barge shipping

Runaway Barge Strikes Bridge Near St. Charles

Tim Lloyd — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 21:01:29 +0000

Updated at 3:34 p.m. on Monday

A barge broke loose and struck the I-370 rail bridge near St. Charles on Saturday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the incident.

Even though water levels are up, last year’s drought is suspected to have played a role in the accident.

Fallen trees on river banks are normally swept away one by one, but they piled up when water levels shrunk during the drought.

Now that levels are high, a lot of large trees are suddenly floating in major rivers.

Barge Shippers Ask Congress For A Tax Hike To Pay For Infrastructure Upgrades

Tim Lloyd — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:04:53 +0000

Members of the barge shipping industry are on Capitol Hill today, asking Congress to raise the taxes they pay for fuel.

Shippers support a plan that would increase the fuel tax they pay from 20 cents per-gallon to 29 cents per-gallon of diesel fuel. The extra money would be used to fund improvements to locks and dams, some of which are more than 70 years old.

Shipping Woes Ease On Mississippi River

Tim Lloyd — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:55:01 +0000

What a difference just a few weeks makes.

Earlier this year shippers feared that the worst drought in decades would slam the brakes on the billion dollar barge shipping industry, but recent heavy rains and snow have raised water levels on the drought starved Mississippi River.

Even though shippers are back to carrying normal loads, American Waterways Operators spokeswoman Ann McCulluh says the industry remains anxious about the future.

Low Water, High Anxiety On The River

Tim Lloyd — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0000

It seems like we’re constantly hearing about how the worst drought in decades is threatening barge shipping on the Mississippi River.

One day we’re facing a shutdown, the next day they say commerce will keep rolling on the river.

Here’s the latest: The Army Corp of Engineers says it’s done enough work to keep the waterway open until the end of this month.

Drought Concerns Remain For Barge Industry

Tim Lloyd — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:15:59 +0000

The barge industry again raised concerns Wednesday about the impact low water levels on the Mississippi River will have on shipping.

According to a new report from American Waterways Operators, low water could affect more than 8,000 jobs along the river. The group's spokeswoman, Ann McCulloch, says the situation isn't expected to improve any time soon.