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Charleston
USA
USCHS
Clear
Congestion Status
AIS limited in region
7d1 at anchor
Stable
Trend
10 Apr 2026
Updated 30d ago

Port Intelligence — What freight teams need to know

Charleston is positioning as Savannah alternative with Hapag-Lloyd routing here. Wando Welch Terminal: 6-hour vessel waits, 20-min truck turns, 9.6-day import dwell. North Charleston Terminal: no vessel waits, 17-min truck turns, 7.4-day dwell. New cranes expected online Jan 2026. USEC port with better performance than Savannah during peak.

Weekly Operational Update
Clear

Week of 10 April 2026 · business_as_usual

Vessels at Anchor — 4-week trend

—22–28 days ago
—15–21 days ago
—8–14 days ago
1Last 7 days
Situation is stable
Customs Reality at Charleston
4d
Published free time
3d
Effective free time

Same US regulatory framework. Import dwell 7-10 days indicates customs/pickup efficiency issues.

Demurrage: $160/TEU/day · Detention: $80/TEU/day

Common Rejection Reasons

  • Same US-wide issues
Cold Chain Reality at Charleston
Mitigation:Pre-arrange trucking. Use North Charleston or Leatherman over Wando Welch.
Failure point:Terminal dwell — pickup coordination
Significance:Moderate — serves Southeast US food distribution
Primary failure mode:Import dwell time (7-10 days) — containers sitting after discharge.
Reefer plug availability:Good
Alternative Ports to Charleston

If disruption makes Charleston unviable for your cargo

SavannahUSSAV
Save $100/TEU
120 nm away+48h wait
Works for: SE US when Charleston is full.
Not for: When Savannah is at 4-7 day waits — Charleston is the better option.
NorfolkUSORF
+$50/TEU
350 nm away+0h wait
Works for: Mid-Atlantic.
Not for: SE US.
CargoPilot®

Cargo Intelligence Platform

Know exactly what's happening to your cargo — before it becomes a problem.

CargoPilot applies deep AI analysis to every shipment moving through Charleston — surfacing risks, customs traps, and delay patterns your freight team would otherwise miss.

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  • Customs, demurrage & detention intelligence

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Live AIS Vessels

AIS coverage limited at this port. The free AIS tier has restricted coverage in some regions, particularly mainland China ports and parts of the Middle East.

Terminal Intelligence
Wando Welch Terminal
Operator: SCPA
Typical wait: 0.25d
6-hour vessel waits. 20-min truck turns. 9.6-day import dwell.
North Charleston Terminal
Operator: SCPA
Typical wait: 0d
No vessel waits. 17-min truck turns. 7.4-day dwell. Better option.
Leatherman Terminal
Operator: SCPA
Typical wait: 0d
Newer terminal. Efficient.
Recommendation: North Charleston and Leatherman terminals outperform Wando Welch on all metrics. Request non-Wando allocation if possible.
Money Traps at Charleston
Wando Welch vs North Charleston dwell gap
9.6 days vs 7.4 days — 2.2 day difference in dwell.
Route via North Charleston or Leatherman.
Seasonal Patterns
Jun-Nov (Hurricane)
Atlantic hurricane exposure. SC coast vulnerable.
Monitor NHC.

Sources

Port intelligence: CargoPilot curated research

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