Funded by the Illinois Soybean Checkoff
Rollin’ Down the River What's ahead for the U.S. Inland Waterway System, and why we’re all called to care. Evening calls harbor inhabitants in. Photo Credit: Captain Gooding
By Betsy Osman
I
f there’s one thing America loves, it’s healthy competition. And in the exports space, the U.S. inland waterways system has not only secured our role as a global leader, it has floated America’s economic brawn for generations. Humbly dubbed “the backbone of the transportation logistics system,” the inland waterways efficiently, sustainably, cost-effectively, and safely transport critical commodities like agricultural goods, energy products,
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building materials, and industrial chemicals to destinations within the U.S. and to deep water ports for export. Annually, 766.3 million tons of goods valued at $507.3 billion are moved on the U.S. inland waterways system. By 2045, it is expected to increase by 23 percent to 942 million tons valued at $871 billion. Barge transportation is the safest, most environmentally-friendly, economical, and fuel-efficient way to move our nation’s goods for use domestically and for export. On a single gallon of fuel, one barge can move freight more than four times far-
ther than trucks, while releasing 10 times fewer emissions. As the No. 1 soybean producing state, the system includes a vast network of 12,000 miles of connecting waterways, 218 locks, and 1,100 miles of navigable inland waterways. Here are some cool facts you should know: • The U.S. inland waterways system saves between $7 to $9 billion annually over the cost of other modes due to efficiency and low cost. • The U.S. currently has a $5.35-per-metric-ton advantage
over Brazil when shipping soybeans on the inland waterways system from Davenport, Iowa, to Shanghai, China. • Illinois’ Ports, Waterways, and Inland Waterways-Dependent Industries support nearly 236,000 jobs. • Barges have the smallest carbon footprint among freight transportation modes. “The inland waterways are simply the most cost-competitive way to move agricultural inputs and finished product for use domestically and for export from the United States,” says Tracy Zea,
