Virginia port broke container volume record in 2014

The Port of Virginia in 2014 handled more than 2.3 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 7.6 percent increase versus 2013's total and a new annual record.

"We moved 169,000 more TEUs than we did in 2013, which until now was our most productive year on record," said John Reinhart, chief executive officer and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, in a press release.

The port exceeded the 200,000-TEU mark in eight months last year: April, May, July, August, September, October, November and December. In addition, rail container volume rose 4 percent to 448,096 — the highest annual level in the port’s history — and the Virginia Inland Port set a new throughput record at 36,841 containers, up 14.5 percent.

Overall, trucks moved 63 percent of total cargo in 2014, followed by rail at 33 percent and barge at 4 percent.

The port capped off the year with strong volume in December, when container traffic jumped 12.3 percent year over year to 203,276 TEUs. December is the half-way mark of the port's fiscal-year 2015.

"Our volume is tracking for a record fiscal year, as well. At the half-way point, we're up 8 percent," said Reinhart.