Port of Decatur
Encyclopedia
Transshipment
Transshipment or Transhipment is the shipment of goods or containers to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination....
port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
on the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
, in the city of Decatur, Alabama
Decatur, Alabama
Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...
, United States of America. The port was founded in 1971.
Port facilities
Port facilities include intermodalIntermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
transfer points for switches between barge, road and rail, storage facilities for bulk liquids, dry bulk and general cargo and 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of open storage. Serviceable quay length is 2000 feet (609.6 m), with a year-round draft of nine metres.
The port is directly connected to the Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads and to interstate and regional highway networks.
Industries
Port throughput is dominated by imports of industrial and agricultural commodities including sand, asphalt, grains and fertilizers, coal, and steel piping. From 2005 the port also began handling poultry feed products for nationwide poultry firm Golden Kist.Exports are limited by the cost-efficiency of road and rail distribution networks, forcing many barges accessing the port to return empty. Shipping times to New Orleans are approximately two weeks from loading.