JACKSONVILLE, FL – Crowley Maritime Corporation is upping U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico trade.
The company’s liner services group announced that it will add a 400 FEU capacity, flat deck barge to its South Atlantic Puerto Rico service in the first quarter. According to a press release, this will increase the rotation between Jacksonville, Florida and San Juan to four sailings a week.
The company is also replacing its existing 580-foot, triple-deck barges with a recently modified 730-foot, triple-deck barges in the North Atlantic – Puerto Rico trade between Pennsauken, N.J. and San Juan. This will increase capacity by over 40% in that lane.
“With the changes in the marketplace, we expect strong demand for space on our vessels, and we are stepping up to provide improved capacity, equipment and sailing frequency to benefit our customers,” said John Hourihan, Senior VP and General Manager, Puerto Rico.
He added, “This service enhancement is another indication of our commitment to the people and businesses of Puerto Rico, whom we have been pleased to serve for over 60 years.”
Crowley will be adding more than 6,000 pieces of cargo carrying equipment to support this increased capacity in both services. This additional equipment will include a combination of dry and reefer containers and chassis.
Once the flat deck barge is outfitted for container carriage, Crowley will place it into service on a two-week rotation. By combining the new barge with its six, triple-deck, roll-on/roll-off barges that range in size form 580 feet long to 730 feet and accelerating the schedule, Crowley will be able to offer four weekly southbound and northbound sailings a week between Jacksonville and San Juan.
