Tampa Bay Regional Goods Movement | Seaports and Waterways

The water component of the regional freight system is the primary means of exporting large quantities of goods overseas. Seaports and their associated landside activities serve a vital role in the economy of the Tampa Bay region. The existing waterways shown in the map enable ships to maneuver through Tampa Bay and the several channels serving the Port of Tampa.

The Port of Tampa, which has been in operation for more than 120 years, is the largest port by tonnage in the state of Florida, handling 50 percent of all waterborne commerce that passes through the state. The Port consistently ranks in the top 15 of the largest cargo ports in the nation. The Port is also a major port for the shipment of bulk materials - primarily phosphate, bulk chemicals, and petroleum products used locally and throughout the region. The Port provides access to ports and waterways to locations in Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Today, freight water vessels operate seven days a week from the Port to serve those same worldwide destinations. The Port of Tampa complex includes more than 110 berths and handles approximately 52 million tons of cargo annually. Cargo is transported to and from the Port by over 11,200 trucks and 850 rail cars per day. This total is expected to grow to over 17,000 trucks and 1,025 rail cars by 2010. As the Port continues to grow both in operations and physical size, rail and road access will be essential to its future.

Located in Manatee County, south of the District Seven boundary, Port Manatee serves a major role in shipping goods and services, and in generating truck traffic on US 41, I-75 and I-275.

Seaports and Waterways, District Seven

Commodity	Tonnage Shipped (2007)	Percent %	Truck Equivalent¹	Daily Loaded Truck Equivalent⁶	Daily Total Truck Trips⁷
Petroleum Products²	19,473,191	43.0%	649,106	2596	5,193
Phosphate, Rock/Chemical³	8,414,762	18.6%	112,197	449	898
Coal⁴	4,658,932	10.3%	18,750	75	150
Sulphur, Liquid	3,265,999	7.2%	108,867	435	871
Other Dry Bulk Commidities³	2,303,927	5.1%	30,719	123	246
Ammonia, Anhydrous³	1,807,937	4.0%	36,159	145	289
Limestone	1,778,039	3.9%	59,268	237	474
Cement, Bulk	969,813	2.1%	32,327	129	259
Granite Rock, Bulk	604,411	1.3%	20,147	81	161
Scrap Metal	577,100	1.3%	19,237	77	154
Steel Products	338,099	0.7%	11,270	45	90
Citrus Pellets	330,746	0.7%	16,537	66	132
Containerized	297,457	0.7%	42,494	170	340
Other Liquid Bulk Commodities	134,766	0.3%	6,738	27	54
Sulphuric Acid	108,229	0.2%	5,411	22	43
General Cargo	84,327	0.2%	4,216	17	34
Concentrate, Citrus Bulk	64,827	0.1%	2,161	9	17
Vehicles (Tons)⁵	61,255	0.1%	3,063	12	25
Reefer Cargo	16,564	0.0%	828	3	7
Forest Products	3,124	0.0%	156	1	1
Total:	45,293,505	100%	1,179,652	4,719	9,437

Source: TPA 2007
Notes

¹The truck equivalent was calculated based on a load of 30 tons for bulk materials and liquids, and 26 tons for non-bulk based on a table in the Florida Senate Interim Report 2009-126, Oct 2008.

²Tanker weight dependant on specific gravity of material transported. Gasoline (6.2 lbs/gal) used here for general calculations.

³Phosphate Rock , Other Dry Bulk , and Ammonia are split 60/40 rail/truck

⁴Coal imported by TECO via ship (No trucks generated). About 200ktons of coal shipped to Lakeland via truck (Figures displayed here).

⁵Calculation based on tons. 30,628 actual vehicles imported. 10 vehicles per truck transporter

⁶Daily truck equivalent based on 250 work days per year

⁷Total daily truck trips equals loaded plus empty (in/out)