Traffic is crawling at a snail-like pace, backed up as far as the eye can see. So goes the rush hour report for day-trippers on the Baltimore Beltway. At the same time, traffic is humming along through the Port of Baltimore, where titanic roll-on, roll-off cargo ships release automobiles from around the world and fill their hulls with American export vehicles. Top-notch automobile cargo service has manifested in the port since the first Volkswagen Beetle entered in 1963.
Today, the Port of Baltimore consistently boasts high marks in automobile cargo handling. The port ranks No. 2 in combined import-export volume on the East Coast and No. 1 nationally in exports, according to J. B. Hanson, public information officer of the Maryland Port Administration. Last year, 123,320 vehicles were exported from Baltimore?s port, “a significant increase from 2004,” Hanson said. General Motors and Ford Motor Co. are principal shippers. Major importers are Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volvo.
