Page 85 - Rukert - 100th Anniversary

PART II BRINGING THE WORLD TO BALTIMORE
the public terminals with their enormous container cranes, the massive heaps of deicing salt at Rukert Terminals have attracted much attention over the years. Drivers approaching the Fort McHenry Tunnel toll plaza cannot miss the stockpiled salt. Ironically, some piles resemble a floating iceberg in a sea of asphalt. Others look like alpine mountain ranges. After a visit, newscaster Scott Broom dubbed the highest peak of salt at Rukert Terminals “Mount Saltimore.”
During several harsh winters in the 1990s, Rukert Terminals was the largest handler of deicing salt in the Port of Baltimore, sometimes storing as much as 500,000 tons at a time. In 1994, Rukert Terminals operated 20 hours a day, seven days a week. Employees unloaded 340,000 metric tons of salt from vessels at Pier 5 and as many as 600 salt trucks were loaded per day! In 1998, salt was the Port of Baltimore’s second overall largest import
in gross tonnage. Snowy winters deplete the local supply of deicing salt, bringing a steady flow of salt ships at Pier 5 during the spring to re-stock the piles. ThThis cycle of stockpile, spread and re-supply translates to profits, which explains the “think snow” and “ice is nice” signs visible around the main office.
BELOW: Salt trucks are being loaded at Rukert Terminals' facility.
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