New Crowley ocean shipping route links Port of Philadelphia and Central America

Photo: Crowley

Crowley is expanding its ocean shipping services, opening its first-ever route between the U.S. Northeast and Central America.

Utilizing Crowley’s new, state-of-the-art Avance class vessels, the five-day transit between the Port of Philadelphia’s Gloucester Marine Terminal and ports in Guatemala and Honduras enables the most timely deliveries of food, apparel, industrial products and consumer goods to and from the Central America Northern Zone, which also includes El Salvador and Nicaragua.

Crowley’s Copán Avance class containership will begin the first voyage on July 3 from Central American to the Gloucester City, N.J., terminal, which is operated by Gloucester Terminals LLC, a client company of Holt Logistics Corp.

“Customers can count on us to support their growth wherever they operate, including now between Central America and the U.S. Northeast. This best-in-class, non-stop service with our new LNG-powered vessels will deliver the fastest transit times in the market,” said Reinier van Delden, vice president of commercial operations at Crowley Logistics. “This means less inventory idle time, lower supply chain costs, and longer shelf life for critical products like fresh produce. With significant booking commitments already, we’re excited to bring these vessels to Philadelphia to connect our global customers with access to the regional market using superior, reliable operations provided by Crowley and Gloucester Terminals.”

The Avance class ships are on long term charter to Crowley from Eastern Pacific Shipping, and were specifically designed to accommodate a variety of container sizes, including 300 refrigerated container unit plugs.

Built at South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, the LNG-fueled Avance class ships feature high-pressure MAN B&W ME-GI engines.

“Marine service is an important pillar of Philadelphia’s economy, and Gloucester Terminals is proud to be a partner with Crowley to accomplish this milestone for U.S-Central America trade,” said Christian Holt, sales representative for Gloucester and Holt. “This new route creates faster and more efficient pathways connecting Northeast Atlantic business owners to international customers. We are thrilled to partner with Crowley, another generational family-owned business. Together, with over 200 years of dedicated customer service, we focus on creating jobs, driving economic growth, and making a positive impact in the Philadelphia-South Jersey communities.”

The new route between Philadelphia and Central America expands on Crowley’s operations in the Northeast Atlantic, where it has served Puerto Rico, the Eastern Caribbean and the Virgin Islands with a regular container service for more than 70 years.