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
Ken Eriksen
Port executives, economic developers and state representatives from Louisiana have long described the five deep-water ports of the Lower Mississippi River—composed of the Port of Baton Rouge, the Port of… 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
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
Recently returned from the Inland Marine Expo in Nashville, Tenn., Ken Eriksen, principal of Polaris Consulting and a senior leader and strategic adviser in commodities, supply chain, logistics and transportation,… Read More
The Waterways Journal is pleased to announce that the 2025 IRR Commodities Report and IRR Barge Fleet Profile are both available for order by phone and online. Read More
Attendees at this year’s Inland Marine Expo (IMX) got an in-depth look at the barge industry thanks to a keynote session titled “The State of the Barge Industry: Supply, Demand… Read More
The number of barges being worked on the Mississippi River system, its connecting waterways and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway during 2024 totaled 22,385, including dry covered, dry open and tank… Read More
The inland barge market likely finished 2024 on a high note with improved U.S. exports of grain, soybeans and products and coal, along with improved barge lockings as highlighted in… Read More
Ken Eriksen Exporters from the United States benefit from an impressive array of options to access global markets. The diverse routings and pathways within the U.S. are not only… Read More
