Tropical Shipping takes delivery of new Kalmar Straddle Carriers

Tropical Shipping is a leading logistics company that operates at select seaside ports from Canada to South Florida to meet freight-shipping needs to and from the Caribbean and the Bahamas. With nearly 60 years of operating experience, the company employs over 1,500 people across 35 locations spanning North America and the Caribbean Basin.

Tropical Shipping has recently taken delivery of four Kalmar Diesel-Electric straddle carriers. With three-high stacking and a load capacity of 50 tons, the machines were delivered to Tropical Shipping in Riviera Beach, Florida from Kalmar's factory in Stargard, Poland. The four new straddle carriers started operation at the end of July 2025.  

With the new delivery, Tropical Shipping now operates a fleet of 30 Kalmar straddle carriers and 14 Kalmar reachstackers across multiple locations in Florida and the Caribbean islands. The deployment also includes MyKalmar INSIGHT, which enables real-time performance monitoring, data-driven decision-making and optimized fleet utilization.

Trusted partners

"Tropical Shipping has been a valued partner for nearly two decades," says Troy Thompson, Head of Sales, Kalmar Horizontal Transportation Americas. "We have worked together since 2004, and this delivery marks the latest step in a successful long-term collaboration."

Thompson emphasizes the versatility of straddle carriers, making them suitable for both large and small terminals. "Straddle carriers are most often used in very large terminals, but they are also very efficient at smaller sites where flexibility is key. The fleet at Tropical Shipping is a great example of how straddle carriers can be used for all types of container handling tasks, from serving quay cranes to horizontal transportation, container stacking, and the loading and unloading of road trucks."

"Tropical Shipping and Kalmar enjoy a long-standing relationship built on trust and collaboration, where both parties benefit from shared innovation, continuous improvement, and a commitment to operational excellence," says Douglas Cowper, Vice President of Operations, Tropical Shipping. "Maintaining productivity and quality of service at all times is essential for us, and we are confident that our ongoing collaboration with Kalmar will help us succeed in this regard.

Tropical Shipping and Kalmar enjoy a long-standing relationship built on trust and collaboration, where both parties benefit from shared innovation, continuous improvement, and a commitment to operational excellence

"Kalmar straddle carriers offer excellent fuel efficiency, low noise levels, and high performance," adds Troy Thompson. "Their reliability ensures uninterrupted operations and consistent service levels, even in demanding marine environments. The machines at Tropical Shipping are supported by our top-notch US service team, who are on call to provide local support whenever needed."