North Carolina Ports has delayed gate operations at three facilities following a systems-wide outage.
The North Carolina State Ports Authority said gates at the Port of Wilmington, Port of Morehead City and Charlotte Inland Port would open at 08.00 on 5 August.
Customers and truck drivers were warned to expect delays. The authority said it would continue to publish operational updates through its website and directed users to register for its email alert service.
At the time of publication, NC Ports had not disclosed the cause of the outage, identified the systems affected or provided a timetable for full restoration.
The operational alert remained displayed across the authority’s website. It did not state whether vessel operations, cargo handling equipment or rail services were affected.
The Port of Wilmington handles containers alongside bulk, breakbulk, RoRo and refrigerated cargo. Its container terminal has an annual capacity of 600,000 TEUs and is equipped with seven ship-to-shore cranes.
The port’s published weekday container gate hours normally run from 07.00 to 18.00, with the final receiving time set at 17.30. Its container traffic uses the South Gate, with incoming trucks passing through optical character recognition lanes and outgoing vehicles moving through US Customs and Border Protection radiation portal monitors.
The Port of Morehead City principally handles bulk, breakbulk and RoRo cargo. Its usual weekday operating hours run from 08.00 to 17.00, with trucks required to check in by 16.00 to guarantee loading or unloading before the gate closes.
Charlotte Inland Port also normally begins operations at 08.00. The facility operates until noon before reopening from 13.00 to 17.00, with the final truck accepted at 16.45.
The inland terminal provides container yard operations for ocean carriers and serves as a staging location for loaded and empty equipment. It connects with the Port of Wilmington through intermodal rail services and can accommodate approximately 2,000 grounded or wheeled containers.
Drivers accessing the facilities are required to hold a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential or arrange an approved escort. Truckers must also register within the authority’s terminal operating system and hold the appropriate cargo-handling documentation.
NC Ports did not specify whether these access or processing systems were responsible for the outage.
The authority advised port users to continue checking its website for updates. No estimate was provided for the volume of truck or cargo activity likely to be affected by the disruption.
For more information:
North Carolina Ports – https://ncports.com/
