JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s port is sharpening its Southeast advantage by combining deepwater access, abundant land for vehicle staging, and strong multimodal links to move cargo inland efficiently.
This episode of This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition explores JAXPORT’s growing role in auto logistics and the Southeast supply chain. Kent Justice speaks with John Murray of Enstructure and Alberto Cabrera, JAXPORT’s Cargo Sales Director, about why Jacksonville is strategically positioned for vehicle imports, how on‑dock rail and the Talleyrand facility boost efficiency and reduce carbon footprint, and what infrastructure and workforce investments are needed to support growth.
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Public–private partnerships and private operators (e.g., Enstructure) are expanding end‑to‑end services, including vehicle prep, break‑bulk handling, and yard/warehouse capacity.
Recent investments—channel deepening, terminal upgrades and long‑range planning—support larger vessels and future growth. Diversified cargo (containers, break‑bulk, RoRo, heavy equipment) boosts resilience against market shocks.
Rail connectivity lowers emissions and highway congestion, helping shippers meet sustainability goals. Growth also drives regional jobs and workforce development. Competition from East Coast ports (notably Savannah) and limited space elsewhere make capacity management, reliability and customer service critical. The outlook rests on continued infrastructure investment, expanded private services, and marketing of Jacksonville’s multimodal and land advantages to global shippers.