Alabama

The movement of containerized goods in Alabama follows a multimodal flow:

Ship to Terminal (Port of Mobile)
Vessels bring containers to Mobile’s container terminal, offload via cranes and terminal equipment.

On-dock handling & staging
Containers are stored and staged within the terminal yard until onward movement is arranged.

Intermodal rail
The port offers intermodal rail connections, allowing containers to travel long distances by train. Mobile’s connectivity includes several railroads.

Trucking / drayage
Local and regional trucking (drayage) moves containers from the port to distribution centers, warehouses, or intermodal yards. Alabama has dozens of intermodal drayage companies operating in and around Mobile.

Final delivery / distribution
From rail or truck, containers are distributed to manufacturers, warehouses, retailers, or crossdocked to secondary transport.

Because Alabama is not heavily penetrated by other major container ports (beyond Mobile), many inland shipments may route via Mobile and then use surface transport (truck/rail) for distribution to the rest of Alabama or neighboring states.

The state’s highway network (especially I-10, I-65, I-20/59) and rail corridors are critical to moving container volumes efficiently to and from the port.

Alabama hosts a diverse corporate landscape: automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, energy, banking, construction, materials, healthcare, and logistics. Below are prominent companies (national, regional, private & public) headquartered or with major presence in Alabama:

Notable Public / Large Companies

Vulcan Materials Company (Birmingham) — leading producer of construction materials (gravel, crushed stone, sand).

Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (Vance) — major automotive manufacturer in Alabama.

Honda Manufacturing of Alabama (Lincoln) — automotive manufacturing plant.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama — automobile plant.

Austal USA (Mobile) — shipbuilding and defense contractor.

Regions Financial Corporation — banking & financial services with headquarters / major operations in Alabama.

Encompass Health (Birmingham) — healthcare / rehabilitation provider.

Prominent Private Companies

Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC (Birmingham) — top construction / general contractor in the U.S.

Hoar Construction (Birmingham) — large private construction and development firm.

Alfa Insurance / Alfa (Alfa Corporation) — large financial / insurance company in Alabama (often cited among top employers).

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama — major health insurance provider.

Sector & Industry Presence

Aerospace / Defense / Tech: NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville), defense contractors (e.g. Dynetics) in Huntsville.

Manufacturing & Materials: chemical plants, steel & metal processing, composite materials, autos and parts.

Logistics & Shipping / Container Handling: multiple container shipping and logistics firms operate in partnership with the Port of Mobile. (APM Terminals, shipping agencies)

Energy: Alabama Power (part of Southern Company), utilities, energy service providers.

Healthcare / Education: University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa), University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), large hospital systems.

Port of Mobile — The Container Gateway

The Alabama Port Authority (APA) manages the Port of Mobile, which is the principal container and maritime gateway for Alabama.

Mobile handles containerized cargo, bulk, breakbulk, forest products, metals, coal, automobiles, and project cargo.

In 2022, the container terminal at Mobile moved 563,191 TEUs, an 11% increase over 2021.

The Port continues to set container traffic records and expand its capacities.

The APA has undertaken modernization and deepening projects (e.g. targeting 50-foot channel depth) to better accommodate larger vessels and heavier cargo.

The container terminal (via APM Terminals) expanded by 32 acres in agreement with the state port authority.

Trade Flows: Imports & Exports

Imports into Alabama via container include consumer goods, machinery, components, electronics, raw materials, and intermediate goods used by Alabama manufacturing (e.g., auto parts).

Exports include automotive parts and vehicles, metal products, forest products, minerals, chemical products, and processed goods.

The APA’s economic impact studies show that containerized cargo plays a pivotal role in job creation, value-added output, and tax revenue in the region.

According to trade news, forest products and steel exports have been rising in recent periods (e.g. forest product exports up ~18.7%, steel up ~6.9%) at Mobile.

However, containerized imports from certain countries (e.g. China) have seen declines (e.g. Chinese imports down ~40% year over year in some months) affecting container traffic.