SSA Marine upgrades benefit shippers as air draft project enters final months
Following the completion of a more than $100 million modernization project, SSA Marine is expanding capacity and improving efficiency at its Jacksonville Container Terminal on Blount Island.
The upgrades position the terminal to handle more cargo, serve larger vessels and move containers through the terminal more efficiently, benefiting businesses that import and export goods through JAXPORT.
The improvements also strengthen the supply chains that support cargo moving through Jacksonville’s seaport, which supports 258,000 jobs throughout Florida.
“Our modernization project not only makes JCT more operationally efficient, but it positions both SSA Marine and JAXPORT for continued growth well into the future,” said Frank McBride, Regional VP of Florida Operations at SSA Marine.
A JAXPORT partner for more than 40 years, SSA Marine completed a $72 million terminal modernization project in 2025 before investing in additional cargo-handling equipment, bringing the total investment to more than $100 million.
Key improvements include:
- Three new Super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes, doubling JCT’s fleet to six
- Four new rubber-tired gantry cranes that improve cargo movement throughout the terminal
- Upgraded terminal lighting
- Nearly 100 acres of new high-strength pavement
- A redesigned gate complex with six new outbound lanes to improve truck flow
The additional cranes enable the terminal to efficiently serve some of the world’s largest container vessels while increasing overall capacity.
Today, JCT features two container berths totaling 2,380 linear feet and annual capacity exceeding 650,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), significantly more than just a few years ago.
The terminal improvements also maximize the benefits of JAXPORT’s 47-foot shipping channel, allowing customers to move cargo more efficiently through Jacksonville.
But McBride says the investments go beyond infrastructure.
“One of the things that sets JCT apart is our hands-on customer service,” he said. “Continuous process improvement is a core focus for us and our team provides prompt updates on cargo status, and that’s something our customers value.”
Customers are already seeing the benefits of the terminal upgrades. According to McBride, the new rubber-tired gantry cranes have reduced import delivery times, helping cargo move off the terminal more quickly.
The investments also come as Jacksonville continues to grow as a logistics and distribution hub. More than 98 million U.S. consumers live within a day’s drive of Jacksonville, with immediate access to Interstates 10 and 95 and Class I rail service from CSX and Norfolk Southern.
Looking ahead, SSA Marine expects continued investment in Jacksonville’s port infrastructure—including JAXPORT’s project to raise the St. Johns River shipping channel operational air draft to 205 feet (total height of 225 feet) by late 2026—further strengthening the region’s competitive position.
“Our customers see the investments we’re making and how they support their supply chains while building on the momentum Jacksonville is experiencing,” McBride said. “We’re looking forward to continuing to support JAXPORT’s growth for years to come.”
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