Inland Water Transportation
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 610 inland water transportation providers in the US transport freight and/or passengers on lakes, rivers, or intracoastal waterways, except for the Great Lakes System. Freight transportation accounts for 92% of industry sales; passenger transportation accounts for 8%. Freight transport includes dry bulk; bulk liquids and gases; automobiles and light trucks; boxed, or palletized goods; waste; and livestock.
Vulnerability to Weather or River Conditions
Marine transportation is vulnerable to adverse weather or river conditions, which can delay, divert, or postpone travel and increase operating costs.
Aging Infrastructure
The US inland waterway system is aging and in desperate need of repair.
Industry size & Structure
The average inland water freight transportation provider employs fewer than 20 workers and generates about $23 million annually, while the average inland water passenger transportation provider employs fewer than 10 workers and generates about $3 million annually.
- The inland water freight transportation industry consists of 330 firms that employ about 16,000 workers and generate about $7.7 billion annually, while the inland water passenger transportation industry consists of 300 firms that employ about 3,000 workers and generate about $900 million annually.
- The industries are highly concentrated; the top 50 inland water freight transportation providers account for 94% of category revenue. The top 50 inland water passenger transportation providers account for almost 88% of category revenue.
- Large firms include Kirby, American Commercial Barge Line (emerging from bankruptcy), and Ingram Marine Group. Large refining and petrochemical companies own and operate captive fleets.
- The US has 25,000 miles of inland, intracoastal and coastal waterways that are maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers, of which about 11,000 are fuel-taxed inland waterways. Inland waterways are composed of interconnected rivers and canals that are shared by 38 states and serve 635 shallow draft ports. The Illinois Waterway and Mississippi River are the major waterways that are responsible for moving agricultural and farm products through barges.
- The Mississippi River and its tributaries and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway connect Gulf Coast ports, such as Mobile, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houston, and Corpus Christi, with major inland ports, including Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers. The Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico allows ocean shipping to connect with the barge traffic, making this segment vital to both domestic and foreign trade. In the Pacific Northwest, the Columbia-Snake River System allows navigation 465 miles inland to Lewiston, Idaho.
- Inland water transportation is critical to the agriculture and energy sectors; 60% of grain exports are moved by barge, 22% of domestic petroleum and petroleum products, and 20% of coal used to generate electricity, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
Industry Forecast
Inland Water Transportation Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Jul 15, 2024 - Tonnage Increases
- US waterway tonnage increased 0.2% year over year and 8.1% month over month in March, according to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Inland water transportation firms slightly increased their prices during the first five months of 2024, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Inland water transportation industry employment increased significantly during the first five months of 2024, according to the BLS. Inland water transportation industry sales are forecast to grow at a 4.48% compounded annual rate from 2024 to 2028, faster than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.
- Containerized imports to the US increased substantially during January, February, and March from the corresponding months of the previous year, up 10%, 21%, and 23%, respectively, according to The Waterways Council. The first quarter is typically the slowest period for containerized imports. Importers anticipating additional disruptions in the Red Sea and potential disruptions due to global political instability are focusing on replenishing retail inventories and preparing peak season stocks, according to The Waterways Council. Inland water transportation firms may benefit from the import surge.
- The fiscal year 2024 budget for the US Army Corps of Engineers that was signed into law in early 2024 includes record funding of $456 million for construction projects along inland rivers. The funding is expected to bring three of the current six active construction projects to completion: $236.8 million for the Chickamauga Lock in Tennessee, $103.2 million for the Three Rivers project in Arkansas, and $41 million for the Lower Monongahela River project in Pennsylvania. Funds were also included for the Bayou Sorrel Lock in Louisiana replacement study; examining the feasibility of deepening the Bennett Johnston Waterway in Louisiana; making channel improvements along the Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee rivers; and funding dredging at harbors in Greenville, MS, Vicksburg, MS, and Memphis, TN. These ports were hit hard during low water in 2023.
- Shippers should be prepared for the risk of extreme weather returning in 2024 to hamper the flow of goods on vital waterways and should work on the resilience of their supply chains, according to multinational banking and financial services corporation ING. Seasonal and temporary low water levels in rivers and lakes aren't a new phenomenon, and it can be exacerbated by recurring weather events such as El Niño. but more rain and longer-lasting droughts across the world in recent years may be a new reality going forward, ING analysts say. Last year was the sixth warmest year since global records began in 1880, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's annual global climate report. This means that the 10 warmest years ever have all been recorded since 2010. 2023 now seems on track for adding to this statistic. Low water levels lead to capacity reduction on ships, surcharges, rising transportation costs and delays.
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