Mobile Container Volumes On Track For Record

Container volumes at the Port of Mobile are on track for a record year, the Alabama Port Authority reported recently. With 364,687 TEUs moved so far in 2022, the port’s container terminal, APM Terminals, is tracking more than 10 percent above its record 2021 numbers. If the current pace of growth continues, the terminal could surpass half a million TEUs up to six weeks earlier than it did last year, the authority said.

“Our container volumes continue to grow because APM Terminals’ operations provide fluidity and reliability shippers can count on,” said Port Authority Director and CEO John Driscoll. “With the terminal’s efficiency and options for cargo delivery via rail or interstate, the Port of Mobile is reducing shippers’ landed costs.” 

In addition to strong container numbers, intermodal rail moves in August were up 125 percent over 2021, and refrigerated cargo was up 15.9 percent over the same period.

July set a record as the busiest month for containerized cargo in the history of the terminal. August was the port’s eighth consecutive month to post double- and triple-digit growth for overall throughput volume and intermodal rail volume, respectively.

“As one of the newest, most modern container terminals in the United States, APM Terminals is proud to partner with the Port of Mobile to deliver for the state of Alabama, the region and the world,” said Brian Harold, managing director at APM Terminals Mobile.

Expansion Plans

The Alabama Port Authority has two major projects slated to open in 2025. The deepening and widening of the federal channel to a 50-foot depth will allow larger vessels to make Mobile their first port of call. Also in 2025, the port authority will open a new inland intermodal facility served by CSX in Montgomery, Ala.