Traffic is crawling at a snail-like pace, backed up as far as the eye can see. So goes the rush hour report for day-trippers on the Baltimore Beltway. At the same time, traffic is humming along through the Port of Baltimore, where titanic roll-on, roll-off cargo ships release automobiles from around the world and fill their hulls with American export vehicles. Top-notch automobile cargo service has manifested in the port since the first Volkswagen Beetle entered in 1963.

Today, the Port of Baltimore consistently boasts high marks in automobile cargo handling. The port ranks No. 2 in combined import-export volume on the East Coast and No. 1 nationally in exports, according to J. B. Hanson, public information officer of the Maryland Port Administration. Last year, 123,320 vehicles were exported from Baltimore’s port, “a significant increase from 2004,” Hanson said. General Motors and Ford Motor Co. are principal shippers. Major importers are Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volvo.

Strong cargo volumes can be credited in part to a unique initiative by Maryland’s Port of Baltimore labeled Q-CHAT (Quality Cargo Handling Action Team), recognized worldwide as the best quality care program in the country. Q-CHAT has resulted in major improvements for all segments of cargo handling, including damage reduction and bar coding, which tracks inventory. “We have Mercedes-Benz here because of the Q-CHAT white glove program,” Hanson said. Since the early 1990s, Q-CHAT has evolved and unfurled throughout the port.

Most commodities, including forest products, added in 2001, are now safeguarded by the action team, according to Mel Bafford, general manager, automobiles and project cargo. “The success of this program results from a collective effort of everyone working in the port, including the [ILA] labor union which has been supportive and involved,” Bafford said.

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Dundalk Marine Terminal, Fairfield Marine Terminal and the privately owned Chesapeake and Atlantic auto terminals are the major facilities. According to MPA statistics, the Port of Baltimore distributes vehicles to 17 states, including the Baltimore-Washington market, one of the largest in the nation.

The outlook for the port is as bright as a lighthouse beam. Last year, double-digit increases were realized for the fourth straight year, expressed by uninterrupted port growth and local job vitality. Hansen affirmed, “It looks very positive across the board.”

A longtime export analyst and consultant, Joseph R. Hughes’ maritime-related articles have appeared in numerous publications. He is a native Baltimorean who now lives in Harford County. E-mail your questions to him at jhughes47@yahoo.com.