What Ports Are Cars Shipped To?

1. Types of Seaport Shipping
2. Major Shipping Ports in the USA
3. Houston Port
4. Long Beach Port
5. Los Angeles Port
6. Newark Port
7. Georgia Ports
8. Conclusion

Millions of automobiles are imported annually into the United States, but do you know how and where they enter the country?

The truth is that most cars sold in North America are shipped by sea to ports. Automobile manufacturers will use large cargo ships to transport their vehicles from all corners of the world.

We'll review the major ports used for domestic and international car shipping within the United States.

Types of Seaport Shipping

Whether you need to ship a car internationally or import one into the United States, you should look into your port options.

Ro-Ro (Roll On/Roll Off) car shipping is one of the most popular methods for such transfers – this type of ship is designed to take your vehicle from Point A to Point B without any extra effort.

During Ro-Ro shipping, the car is driven on board, secured safely, and ensured that it is parked in its designated area. This method requires that the vehicle is in running condition, as no mechanical assistance will be used for loading and unloading.

If your vehicle isn't up to scratch, you can opt for container car shipping.

Container ships are much more significant vessels suitable for even more items and heavy machinery than Ro-Ro ships can handle.

Container ships can transport cars in any condition as they are loaded with a crane making them accessible for all vehicles.

The containers also provide extra security throughout transit due to their sturdy build and weatherproof nature, thus providing additional protection against damage during shipping.

Major Shipping Ports in the USA

Depending on your destination, sailing times, and transportation, the port of entry for a car can vary.

Each major shipping port is a large, bustling hub where containers full of vehicles are regularly loaded onto ships outgoing to other countries worldwide.

If you’re shipping containers or vehicles from California or Southwestern states, then major ports like Los Angeles and Oakland would be best due to their proximity and short average transit times — usually around two weeks or less — for intercontinental destinations.

On the other hand, if you're sending from Central America or Florida, then Miami and South Carolina offer excellent choices. These ports have shorter average transit times to Caribbean nations like Haiti or Columbia since crossing such a temporary body of water generally takes less time than overseas voyages to European or Asian countries.

It would be best to consider which ports offer the fastest sailing times depending on where you want to ship vehicles from the US.

Here are the five biggest container shipping ports situated in the US:

Houston Port

The Port of Houston is the largest port on the Gulf Coast and the busiest US port in foreign tonnage. The complex sprawls over 25 miles and lies only a few hours away from the Gulf of Mexico.

Because of this, it is highly recommended for auto importers and exporters who need to get containers to their destinations fast and easily.

In 2016, the port handled 68% of all container traffic from the Gulf Coast to the United States. To ensure that it carries out its position as one of the major shipping ports efficiently, it has outfitted itself with super post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes, enabling it to keep up with larger container vessels and accommodate ships from the Panama Canal.

These cranes have allowed hundreds of commercial boats and ships carrying goods to pass through or dock at the Houston harbor safely and quickly, thus making it an incredibly successful commercial center within Texas.

Long Beach Port

The Long Beach Port in California is one of the largest and busiest seaports in the world. With over 70 shipping lines and over 200 vessels calling on the port weekly, it is an ideal spot for car manufacturers and retailers to ship their cars.

Each year it handles 9 million 20-foot container units of cargo valued at $200 billion. When ranked by container volume, the port is the ninth busiest in the world, tied with the Port of Los Angeles.

The Port of Long Beach's financial impact on the economy is immense; the port contributes $46.6 billion yearly in local, state, and general federal tax revenues.

Shipping directly from Long Beach is well-known amongst trading companies worldwide as it can reduce freight costs compared to shipping from other ports due to its geographic position along an established maritime route.

Los Angeles Port

San Pedro Bay, where the Port of Los Angeles is located, is an integral part of this region of southern California and the United States.

With its strategic location, it handles most of the trans pacific trade coming through the US ports, and for this reason, it has been nicknamed “America’s Port.” Spanning over 7,500 acres and 43 miles of waterfront along its docks, the port serves both cargo ships and recreational boating.

Most of the Transpacific trade in the country goes through the Port of Los Angeles in California's San Pedro Bay, and in 2021 the port moved 10.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units, the busiest year it's ever had.

Since 2000 and up until today, the Port of Los Angeles has kept its title as the busiest port in mainland USA and ranks 19th in global containerized cargo volume worldwide.

Newark Port

Newark Port serves two of America's most significant urban centers; New York and New Jersey.

This port occupies 272 acres and handles more than 1.3 million twenty-foot equivalent containers annually.

Being close to large urban centers like New York City, the region covered by the Ports in Newark can offer its clients an advantage regarding the fast delivery of their goods.

Georgia Ports

The Ports of Savannah and Brunswick are two of the state's major commercial hubs that the Georgia Ports Authority manages. Many warehouses, distribution centers, and factories make the Port of Savannah one of the most productive ports in the world.

The Georgia Ports Authority is the second busiest in the country for total Ro/Ro trade. It has safe Roll-on/Roll-off facilities in both Savannah and Brunswick. Ocean Terminal in Savannah deals with Ro/Ro, breakbulk, and project cargo. A variety of carriers use the five deep-water berths at the terminal.

A dedicated RoRo facility that doesn't compete with container ports is located at Brunswick's Colonel's Island Terminal, housing International Auto Processing, Mercedes-Benz USA, and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions.

Nine steamship lines use the Port of Brunswick's three modern Ro/Ro berths. In its present condition, it can service over 900,000 vehicles annually. There will be room for 1.5 million cars annually once all 150,000 processing spaces are operational.

Conclusion

In the end, the ports used for car shipping in the United States vary depending on where you live and the destination country for auto shipments.

However, most major automakers will use specific ports depending on the destination port to move cars from one continent to another.

Knowing which ports can be used for car shipping is crucial information for buyers who want to save time and money.

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