The first of seven roll-on, roll-off vessels scheduled to call at the Port of Philadelphia this month arrived late Monday to deliver Hyundai and Kia vehicles from South Korea.

The seven ro-ro ships are expected to deliver more than 17,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles to the Port of Philadelphia this month under an agreement signed in April with Hyundai Motor and its logistics affiliate, Glovis of America, to import and process 150,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles annually through Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. Glovis previously moved these automobiles through facilities in Newark, N.J., and Baltimore.

The first of the seven ships, the “Hyundai 230,” arrived late Monday at the South Philadelphia terminal, carrying 1,811 vehicles from two ports in South Korea.

At 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, ILA work crews began unloading the vehicles from the vessel and transporting them to the adjacent auto finishing facility at Pier 98 Annex at Columbus Boulevard and oregon Avenue, by the Walt Whitman Bridge.

Teamster labor will handle the vehicles once they arrive at Pier 98 Annex. Once processed at Pier 98 Annex, the vehicles will leave the facility by truck and possibly rail for delivery to Hyundai and Kia dealerships throughout the United States.

Philly Ro-Ro Partners will operate the 85-acre automobile processing facility at Pier 98 Annex, in which the Philadelphia Regional port Authority is making up to $1 million in capital improvements and Philly Ro-Ro Partners is contributing $3.7 million in improvements.

Source: JOC