-trip deliveries per day from Port Tampa Bay to these DCs, which then serve the entire state of Florida and reach into markets throughout the Southeast and beyond. To keep pace with the rapid growth, the port has been busy expanding terminal capacity with additional paved storage, extended berths, cranes and equipment, and new transload warehouse facilities.