In our last issue, economist Ken Eriksen showed how record corn yields and exports boosted U.S. barge volumes and rates (See Horizons, August 18, 2025). The big surprise for ag… Read More
WJ Editorial
The Waterways Journal advocates for policies, practices and regulations that allow the barge transportation industry to continue to operate in the safest and most economical way possible. We recognize those leaders who understand the inherent advantages of barge transport, and challenge those who push harmful policies.
The Waterways Journal welcomes letters from readers on any subjects related to the river industry or covered in our articles or editorials. To send a letter, please click here.
In the quiet hum below decks—far from the wheelhouse windows and the open river sky—work the hands and minds that keep our nation’s inland arteries flowing. These men and women… Read More
At this year’s Inland Marine Expo in Nashville, hosted by The Waterways Journal, an attendee asked about surplus barges in the covered fleet. With barge demand in 2022 and 2023… Read More
The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is already here, but if you work on or near the water, your job looks to be safe. Last week we mentioned widely reported remarks… Read More
Shipbuilding is getting new attention as a key part of the administration’s push to revive U.S. maritime capabilities. Labor needs are a key chokepoint for the administration’s maritime goals. Some shipyards… Read More
That’s the question that gets asked a lot today, given the extended timelines for big construction projects like locks and dams. A prime example is the 102-year-old Inner Harbor Navigation… Read More
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), spanning 1,058 river miles from Apalachee Bay, Fla., to Brownsville, Texas, is an all-star performer. From the Mississippi River at New Orleans, the GIWW extends… Read More
We Are Here For Whatever The Mariner Needs By The Rev. Grace Pardun, SCI Chaplain At the Seamen’s Church Institute’s Center for Maritime Education (CME) in Paducah, Ky., we often… Read More
In April 2025, members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reached agreement on a Net‑Zero Framework, including a mandatory marine fuel standard that phases in cleaner fuels and a global… Read More
Ken Eriksen The Upper Mississippi River (UMR) extends 854 navigable river miles through the heart of the Corn Belt from Minneapolis past St. Louis to the mouth of… Read More
