In 2025 the Port of Baltimore handled 728,225 autos and light trucks, the No. 2 total in the United States and the 13th straight year above 700,000. Those vehicles were worth almost $20 billion, about 30 percent of the port’s $65.6 billion cargo value on about 3 percent of its tonnage. A large share of them roll across the south side of the harbor at Fairfield and Masonville.
Where the terminals sit
Fairfield and Masonville are Maryland Port Administration auto terminals at 2900 Childs Street, on the south shore of the Patapsco River. The MPA site gives 160 acres for autos and ro-ro. Fairfield was originally developed with Toyota. Next to the public terminals, Amports runs the private Chesapeake and Atlantic auto terminals, 250 acres combined. Portwide, autos and ro-ro have 710 acres of dedicated space, including the vehicle yards at Dundalk and at Tradepoint Atlantic.
The south side matters for routing. Seagirt, Dundalk and Tradepoint Atlantic are across the water on the east side. Since the Key Bridge collapse on March 26, 2024, a car hauler from Fairfield to the east side crosses the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel or the I-895 Harbor Tunnel. Loaded car carriers fit the 14 ft 6 in tunnel limit, so the effect is extra miles and tunnel congestion, not the long I-695 detour that hazmat and over-height loads face. Fairfield to the I-97 and BWI corridor, Washington, DC and points south stays simple.
Who processes what
The port’s auto trade runs through processors, not the stevedore. MPA names these processors and brands.
| Processor | Where | Brands named by MPA and public sources |
|---|---|---|
| Amports | Chesapeake and Atlantic terminals, Fairfield | Historically Volvo, Mitsubishi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Chrysler |
| WWL Vehicle Services Americas | Dundalk | Historically Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, and BMW since 2014 |
| Pasha Automotive | Tradepoint Atlantic | Vehicle processing at Sparrows Point |
| Volkswagen Group | Tradepoint Atlantic | 115-acre vehicle operation |
| McLaren | Tradepoint Atlantic | 50,000 sq ft East Coast processing site expected Q4 2026 |
MPA also names Mercedes-Benz USA, Mazda, Subaru and Toyota among the brands moving through the port, with Toyota at Fairfield. The port runs a quality program called QCHAT for vehicle handling, and every major ro-ro carrier calls Baltimore, including Wallenius Wilhelmsen, which holds a 20-year hub agreement at Dundalk, and ARC. The first Volkswagen Beetle landed at Baltimore in 1963, so the vehicle trade here is older than most of the people running it.
What a processor does, and what it does not
A processor receives vehicles off the vessel, inspects them for transit damage, fits port-installed accessories, handles repairs and holds the units until the OEM releases them. Release goes to a car carrier for dealer delivery or to a rail loader for auto racks.
What a processor does not do is the piece that a dealer group, a fleet buyer or a specialty importer often needs: accessory kitting for a regional program, staging for a launch event, storage for a fleet drawdown, or delivery of a single unit to a customer. That is where a 3PL desk earns its place. See kitting and value-added services.
Planning a vehicle move out of Fairfield
- Get the release. Nothing moves until the processor releases the VIN. Build the pickup window from the release, not from the vessel arrival.
- Match the carrier to the volume. Nine-car haulers for dealer runs, enclosed single-car trailers for high-value units, auto racks for OEM volume.
- Route by side of the harbor. South-side and BWI deliveries avoid the tunnels. East-side and Harford County deliveries use them.
- Plan storage before the ship arrives. A fleet drawdown that cannot deliver on release needs a partner yard or a covered site. Arrange it before the terminal starts the storage clock.
- Use a staging partner for launches and programs. Accessory fitting, detailing and documentation happen off terminal at a partner site near the port.
How Baltimore 3PL uses this
We coordinate the move from processor release to the customer’s door through ro-ro logistics partners who hold the port credentials, and we book the hauler or the enclosed trailer that fits the unit. For regional accessory programs and launch staging, the desk places the work with a kitting partner near the port. Short hops to a partner yard run as drayage.
What to send for a quote
- VIN count, vehicle type and whether units are new, used or high value
- Processor name and expected release date
- Delivery addresses, or the dealer list for a regional program
- Any accessory, detailing or documentation work needed before delivery
- Storage need in days and whether covered storage is required
Send it to the quote desk and you get the carrier plan and timeline within one business day.
Questions shippers ask
01Where are Fairfield and Masonville?
On the south side of the Baltimore harbor at 2900 Childs Street, across the Patapsco from Seagirt and Dundalk. They are the MPA-owned auto terminals, with 160 acres for autos and ro-ro.
02Who processes cars at Fairfield?
Amports runs the private Chesapeake and Atlantic auto terminals at Fairfield, 250 acres combined. Fairfield was originally developed with Toyota, and Toyota is among the brands MPA names there.
03How many vehicles does the Port of Baltimore handle?
728,225 autos and light trucks in 2025, No. 2 in the US and the 13th straight year above 700,000. Those vehicles were worth almost $20 billion, about 30 percent of the port’s cargo value.
04What is a vehicle processor?
A company that receives cars off the ship, inspects them, fits accessories, repairs transit damage and releases them to carriers. Amports, WWL Vehicle Services Americas and Pasha Automotive are the processors named in Baltimore.
05Does the Key Bridge closure affect car deliveries from Fairfield?
Only for east-side destinations. A car carrier from Fairfield to Sparrows Point, Dundalk or Harford County now crosses a harbor tunnel. Car haulers fit the tunnel height limit, so it adds miles and minutes, not a detour.