Supply Chain Research

The South Carolina Ports Authority will invest in port deepening to allow containerized freight to leave the port by barge rather than truck, cutting 200,000 local vehicle hauls per year from 2021 onwards. While growth at the port hasn’t been substantial – total shipments increased just 3.5% year over year in 2018 after a 7.2% in the prior five years on average – it may help protect the ports competitive position in the longer term. Barge drayage isn’t for everyone though, in particular for local importers where the additional time for the barge haul may be significant versus existing de...