Page 10: of Marine News Magazine (December 2017)

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BY THE NUMBERS

Freight Facts and Figures 2017

The annual edition of Freight Facts and Figures, issued the incidents and in the total gallons of oil spilled, 68 and

Bureau of Transportation Statistics provides a unique snap- 79 percent, respectively. That’s due, in part, to the fact shot of the volume and value of freight ? ows in the United that the median age of both tank barges and deep draft

States; the extent, condition, and performance of the physi- tankers decreased signi? cantly over that 15 year span. Ev- cal network over which freight moves; the economic con- ery other category of domestic vessel is now, on average, ditions that generate freight movements; the industry that signi? cantly older than it was in 2000. That’s nominally carries freight; and the safety, energy, and environmental im- good news for boat builders looking for something to do plications of freight transportation. Although this lengthy, as the offshore oil crisis drags on and the (OPA-90 man- 12th edition version covers all modes, it also focuses on the dated) double hull barge building boom ended in 2015.

marine component of the supply chain quite well. Shallow draft vessels (barges/towboats) make up 93.8

BTS starts out by pointing to the U.S. economy, saying percent of the domestic merchant ? eet and operate do- that although it was affected by an economic recession mestically on intracoastal waterways and river systems. from December 2007 to June 2009, it has since returned That’s no secret, but the U.S. ? eet also decreased by 1,272 to prerecession levels. That may well be true, but certain vessels (3 percent) between 2000 and 2014, largely due to marine sectors are still hurting, albeit for other reasons. the retirement of dry bulk barges. Still, that shrinking of

Freight volumes nevertheless continue to increase, in the inland ? eet hasn’t been enough to help freight rates large part because the U.S. population grew by 14.5 per- rebound in the heartland. Separately, Campbell Trans- cent between 2000 and 2016, climbing to 323 million portation Company CEO Peter Stephaich probably says in 2016. During that same period, the U.S. economy, it best when he insists, “We either need more tons to move measured by gross domestic product (GDP), increased or we need to shrink the barge