Ramar Transportation
MHC · NC

Port of Morehead City

Camp Lejeune ammunition gateway — Marine Corps ASP serving USMC Atlantic operations

port brief

Morehead City is the practical commercial gateway to **Camp Lejeune** — home to one of the largest Marine Corps Ammunition Supply Points (ASPs) on the U.S. East Coast — and to **MCAS Cherry Point** + **MCAS New River**, the rotary and tilt-rotor air bases that support II Marine Expeditionary Force. Class 1 freight moving to or from these installations through commercial drayage clears NCSPA's Morehead City terminal, and the operator handling that freight has to hold every credential the route demands.

**Why this matters in eastern North Carolina:** Camp Lejeune ASP supplies the active and pre-positioned Marine ammunition stocks for the entire Atlantic-coast amphibious deployment cycle. The drayage and OTR legs feeding the ASP are Class 1.1 / 1.2 / 1.3 freight at highway route-controlled quantity (HRCQ) levels — which means the carrier must hold a DOT Hazardous Materials Safety Permit under 49 CFR Part 385 Subpart E. To our knowledge, no other carrier physically based in eastern North Carolina currently holds the HMSP, the SDVOSB certification needed for Marine Corps set-aside lots, and the MOTSU coordination familiarity that ASP-receiving Class 1 freight routinely requires.

Ramar drays from Morehead City for ammunition manufacturers shipping to Camp Lejeune ASP, defense prime contractors moving Class 1 sustainment freight to II MEF units, freight forwarders consolidating ITAR-controlled cargo for Marine Corps export programs, and DOD logistics offices coordinating freight that staged through MHC for amphibious-deployment loadouts.

Drive time from Ramar's home yard is 2 hours — the shortest in our network after ILM. Same-day dispatch is the operational default; team-driver coverage handles the Class 1 attendance requirements per 49 CFR 397.5 the moment a load crosses HRCQ thresholds.

at a glance

80 mi
Drayage radius
Yes
Class 1 capable
45 ft
Channel depth
2h
From Ramar HQ
drive time
Authority
North Carolina State Ports Authority (NCSPA)
Customs status
CBP-bonded
Terminal operators
  • NCSPA — Morehead City State Port
Hazmat staging
Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point (MOTSU) — windowed coordination
Nearby military
  • Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
  • Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
  • Marine Corps Air Station New River
services at MHC

All six Ramar services run from Morehead City

Open the MHC brief on any service to see how that capability operates at this specific port.

OPS·01

Integrated Port Drayage

Port-to-plant under one operator. No broker margin stack, no schedule drift between vendors.

Port Drayage at MHC

OPS·02

Dangerous Goods Transload

Container stuffing, port-side staging, and regulated logistics for Class 1 cargo across Atlantic Coast ports.

Transload at MHC

OPS·03

OTR High Security / Hazmat Transportation

Over-the-road high-security and hazmat transport for ammunition, explosives, and sensitive freight — placard-to-placard accountability.

OTR High Security at MHC

OPS·04

Secure In-Transit Holding

Schedule recovery when shipments can't move. Vessel late, terminal congested, regulatory hold — Ramar holds the load and the chain of custody.

In-Transit Holding at MHC

OPS·05

Ammunition-Grade Containers

Block-and-brace procedures plus direct ammo-grade container sourcing — no third-party broker layer between you and the unit load.

Container Prep at MHC

OPS·06

Integrated Logistics Model

The full chain: drayage + transload + holding + long-haul. One USDOT, one safety record, one chain of custody.

Integrated Model at MHC

OPS·07

Wilmington Fire Marshal Escort

City-permitted DG drayage to the Port of Wilmington with Fire Marshal escort. We replace the shipping-agent middle layer.

Fire Marshal Escort at MHC

OPS·08

Licensed Brokerage

Ramar's MC 300208 brokerage authority extends our reach when our own assets aren't available — but the customer relationship stays with us.

Brokerage at MHC
top industries at MHC

What we move through Morehead City

DEFENSE

Ammunition Manufacturers

Plant-to-port and port-to-distributor logistics for Class 1.1 and 1.4 ammunition — under one operator with MOTSU coordination familiarity.

DEFENSE

Weapons & Defense Manufacturers

Class 1 freight logistics for firearms manufacturers and defense prime contractors — ammunition and explosives under one SDVOSB operator.

DEFENSE

DOD / Prime Contractors

Hazmat logistics for DOD prime contractors and direct-DOD freight — SDVOSB set-aside qualifying, MIL-STD container prep, MOTSU coordination.

port mhc

Morehead City — Frequently Asked

Does Ramar deliver Class 1 ammunition to Camp Lejeune ASP?
Yes. Camp Lejeune's Ammunition Supply Point is a direct-coverage receiving installation 30 road miles south of Morehead City — inside Ramar's 80-mile MHC drayage radius and a 2-hour reach from the home yard. ASP-bound freight runs under HRCQ Class 1 protocols with team-driver coverage per 49 CFR 397.5 and DOT HMSP authority.
Does Ramar hold a DOT Hazardous Materials Safety Permit?
Yes. HRCQ movement of Class 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 freight, plus certain Division 1.4 detonators, requires a Hazardous Materials Safety Permit under 49 CFR Part 385 Subpart E. Ramar holds an active HMSP. To our knowledge, no other carrier physically based in eastern North Carolina currently does — meaning Marine Corps freight handlers and prime contractors sourcing Class 1 drayage at MHC may otherwise have to truck-in a non-local HMSP carrier from out-of-state, with all the lead-time and cost that implies.
Does Ramar coordinate with MOTSU through Morehead City?
Indirectly. MOTSU at Sunny Point is the U.S. Army's sole ocean ammunition export terminal, located near ILM. Marine Corps Class 1 freight originating at MHC for ocean export — most often unit-deployment ammunition for amphibious-loadout cycles — typically routes through MOTSU windows. Ramar's 30-plus years of MOTSU coordination familiarity handles the routing.
What freight goes through Morehead City vs Wilmington?
Morehead City sees more breakbulk, project, and military-adjacent freight — especially USMC unit-deployment cargo and ASP-bound Class 1 ammunition. Wilmington sees more containerized commercial freight plus the MOTSU Class 1 export corridor. Ramar drays from both depending on cargo profile.
Is Ramar SDVOSB-qualified for Marine Corps set-aside lots?
Yes. Ramar is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business — qualifying for FAR 19.14 SDVOSB set-aside contracts. This matters specifically for II MEF and Marine Corps Installations East-Camp Lejeune contracting officers running set-aside competitions for Class 1 / hazmat drayage scope.