Page 5: of Marine News Magazine (February 2013)

SUBSCRIBESubscribe to the print or electronic edition of MarineNews at www.marinelink.com/renewsubscr/Renew04/subscribe.html or e-mail Kathleen Hickey at [email protected] DAILY NEWS via E-MAIL Twice every business day we provide breaking news, tailored to your speciÞ cation, delivered FREE directly to your e-mail. To subscribe visit http://maritimetoday.com/login.aspx POST & SEARCH JOBSJob listings are updated daily and help match employers with qualiÞ ed employees. Post a position or keep abreast of new employment opportunities at http://www.maritimejobs.com ADVERTISE MN offers a number of print and electronic advertising packages. To see our editorial calendar and advertising rates, visit www.marinelink.com/AdvRates/Rates.asp Online Resources EDITOR?S NOTEIf there has ever been a time where real leadership on the inland waterfront was needed, then this would be it. Fortunately, we saw and got just that as the low water and infrastructure crisis on the Mississippi River escalated over the course of the past six months. The federal government and in particular, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers got a taste of that leadership as stakeholders rallied to ensure that the nation?s most important waterway remained not only open, but navigable and nominally safe for traf c. It wasn?t easy and results didn?t come overnight. The takeaway from this past year was that the maritime industry can be an effective advocate for its own agenda. The American Waterways Operators (AWO) and Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) in particular led the way in sharply framing the  ght. And strongly backed by business stakeholders from the upper Midwest all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, they got the job done. But this is no time to rest. At press time, water levels in the Mississippi River were still at dangerously low levels, and other battles ? including inadequate funding for dredging and infrastructure repairs ? remain on the horizon. Given current events, this is also an excellent time to hear from the leaders of our domestic, inland bulk transport operators. No less than  ve of those industry executives weighed in this month in our annual Inland Leadership Roundtable. What they had to say about the current business climate and work environment for their collective  eets was telling. Beyond the ongoing drought situation, and throwing subchapter M fears into the mix, it is not an easy time to be moving bulk commodities on the inland rivers. That said; I won?t steal their thunder. The story starts on page 22. Speaking of subchapter M ? the new (pending) USCG regulations will eventually require inland operators to implement safety standards and safety management systems, or alternatively, allow for an annual Coast Guard inspection regime. In advance of that, maritime software providers and marine surveyors are queuing up and joining forces in some cases, to provide turnkey service that they say will solve all of your problems. Are any of these solutions right for you and your  eet? In this edition, we handicap the  eld, so you don?t have to. Well into a New Year that will bring, among other things, a new U.S. Transportation Secretary and Maritime Administrator, we also look forward to renewed and continued stakeholder advocacy for the domestic waterfront and waterborne commerce in general. What happens next in Washington will help to de ne the kind of year ?  ve years, for that matter ? that we can expect for marine transportation, the infrastructure that supports that all-important mode, and of course, your business, too. There will no doubt be a few surprises along the way; offshore, inland and in between. When that happens, count on MarineNews to be there to sort out what?s important, what is not, and why. [email protected] Keefe, Editor, [email protected] MN 5www.marinelink.com MN Feb2013 Layout 1-17.indd 5MN Feb2013 Layout 1-17.indd 52/1/2013 12:25:09 PM2/1/2013 12:25:09 PM