Mississippi Coverage Area

Bordered by Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi offers a good location for businesses that ship freight in the southeastern region of the United States. Through service centers located in Biloxi, Greenville, Hattiesburg, Jackson and Tupelo, ArcBest^® provides regional, national and international transportation and logistics services to meet your supply chain needs. For information about our service options or pricing, call 800-610-5544. 

Taxes and Business Climate

Mississippi is known as a rural, agriculture state, with a small but growing economy. It offers low taxes, a trained workforce and a reliable transportation infrastructure, making it an attractive location for businesses.

Top Industries

Agriculture is a $7 billion industry and a vital piece of Mississippi’s economy. With more than 37,100 farms covering nearly 11 million acres, Mississippi is rich in farmland. The industry employs more than 29 percent of the state’s workforce, and poultry products, overall crops and livestock are the state’s primary commodities.

Manufacturing Impact

Manufacturing is also important to the state, with the industry employing 12.5 percent of the state’s workforce and producing more than $17 billion annually. Mississippi’s top manufacturing exports include chemical products, processed foods, furniture, motor vehicles, vehicle parts and transportation equipment.

Commercial Fishing in Mississippi

Commercial fishing in the Gulf of Mexico also has an impact on the economy. Mississippi’s commercial fishers harvest seafood products like shrimp, red snapper and oysters. Farm-raised catfish and freshwater catches like buffalo fish and carp are also popular items fished in the state. The industry contributed $465 million to the state’s economy in 2015, and provided 9,491 jobs.  

Transportation Options in the Magnolia State

The state is located along the Gulf Coast and is considered a thriving shipping center in the Mississippi River Delta. Businesses shipping freight into, around or out of Mississippi rely on its transportation system consisting of roads and highways, airports, seaports and railways. 

Roads

Mississippi has nine interstates, 14 federal highways, and a system of county- and state-maintained highways. Trucks leaving Mississippi can access 75 percent of the U.S. market within one day. 

Air and Rail

Air freight is served by 76 public-use airports, including two international airports — the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport in Jackson and the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in Gulfport. The 30 rail freight carriers that serve Mississippi operate on more than 2,500 miles of track and link the state to major domestic markets along the Mississippi River and to locations in Canada and Mexico.

Water

Surrounded by 800 miles navigable waterways, Mississippi provides shippers a route to inland and foreign markets. Two deep-water ports are located on the Gulf of Mexico — the Port of Pascagoula and the Port of Gulfport — and 16 public ports are along the Mississippi River.