Members of Hilldrup’s International department had the unique opportunity to attend a tour of the Port of Baltimore in Maryland to learn how the port transports millions of tons of international cargo each year. There was plenty to learn and see as the Port of Baltimore handled a record-breaking 43 million tons of international cargo in 2018 alone.

Our team was able to get a first-hand look at the inner workings of the Port of Baltimore from the Patapsco River via a boat tour. Here, we learned about the cargo container industry including the vessels, ports and even cranes at the port, which make transporting this cargo possible every day. And it’s certainly no small feat!

“The 2018 figures for public and private terminals combined follow an earlier announcement that the [Baltimore] Port’s state-owned public terminals alone handled 10.9 million tons of general cargo last year, more than ever before and the third consecutive year exceeding the 10 million-ton mark,” according to a press release from The Maryland Port Administration.

As we saw, roll-on/roll-off vessels would carry items such as cars and light trucks, farm equipment, construction equipment and bulk cargo. The cargo is loaded directly onto the vessel which essentially serves as an enormous parking garage for the machinery as it’s transported across the sea.

“The crane would have to be the most fascinating part of the entire tour,” described Shawn Carrington, International Move Coordinator. “The size and scope of the crane and how it operates was incredible. It’s amazing the amount of volume that’s handled by the cranes and that moves through the Port of Baltimore each day!”

Keeping track of the inventory, and where it’s going to and from, is essential to keeping business running at the port. In fact, 2018 set a record for cargo at the Port of Baltimore with the value of the cargo passing through this port totaling $59.7 billion compared to the previous $53.9 billion record set in 2017.

We loved being able to tour the Port of Baltimore as well as learn and network with the amazing staff there. We learned so much about international cargo and are so thankful for the opportunity to have participated – thanks for having us!

Members of Hilldrup’s international team were able to get a close look at the vessels that moved in and out of the Port of Baltimore during the tour.

Photo courtesy of Bill Desrosiers

Containers also known as “TEUs” are lifted onto vessels from the port using cranes that easily lift and organize the containers for transport on the sea or storage on land.

Photo courtesy of Bill Desrosiers

As we saw, the roll-on and roll-off vessels would carry items pictured above such as cars, farm equipment and construction machinery to be loaded directly onto the vessels for transport.

Photo courtesy of Bill Desrosiers

The Hilldrup team was grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the cargo transportation industry at the Port of Baltimore. In 2018, 43 million tons of international cargo were handled by the port.

Photo courtesy of Bill Desrosiers

Billy Morrison Author