How Maryland fleets are faring after the Baltimore bridge collapse

Impacts on freight movement

The bridge collapse has impeded cargo access to the Port of Baltimore, slowing local freight movement.

“The port has still been busy for the last week because there was cargo at the terminals that had been delivered before the collapse,” Campion said. “There’s been a lot of truck activity just clearing out cargo that was already on terminal, but within a day diversion was happening to locations like Norfolk to New York to New Jersey to Philadelphia. I’m even hearing some diversion to Delaware.”

The collapse also significantly impacted local spot flatbed freight market data, as recent data from DAT Freight & Analytics show.

“Baltimore consistently ranks in the top 10 markets for spot flatbed freight in March,” Dean Croke, principal analyst for DAT, said. “Last week’s bridge collapse saw a 57% surge in spot flatbed loads moved from Baltimore and higher linehaul rates on critical lanes. The number of spot flatbed loads moved from Baltimore to Chicago increased by 117% compared to the previous week, and the average spot flatbed jumped 25 cents to $2.03 a mile.”

However, the collapse likely won’t have as significant an impact on national markets.

“From a macroeconomic point of view, the impact of the Port of Baltimore’s situation should be limited,” Allianz Trade told FleetOwner. “Container imports via the Port of Baltimore account for 2.1% of total U.S. port traffic. We therefore estimate that 1.5% of U.S. imports enter through the Port of Baltimore ... In addition, potential diversions of maritime flows to neighboring ports should further mitigate the effects of shortages and delivery delays.”

Detours in and around Baltimore

To reach the harbor for routes that would typically cross the Francis Scott Key bridge, trucks now have to take one of three alternative routes: the Fort McHenry Tunnel on I-895, the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel on I-95, or around the Baltimore beltway on I-695.

Both tunnels have clearance restrictions that may limit some trucks from these routes. The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel limits vehicles to 162 inches tall and 96 inches wide. The Fort McHenry Tunnel limits vehicles to 174 inches tall and 132 inches wide. Both tunnels also prohibit hauling hazardous materials, including propane gas and bulk gasoline.

Freight vehicles that cannot use the tunnels should use the longer route around the Baltimore beltway instead.

“There’s much longer transportation time having to take the alternate route,” Campion said. “Additionally, traffic congestion is much worse as a result of the many, many thousands of cars and trucks that traditionally would have used the Key Bridge.”

About 115 million vehicles cross the bridge each year. Now, they have to pass through one of the three alternative routes. Those alternatives are being pushed past their capacity, congesting roadways, and slowing local truck operations.

One of MMA’s members, Campion shared, saw significantly longer transit times in taking the beltway detour. “A particular route that they would take would have run them about two and a half hours, and it is running them 50% longer from a time standpoint to make that same delivery.”

Recovery efforts

“Until the shipping channel is open, there’s a choke point; it’s choking off economic activity,” Campion said. “It’s why there’s such a priority on trying to get the waterways open, because there is such a potential for extreme negative impact on these local businesses.”

Public officials are still working to recover bodies and debris from the Patapsco River to allow maritime access for the Port of Baltimore. Crews have already opened two temporary channels for smaller vessels and are working to open a third channel for larger vessels, according to ABC News. However, these channels will not help move much freight in the near future.

“There have been some modest openings, but those have really been more for emergency services associated with recovery efforts,” Campion said. “Those channels are not going to have anywhere near the berths that the port traditionally has had ... Right now, that is essentially still blockaded.”

Support for local carriers

Campion, on behalf of the Maryland Motor Truck Association, sent an open letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation asking for six regulatory waivers to support motor carriers.

Put broadly, the letter asks for:

1. Extensions to permitted driver hours of service
2. Exceptions to some operators’ electronic logging device requirements
3. Relief from some International Registration Plan requirements
4. Changes to motor fuel haulers’ route designations
5. Financial assistance for local businesses
6. Waivers for motor carriers without International Fuel Tax Agreement decals

The International Fuel Tax Agreement waiver has already been achieved, according to Campion.

“That has already been achieved, thanks to our comptroller’s office, who really acted very quickly on that,” Campion said. “We think we are going to get some of those other requests in the near future.”

MMTA also worked with the governor’s office and the Small Business Administration to help set up economic injury disaster loans so members could pursue financial assistance. On April 1, Baltimore opened two Business Recovery Centers to help business owners process disaster loan applications.

Maryland lawmakers are also working to pass legislation to provide economic relief grants to workers and small businesses impacted by the port’s closure, according to The Baltimore Sun.

“We’re optimistic that there may be some help to throw a life preserver to some of the businesses who might really be struggling through this,” Campion said.