The prolific Indiana ports have turned the state of Indiana into a logistics powerhouse. More than 400 miles of Indiana’s border is abutted to water, meaning that over 50 percent of Indiana’s borders are water-based. The water channels joined to Indiana are Lake Michigan and the Ohio and Wabash rivers. There are millions of tons of cargo transported via the three ports located in Portage, Jeffersonville and Mount Vernon. With this in mind, it is vital to calculate the advantages your company can reap from fully utilizing the invaluable ports of Indiana. Let us examine some facts below.
The Crossroads of America
The motto, Crossroads of America, was adopted by the state of Indiana in 1937. The title is fitting. The slogan Crossroads of America began as the nickname for Indianapolis, the Indiana state capital. Indianapolis is the pivot point for several major interstate highways that crisscross Indiana, linking Hoosiers to the rest of America. How can America’s premier inland port system benefit your business?
Coast to Coast Access
Indiana ports are situated on two waterways that afford access to two different coasts. One port is on Lake Michigan and gives direct ocean access through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean. Two other ports on the Ohio River connect to the Mississippi, down to the Gulf of Mexico. All three Indiana ports give access to the interior river system that provides year-round shipping to more than 20 states and permits direct connection with ocean vessels in the Gulf.
Connect to Various Modes of Transport
The ability to connect numerous methods of transportation at the nation’s crossroads helps give the Ports of Indiana its distinctive advantage. As well as the nations’ waterways, the Ports of Indiana connect to the nations internal transportation infrastructure. Multiple Class I railroads are located within a day’s drive of over 75 percent of the U.S. market. The port’s different nautical modes of transportation—ocean freighters, lake vessels, and river barges—creates real value for shippers in their efforts to connect to multiple areas. The Indiana ports also provide the flexibility to change modes whenever an adjustment is needed to accommodate world markets.
Transporting all of your shipments through America’s Premier Inland Port System will increase your customer’s satisfaction, a sure way of favorably impacting your profit margin. You save time and money, and it is easier. Using the Ports of Indiana gives you more variety, more options, and fewer opportunities for shipment delays. Indiana’s unique waterway system benefits your business as well as the companies who receive your shipments. To examine new shipping methods for lowering supply chain costs for your multimode business, contact the experts at MWCold. We are happy to help you find realistic solutions for your supply chain management systems.
