1. WATERWAYS: Working for America
[MAKE SURE YOU PERSONALIZE THIS SLIDE FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, WITH YOUR NAME AND OTHER PERTINENT DATA.]
Thank you for the opportunity to be with you today.
Offer a self-introduction.
I am here today on behalf of the National Waterways Foundation, which provides the intellectual foundation for the inland waterways industry.
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2. WATERWAYS: Working for America
Waterways transportation keeps our nation’s commerce on the move in the safest, most
fuel-efficient, environmentally sound way.
This presentation is titled, “Waterways: Working for America,” and is based on a study that compares the societal impact of various modes of transportation. This study found that the barges and towboats of the nation’s inland waterways keep commerce moving in the safest, most fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly way.
Highlights of A Modal Comparison of Domestic Freight
Transportation Effects on the General Public: Updated February 2017

3. America’s Inland Waterways:
A Study in Freight Transportation Solutions
Highlights of “A Modal Comparison of Domestic Freight Transportation Effects on the General Public: ” Updated January 2017
Conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute, Center for Ports & Waterways
The study compares barges, trucks and rail transportation in terms of safety, energy efficiency and environmental impacts
This presentation provides highlights of the study, “A Modal Comparison of Domestic Freight Transportation Effects on the General Public: ,” which compares
the relative merits of moving commerce by barge vs. by rail or truck--specifically, the safety, energy efficiency and environmental impacts of inland waterway, rail and highway transportation.

4. 12,000 miles of commercially navigable channels 192 lock sites
America’s Inland Waterways:
An “Inland Marine Highway” for Freight Transportation
Pittsburgh
Minneapolis/ St. Paul
Chicago
Houston
Mobile
Tulsa
New Orleans
St. Louis
Corpus Christi
Portland
Our “inland marine highways” move commerce to and from 38 states throughout the nation’s heartland and Pacific Northwest, serve industrial and agricultural centers, and facilitate imports and exports at gateway ports on the Gulf Coast.
12,000 miles of commercially navigable channels
192 lock sites
Commerce transiting our nation’s inland marine highways moves predominately throughout the nation’s agricultural and manufacturing heartland, as well as in the Pacific Northwest and at gateway ports on the Gulf Coast. These cargoes are mostly “building block” commodities that transit about 12,000 miles of navigable channels and through 192 lock sites.

5. Moving the nation’s commodities
America’s Inland Waterways:
An “Inland Marine Highway” for Freight Transportation
Moving the nation’s commodities
Barges are ideal for hauling bulk commodities and oversized or overweight equipment:
Coal
Petroleum
Iron & Steel
Project Cargoes
Grain
Chemicals
Aggregates
Intermodal Containers
The “building block” commodities include coal, grain, chemicals, gasoline other petroleum products, iron and steel, as well as aggregates for the building industry. Project cargoes include equipment too large for movement across our nation’s highways or by rail. They might include NASA rocket boosters or parts for electric generating stations. We are also beginning to see more intermodal containers moving on our inland river system.

6. Moving the nation’s commodities
America’s Inland Waterways:
An “Inland Marine Highway” for Freight Transportation
Moving the nation’s commodities
Waterways transport:
more than 60% of the nation’s grain exports
about 22% of domestic petroleum products
15% of the coal used in electricity generation
There are measurable ways that waterways impact the nation’s economy. Waterways transport:
more than 60% of the nation’s grain exports
about 22% of domestic petroleum products
20% of the coal used in electricity generation

7. Strengthening the economy
America’s Inland Waterways:
An “Inland Marine Highway” for Freight Transportation
Strengthening the economy
In 2015, million tons of waterborne cargo transited the inland waterways valued at more than $229 billion.
In recent years barges moved about 14% of our nation’s intercity freight for only 3% of the nation’s total freight transportation cost.

8. Increased demand for railroad equipment and higher freight rates
Advantages of Inland Waterways Transport:
Easing Rail and Highway Congestion in Our Communities
Waterways provide great cargo capacity and move freight more safely than truck or rail. In fact, they carry the equivalent of 49 million truck trips per year, with room to spare. If waterborne cargo were diverted to highway or rail there would be:
Increased demand for railroad equipment and higher freight rates
Slower, less reliable delivery times
Without waterways transport, 49million truck trips could be required annually—that would take a line of trucks that would circle the equator nearly 13 times! There would be added burdens to rail, slower delivery times, and more expense to consumers.

9. Units to Carry 1,750 Short Tons of Dry Cargo
Advantages of Inland Waterways Transport:
Easing Rail and Highway Congestion in Our Communities
One loaded covered hopper barge carries
58,333 bushels of wheat, enough
to make almost 2.5 million loaves
of bread.
Units to Carry 1,750 Short Tons of Dry Cargo
1 barge
16 rail cars
70 trucks
The TTI report compared the cargo capacity of a barge, a rail car, and a semi-truck. It found that one dry cargo barge carried the equivalent of 16 rail cars or 70 trucks. To provide some dimension to the carrying capacity of one barge, one barge load of wheat could produce 2 1/2 million loaves of bread. That’s nearly one loaf for every person – man, woman and child – in the state of Kansas!

