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Charleston
United States
USCHS
No Data
K+N Status
AIS limited in region
K+N24 Mar 2026
Updated 11m 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.

No K+N update for this port yet

Weekly reports are loaded every Monday. Check back soon.

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.

Cargo Intelligence Platform

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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 status: Kuehne+Nagel Port Operational Update

Port intelligence: CargoPilot curated research

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