Bulk containers along Interstate 65

I-65 joins the Gulf Coast at Mobile to Chicago's edge at Gary, through Birmingham, Nashville, Louisville and Indianapolis. Its metros make medicine and chemicals as much as cars: pharmaceutical manufacturing had 38,390 jobs in 2025 in the disclosed counties, at 2.2 times the national share, and chemicals 66,307.

Warehousing is the other big trade. The corridor's metros had 134,734 warehousing jobs, 7.1% of the US total, led by Chicago (59,586) and Indianapolis (41,067). Louisville's air hub and Indianapolis's distribution parks sit right on the road.

For a container, that means two kinds of loop. Pharma and chemical plants move lidded bins with liners between their own sites, often in a closed loop with written cleaning. Distribution centres move collapsibles for returns. Either way, if the empties travel the length of the corridor, ask for the folded height of the model.

I-65 runs from Mobile to Gary, through Birmingham, Nashville, Louisville and Indianapolis. Many auto plants and their suppliers sit within reach of it. Louisville's UPS hub sits right beside it.

Between Nashville and Birmingham the road climbs through hills and passes Cullman and Decatur, where poultry and metal plants sit near the interstate. North of Louisville it runs flat across Indiana farmland to Indianapolis and on to the steel mills at Gary on Lake Michigan. Freight on it heads mostly north and south between the Gulf and the Great Lakes. Loops of containers between Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama plants use it every day.

Along I-65 buyers are parts suppliers in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky, and warehouses near Louisville and Indianapolis.

Steel from Gary feeds parts plants along the way.

Mobile's port at the southern end handles steel, forest products and auto parts arriving by ship.