Mobile, Alabama · Gulf Coast
Port of Mobile container demurrage & detention dispute guide
Alabama's container gateway at APM Terminals Mobile, with a newly deepened 50-foot channel and rail-linked inland service, where rail dwell and export timing drive D&D.
- Authority
- Alabama Port Authority
- Container terminals
- 2
The port at a glance
The Port of Mobile's container trade runs through APM Terminals Mobile at Choctaw Point, developed with the Alabama Port Authority. The Mobile Harbor channel modernization to 50 feet was completed in 2025, and in October 2025 the Alabama Port Authority and APM Terminals announced a $131 million investment for a new 1,300-foot container berth. The port's container customers include automotive, forest products, poultry and chemical shippers in Alabama and the Southeast, and the terminal's intermodal rail connections reach inland markets.
D&D exposure in Mobile follows the cargo mix. Exporters of forest products, poultry and resin load boxes inland and deliver against ERDs that shift with vessel schedules; rolled bookings cause detention on ready cargo. Importers and automotive suppliers move containers by rail or truck to inland plants, where rail dwell or a missed connection can push boxes past free time.
A common mistake is treating rail dwell as the consignee's problem. When a container moving under a carrier's through bill waits at the terminal for the carrier's rail move, the consignee could not pick it up, and the incentive principle applies.
Container terminals
APM Terminals Mobile (Choctaw Point)
APM Terminals · Developed with the Alabama Port Authority; new 1,300-foot berth announced October 2025
Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (Choctaw Point)
Alabama Port Authority · Rail transfer serving the container terminal
Appointments & empty returns
- Truck procedures and any appointment requirements at APM Terminals Mobile are published by the terminal operator through its own terminal information pages; the Alabama Port Authority does not run a separate port-wide appointment platform.
Chassis
The Alabama Port Authority does not publish a port-operated chassis pool for Mobile; chassis come from lessors, carriers and drayage providers serving APM Terminals Mobile.
Where D&D builds up at Mobile.
Rail dwell on through moves
Containers moving inland by rail can wait at the terminal for their connection. When the carrier controls the rail move, demurrage for that wait is disputable.
Export ERDs and rolled bookings
Forest products, poultry and resin exporters deliver against ERDs that move with vessel ETAs. Rolled bookings create detention on loaded boxes.
Terminal expansion
Berth construction and yard expansion following the October 2025 investment announcement can change gate and yard routines. Record disruptions on billed days.
Hurricanes
Gulf storms close the port and channel. Billed days during closures are a clear incentive-principle issue.
Empty availability
Exporters compete for empties and may face carrier restrictions on pickup and return locations. Refusals generate disputable per diem.
Free time and disputes at Mobile
Free time at Mobile is set by the ocean carrier's tariff or your service contract, and terminal storage by the MTO's published schedule. There is no port-wide free time. Each D&D invoice must include the § 541.6 elements, especially the availability date or earliest return date, free time and its start and end dates, and the specific dates charged.
For intermodal imports, establish who controlled the rail move. For exports, line up booking history and published ERDs. Both fact patterns turn on whether the billed party could have moved the container, which is the question 46 CFR § 545.5 asks.
The 30-day issuance rule (§ 541.7) and the minimum 30-day relief request window (§ 541.8) apply to every invoice. ATAHSKIA's Automated Disputes tracks both windows per container and attaches rail and booking evidence to each request.
Mobile D&D FAQ
Who operates the container terminal in Mobile?
APM Terminals operates APM Terminals Mobile at Choctaw Point, developed with the Alabama Port Authority.
Can I dispute demurrage while my container waited for rail in Mobile?
If the carrier controlled the rail move under a through bill and the box waited for that connection, you could not move it, which fits the FMC's incentive principle. Use the terminal's rail history as evidence.
Has the Mobile channel been deepened?
Yes. The Alabama Port Authority confirmed completion of the Mobile Harbor modernization project to a 50-foot channel in 2025.
Nearby and related ports
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