American River Transportation News

Waterway traffic is coming back. November 2021 saw 52.1 million tons moving on the U.S. inland waterway system, the highest monthly tonnage since October 2019, a few months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the shutdowns and stoppages of early 2020. Flows estimated by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, based on data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) show a 25% rise from June 2020. Data in a presentation by The Waterways Council Inc (WCI)…

If you and your crew are facing questions about ballast water management (BWM) and related regulatory deadlines, it would be worth your while to download a new (January 2021) “Ballast Water Management Systems User Guide,” an extensive, in-depth look at evaluating, selecting and installing a BWM system. The guide was published by MARAD and Glosten for the Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP). It is geared primarily toward U.S.-flag operators in domestic and international trade.As most mariners know, BWM, overseen federally by U.S. EPA and the Coast Guard, includes a number of activities.

The U.S. towing and tug business is 5,500 boats, more than 31,000 barges with an estimated total impact on U.S. GDP of $33.8 billion.“At a macro level, the bigger ships are causing downward pressure on the ship assist business because there are fewer ship calls given the increased capacity of these vessels. However, certain ports have seen tremendous growth, based on strategic location and infrastructure investments that have attracted these larger ships and been a net plus for these areas.”Kate Fuhrman…

A coalition of maritime business and industry organizations sent a letter to key Members of Congress on Friday, March 24 urging funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to further support efforts undertaken by the State of Illinois to slow, stop and reverse the migration of Asian carp, an aquatic invasive species, through cost-effective measures. In the letter, the UnLock Our Jobs (UOJ) coalition members review the record of success that the GLRI has had in working with the State of Illinois to develop a range of strategies to control Asian carp…

A leading US maritime consultancy established in 1996, SMSLLC provides practical risk mitigation solutions for vessel operators and stakeholders. Clients include a broad range of operators including Genesis Marine, American River Transportation Company, Seabulk Towing, Military Sealift Command and others. Primary services include, Regulatory Advisement, Internal Auditing, Risk Management, and the creation of Management Systems. SMS LLC has been in the business of bringing practical safety management solutions to the marine industry for 20 years.

American River Transportation Company (ARTCO), a subsidiary of Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), today announced plans to launch new barge fleeting and switching operations in the Cairo, Illinois, harbor starting January 1, 2016. The Cairo harbor is a vital hub in the inland waterway supply chain. The new operation will be based in Wickliffe, Kentucky, and will provide fleeting and switching operations from mile 948 on the Lower Mississippi River to mile 29 on the Upper Mississippi and mile 974 on the Ohio River. “ARTCO is the only company in the inland waterway system that can provide a self-contained supply chain to our customers, which allows us to provide better, more efficient and cost-effective service,” said Jason Porter, vice president, ARTCO operations.

Two barges that drifted against piers of the Starved Rock Dam in Utica, Illinois Sunday afternoon have been safely recovered, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) reported. One of the barges, carrying corn, was recovered Sunday evening, while the second barge, carrying sand, was recovered Monday morning. The Joyce Hale, a 157-foot towing vessel, was pushing eight barges of dry cargo south on the Illinois River Sunday when two of the eight barges it was pushing made contact with the protection cells of the Starved Rock Lock and Dam.

The U.S. Coast Guard is working the the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the owners of a tug and barges to quickly and safely move two barges that drifted into the protection walls of Starved Rock Lock and Dam in Utica, Illinois, Sunday afternoon. The Joyce Hale, a 157-foot towing vessel, was pushing eight barges of dry cargo south on the Illinois River when two of the eight barges it was pushing made contact with the protection walls of the Starved Rock Lock and Dam. As a result of the allision, four of the barges broke away from the vessel's tow wires.

M/V New Dawn arrived at Lock and Dam 2 near Hastings, Minn. Wednesday morning, marking the unofficial opening of the 2015 shipping season on the Upper Mississippi River, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The USACE St. Paul District recognizes the first tow to arrive at Lock and Dam 2 as the unofficial start of the navigation season because it means all of its locks are accessible to commercial and recreational vessels. American River Transportation Company boat M/V New Dawn, pushing nine barges loaded with fertilizer en route to St.

SMSLLC to help leading tug and barge operator to prepare for new Towing Safety Management Regulation. Safety Management Systems LLC announced on April 18, 2013 that it has won a contract from American River Transportation Company (ARTCO) to assist the company to establish a Towing Safety Management System (TSMS) in accordance with pending U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Subchapter M regulations. ARTCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), is one of the largest U.S.

By James P. Nader & Joseph A. Collision law can be traced back to ancient Roman times and developed further during the industrial revolution in England. In more modern times there have been numerous efforts by the international community to establish a uniform set of guidelines and rules governing safety at sea. Some of the navigational rules which have developed include the use of light and sound signals, radar, speed regulations, lookouts and observance of standards of good seamanship. General customs of navigation are also an important consideration, but do not carry the weight of the rule of law. If a general and even widely accepted custom is contrary to the law it will not be enforced.

The members of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association for the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry, elected Mr. Royce C. Wilken as Chairman and Mr. H. Merritt Lane as Vice Chairman on Friday, April 20 during the AWO Spring Convention in Washington. Mr. Wilken is President of American River Transportation Co. (ARTCO), headquartered in Decatur, IL, and served as vice chairman for the past year. Mr. Lane is President and Chief Executive Officer of Canal Barge Company, Inc., headquartered in New Orleans, LA. Wilken, in his remarks to the AWO Board of Directors following his election as chairman, explained his priorities for the coming year.