Efficiency In Times Of Rising Prices
The Corps of Engineers recently confirmed that the St. Louis region’s ports remain the most efficient inland port system in the nation, measured by tons moved per river mile. Among the seven inland statistical port areas the Corps compared, the St. Louis Metro Port system ranked fourth in total tonnage but first in efficiency.
In 2024, the 70-mile St. Louis Metro Port, known as the “Ag Coast,” handled 24.8 million tons of cargo, or 354,286 tons per river mile. That is more than twice the per-mile volume of each of the three port districts that handled more total tonnage, and more than 10 times the 31,072-ton average of the other three inland port districts.
That efficiency matters more than ever right now. President Donald Trump has just announced an $8 billion aid package for commodity producers squeezed by rising diesel and input costs. Towboat operators are feeling the same pressure, with diesel costs doubling since the beginning of the year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects U.S. retail diesel will average $5.07 per gallon through 2026 before easing slightly to $4.40 in 2027. To cope, operators are using digital fuel monitoring systems, tightly tracking idle time and fuel burn, optimizing route speeds and passing along fuel surcharges.
As we’ve noted before, rising diesel costs are both good and bad news for operators. When prices climb, efficiency of every kind becomes more important to stressed farmers, commodity shippers and towboat operators alike. The more expensive diesel gets, the more valuable waterborne transport, with its built-in ton-mile advantage, becomes to shippers and exporters. Diesel is getting more expensive for everyone, but the cost gap between barge, truck and rail transport grows wider, too.
Short-term relief helps, but continued investment in that transportation advantage is the best long-term aid farmers and exporters can receive. We’d like to see candidates in this year’s election commit to supporting investment in waterways that are now more important than ever. We’d also like to see commitments to protecting jobs and keeping the Jones Act strong to support maritime and shipbuilding.
These issues give elected officials of both parties the perfect chance to show bipartisanship and a concern for the long-term common good once the election tumult has died down.
