THE Port of Philadelphia welcomed its largest vessel ever, the 14,400-TEU CMA-CGM J Madison to the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal on December 15, reports the American Journal of Transportation.
"With our deeper main channel and our super postpanamax cranes - we can easily handle this size vessel and larger," said PhilaPort CEO Jeff Theobald.
"It's just great to see this vessel calling Philadelphia."
Part of the CMA-CGM Columbus Service that links South China and Southeast Asia via the Suez Canal, the J Madison's arrival signifies a significant milestone for PhilaPort.
The terminal's preparation for larger vessels has been years in the making, enhancing competitiveness and accommodating ships of this scale.
"We have been preparing for this moment for years, improving our competitiveness by building a terminal that can handle these larger vessels, which already call on other ports along the east coast," said Holt Logistics chief operations officer Eric Holt.
"It's great to see the port's investments paying off with the arrival of bigger ships and larger cargoes."
Source: shippingazette