How container drayage works in Mobile
Mobile's container ships work APM Terminals on Choctaw Point, next to an on-port rail yard served by five Class I railroads. Trucks get from the terminal to I-10 and I-165 in minutes, for local deliveries or long hauls across Alabama, Mississippi, the Florida Panhandle and Georgia.
- Terminal
- APM Terminals Mobile, Choctaw Point
- Rail
- On-port ICTF: NS, CSX, CN, CPKC and BNSF
- Highways
- I-10 and I-165 minutes from the gate
- Growth
- Terminal and rail expansion approved in 2025
More about drayage in Mobile
Container ships calling Mobile berth at APM Terminals Mobile on Choctaw Point, at the south end of the city's riverfront where the Mobile River meets Mobile Bay. The terminal is part of the Alabama Port Authority's complex, and it sits only a few minutes from Interstates 10 and 165, which gives trucks a fast route out of the port.
Right next to the container terminal is the port's intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF), served by five Class I railroads: Norfolk Southern, CSX, CN, CPKC and BNSF, plus short lines including the port's own terminal railway.
That makes Mobile one of the few Gulf ports where containers can switch between ship and train without leaving the port, and in 2025 APM Terminals and the Port Authority approved a further expansion adding new working tracks and rail-mounted cranes.
For local trucking companies, that setup means two kinds of work: short moves between the terminal and warehouses or plants in the Mobile area, and longer one-way hauls to Alabama, Mississippi, the Florida Panhandle and Georgia for shippers who prefer truck over rail.
1
Marine terminal
1
Rail ramp
Railroads
Norfolk Southern · CSX · CN · CPKC · BNSF · Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks
Main highways
I-10 · I-65 · I-165 · US-90 · US-98 · US-43
Container terminals and rail ramps in Mobile
Where containers are picked up and returned in the Mobile area.
Marine terminal
Rail ramp
APM Terminals Mobile
Marine terminal · APM Terminals / Alabama Port Authority
The Port of Mobile's container terminal at Choctaw Point, with direct access to I-10 and I-165.
Port of Mobile ICTF
Rail ramp · Alabama Port Authority
On-port intermodal container transfer facility next to the container terminal, served by Norfolk Southern, CSX, CN, CPKC and BNSF.
Imports, distribution centers and the I-10 corridor
Large retailers have built import distribution centers around Mobile to take advantage of the port, and new warehouse space continues to open in north Mobile County and across the bay in Baldwin County. Most of these sites are within 30 miles of the terminal, so local drayage is usually priced as flat-rate moves.
The Interstate 10 tunnel under the Mobile River (the George Wallace Tunnel) is closed to trucks carrying hazardous materials, which must detour north on the Cochrane–Africatown bridge. Carriers hauling hazmat containers plan for that extra distance, and shippers should flag hazardous cargo when they request a quote.
Bridge and tunnel traffic between Mobile and Baldwin County can slow deliveries at rush hour. Early appointments help carriers fit more turns into the day.
Steel, aerospace and refrigerated exports
Mobile's industry is heavy and diverse. The steel mill complex in Calvert, north of the city, the Airbus final assembly line at Brookley Aeroplex, shipbuilding along the river and the chemical plants of the region all ship and receive containers. Steel and machinery loads are heavy, so carriers need tri-axle chassis or permits for some moves.
Refrigerated cargo is another specialty. Frozen poultry and other food exports from Alabama and Mississippi move through Mobile in reefer containers, and carriers that handle them need gensets and experience with temperature logs and cold storage appointments.
Forest products, including lumber and paper, also leave through the port. Those exports are often loaded at mills inland and trucked or railed to the terminal close to the vessel cutoff.
Common lanes out of Mobile
Approximate one-way highway miles for the runs local carriers quote most often.
Pensacola
Florida Panhandle deliveries on I-10 East.
60 mi
Gulfport
Mississippi Gulf Coast and the Port of Gulfport.
75 mi
New Orleans
I-10 West; competing and connecting port freight.
145 mi
Montgomery
Automotive and distribution freight up I-65.
170 mi
Birmingham
Central Alabama manufacturing and the McCalla rail ramp.
260 mi
Atlanta
Longer one-way haul via Montgomery and I-85.
330 mi
Booking drayage in Mobile: what to know
Local habits that change the price and timing of a move in Mobile. Mention them when you ask for a quote.
Flag hazardous cargo
Hazmat loads cannot use the I-10 tunnel under the Mobile River and must detour. Tell the carrier about hazardous goods up front so the route and price are right.
Ask about on-port rail
With five Class I railroads at the port's ICTF, many inland moves can go by rail straight from the terminal. Compare rail options with a long truck haul.
Book reefer moves with gensets
Frozen exports need generator sets and cold storage appointments. Confirm both before the empty reefer is pulled.
Give the vessel cutoff early
Export boxes loaded at inland mills often run close to the cutoff. Share the cutoff date when you book so the carrier can plan the return.
Allow for bay crossings
Deliveries to Baldwin County cross Mobile Bay on the I-10 Bayway or through the tunnels. Rush-hour congestion and lane closures can add significant time, so early appointments work best.
Drayage markets near Mobile
Many carriers that serve Mobile also run these nearby ports and rail ramps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about container drayage in Mobile, AL.