Maryland trucking business feels supply chain impact from Key Bridge collapse: 'Ton of uncertainty'

BALTIMORE - The Port of Baltimore has been closed to most vessel traffic for more than a week. 

That includes mega container ships bringing goods to be distributed across the region.

White Marsh Transport Inc., a trucking business based in Sparrows Point, offloads cargo from ships at the port and transports them to suppliers and retailers. 

Their warehouse center is about two miles from the base of the Key Bridge, forcing the trucks that normally would cross the bridge to drive through the Harbor and Ft. McHenry Tunnels or around the Beltway.

"All of that time that's being used in traffic and congestion is in essence money that they're losing," said Holly Marcin, Vice President of Operations at White Marsh Transport.

The company handles several types of products, including wood and metal commodities that are sourced internationally. It also transports seafood from Louisiana.

Typically, the warehouse would handle 50 to 80 shipping containers, holding 45,000 pounds each, per day. 

After the collapse, their capacity is significantly reduced. 

They are handling 30 containers per day, which includes shipments at Seagirt Terminal that arrived before March 26 as well as diverted shipments to out-of-state ports. 

Marcin expects their capacity to decrease further when they finish processing the containers currently at the Port of Baltimore.

"The last eight days have been filled with a ton of uncertainty," Marcin says. "All of a sudden you go from your drivers making five or six port moves a day to maybe making one or two if they're lucky, depending on traffic."

Truck drivers now must travel to Norfolk, Virginia, New Jersey or New York to pick up these goods, adding significant travel time and increasing expenses for White Marsh and their customers. 

Marcin expects that to trickle down to everyday consumers soon.

"You're losing out on some of the products that just aren't simply going to make it here. Some of them might go to a New Jersey warehouse [instead]," Marcin said. [If not,] then you're going to have added expense to an economy that just might not be able to handle it right now."

Nationally, the Port of Baltimore plays a big role in specific industries.

"It's an important port for specific coal shipment exports, cars and other roll-on roll-off shipments like tractors," Martin Dresner, a professor at the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, said.

As for White Marsh Transport, there are few alternatives for them. Shipping containers typically carry 45,000 pounds of cargo, making plane transport too expensive.

CSX and Tradepoint Atlantic have offered their support to move goods by rail. Both companies issued statements saying they stand ready to assist to make sure goods can move through the region smoothly.

"The CSX service solution helps to manage the traffic flow that would typically transit through the Port of Baltimore. Leveraging strategic partnerships with steamship lines, CSX will transport freight between New York and Baltimore through its established international sales network, ensuring continuity for affected shipments," CSX said in a statement.

"Redirected cargo continues to arrive at Tradepoint Terminals, as work to clear debris with state and federal partners has fully begun. TPA is committed to accepting redirected cargo to help maintain the supply chain and re-establish commercial activity," Tradepoint Atlantic Statement said in a statement.

Both Marcin and Dresner say they are hopeful things will get back to normal soon.

"Supply chains that use the Port of Baltimore will recover and will bounce back and the port will recover as well," Dresner said.

"It's not so much you're nervous. It's more so an unknown," Marcin said.

An auxiliary channel is open for smaller barges to get through. A tugboat operator told WJZ that channel is too small for 80 to 90 percent of ship traffic that would be headed to the port.