The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway is primarily used for transporting coal, along with other bulk commodities like agricultural products and construction materials.

This inland waterway system, which connects the Tennessee River to the Tombigbee River, provides an efficient route for moving coal from mining regions in the Appalachian Mountains to ports and industrial hubs in the Southeast U.S. The waterway helps reduce transportation costs and alleviates congestion on highways and railroads. Although other goods are also transported, coal remains one of the most significant cargoes carried on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway due to the area's heavy reliance on coal for power generation.