JOC and AJOT features highlight Mobile America Express and the Montgomery Inland Rail Port
Mobile, Ala. — Two of the freight industry’s leading publications are turning their attention to Alabama. Recent coverage in the Journal of Commerce (JOC) and the American Journal of Transportation (AJOT) highlights the Alabama Port Authority’s work to connect the Port of Mobile with markets across the Southeast and beyond.
At the center of that coverage is Mobile America Express (MAX), the Alabama Port Authority’s integrated logistics service platform. MAX links global ocean trade with key inland markets through a coordinated network of ocean, rail, highway, inland waterway, and air connections.
JOC: More options, greater security
In a JOC interview titled “Providing More Options and Greater Security,” Maggie Oliver, Chief Development Officer for the Alabama Port Authority, discussed how MAX helps shippers rethink traditional freight routes with more flexibility, efficiency, and supply chain security. The interview framed the Port of Mobile as more than an alternative gateway and showed how APA serves as a true logistics partner for businesses navigating an increasingly complex transportation landscape.
AJOT: Inland ports, different blueprints
In its recent feature, “North American Inland Ports Pursuing Efficiency with Different Blueprints,” AJOT examined how inland logistics infrastructure is evolving across North America and highlighted APA’s Montgomery Inland Rail Port, set to open in spring 2027. Located 175 miles north of Mobile, the facility will extend the Port of Mobile’s container gateway into Central Alabama and along the I-85 corridor, bringing intermodal service closer to the region’s growing base of manufacturers, importers, and exporters.
Together, the stories reflect a broader shift in how shippers evaluate port gateways. Deepwater access matters, but businesses increasingly want dependable connections beyond the waterfront: more routing options, less congestion and greater predictability from origin to destination. Alabama is built to deliver exactly that.
The Port of Mobile offers a 50-foot ship channel, direct connections to five Class I railroads, extensive inland waterway access and easy access to Interstates 10 and 65. Paired with APA’s investments in terminal capacity, inland rail and supporting logistics assets, those strengths form a connected network that reaches the Southeast, the Midwest and beyond.
“In today’s market, shippers are looking for more than a place to move cargo on and off a vessel. They need logistics partners who understand their business, anticipate challenges and can help identify the most effective way to move freight from origin to destination. That’s what MAX is designed to deliver,” said Doug Otto, Director and CEO of the Alabama Port Authority. “Alabama has tremendous transportation assets, and MAX brings those advantages together in a way that helps businesses see the full potential of that network.”
Learn more about Mobile America Express at max.alports.com.