10. Units to Carry 27,500 Barrels of Liquid Cargo
Advantages of Inland Waterways Transport:
Easing Rail and Highway Congestion in Our Communities
A loaded tank barge carries 27,500 barrels of gasoline, enough to keep about 2,500 automobiles running for an
entire year.
Units to Carry 27,500 Barrels of Liquid Cargo
1 barge
46 rail cars
144 trucks
The TTI report also compared the cargo capacity of a barge that carries liquid products to rail cars or trucks. One barge load of gasoline, for example, would require 46 rail cars or 144 trucks to move the same amount to market. In regions that are served by waterways transportation, today’s gasoline costs might be even higher, if not for the lower cost waterway alternative.

11. 1,050 Large Semi Tractor-Trailers
Advantages of Inland Waterways Transport:
One 15-Barge Tow Equals 216 Rail Cars or 1,050 Trucks
One 15-Barge Tow
1,050 Large Semi Tractor-Trailers
216 Rail Cars + 6 Locomotives
This study indicates that a common 15-barge tow of dry cargo has the equivalent capacity of 216 rail cars and six locomotives, or 1,050 tractor-trailers.
You know the warning “Objects in mirror are larger than they appear”? To fit the 1,050 trucks on this slide, they have go be pretty small. These same 1000-plus trucks would actually appear MUCH larger if you were sharing the Interstate with them!

12. Ton-miles Traveled per Gallon of Fuel
Advantages of Inland Waterways Transport:
Moving Freight Efficiently Throughout America
647
477
145
Transporting freight by water is also the most energy-efficient choice.
Barges can move one ton of cargo 647 miles per gallon of fuel. A rail car would move the same ton of cargo 477 miles, and a truck only 145 miles.
Today’s towboat can transport one ton of freight 616 miles per gallon of fuel. A modern locomotive would move that same ton of freight 478 miles per gallon of fuel, and a truck would move it 150 miles. That means barges have an energy efficiency more than 4 times that of trucks.
Ton-miles Traveled per Gallon of Fuel

13. Advantages of Inland Waterways Transport:
The Greener Way to Move America’s Cargoes
Barges have the smallest carbon footprint among other transportation modes.
To move an identical amount of cargo by rail generates 30% more carbon dioxide than by barge, and 10 times more emissions by trucks than by barge.
This graphic speaks for itself—inland waterways transportation is the Greener Way to move America’s building-block commodities.

14. Inland waterways transport moves hazardous materials safely.
Advantages of Inland Waterways Transport:
Safeguarding Our Health and the Environment
Inland waterways transport moves hazardous materials safely.
Overall, spill rates remain low. Trucks lose 6.04 gallons per one million ton-miles, rail cars 5.95 gallons and barges 2.12 gallons per one million ton-miles.
Rate of Spills in Gallons per Million Ton-miles
2.12
Spills of More Than 1,000 Gallons
5.95
Inland waterways transport moves hazardous materials safely. Spill rates are low throughout the transportation industry, but the Texas Transportation Institute found the lowest number of incidents was in the waterways sector.
[Note: If a question is raised about why this data includes only spills of more than 1,000 gallons, TTI found that there is not consistent reporting of smaller spills and therefore focused on over 1,000 gallons.]
6.04

15. Ratio of Injuries in Freight Transportation
Advantages of Inland Waterways Transport:
Safeguarding Our Health and the Environment
Inland waterways transport has a low
injury record compared to rail or truck.
Ratio of Injuries in Freight Transportation
For each injury involving barge transportation, there are injuries related to rail and 824 truck-related injuries.
1.0
80.44
As well, injury rates are low. When it comes to the issue of health and safety, the ratio of waterways-related injuries is much lower than the other modes…
824

16. Ratio of Fatalities in Freight Transportation
Advantages of Inland Waterways Transport:
Safeguarding Our Health and the Environment
Inland waterways transport has a low
fatality record compared to rail or truck.
Ratio of Fatalities in Freight Transportation 1
21.9 79
For each barge transportation fatality, there are 21.9 fatalities related to rail and 79 truck-related fatalities.
… and inland waterways transport also has a low ratio of fatalities when compared to rail or truck.

17. Our inland waterways have capacity:
America’s Inland Waterways:
Anticipating Future Demands
Our inland waterways have capacity:
to transport today’s bulk commodities and intermodal cargo,
to accommodate tomorrow’s growth in those cargoes, and
to accept cargo diverted from overcrowded highways and railways.
There are only a few bottlenecks on the system, where lock and dam projects are currently scheduled for replacement. But the waterways have excess capacity for growth in bulk commodities now carried and -- in an era when cargo demand is expected to increase substantially– to absorb cargo that has been moving by truck or rail.
To illustrate the expected growth…

18. America’s Inland Waterways:
Anticipating Future Demands
Average Daily Long-Haul Truck Traffic 2011 on U.S. Highways (Federal Highway Administration)
This shoes the Average Daily Long-Haul Truck Traffic stats from 2007 on U.S. highways…

19. Rivers run through it… waterways are where the congestion is!
America’s Inland Waterways:
Anticipating Future Demands
Rivers run through it… waterways are where the congestion is!
And this shows that the waterways are where the congestion is…

20. America’s Inland Waterways:
A Freight Transportation Solution for the Future
With the least impact of any surface mode on air quality, the environment, and public safety, as well as capacity to spare, our inland waterways are a transportation solution for the nation’s future.
The inland waterways are, indeed, a freight transportation solution for the future. This mode of surface transport has the least effect on our air quality and public safety. And waterways transport – based on energy use per ton mile – is the most energy efficient mode of surface transportation too.

21. America’s Inland Waterways:
A Study in Freight Transportation Solutions
The full study, “A Modal Comparison of Domestic Freight Transportation Effects on the General Public: ,” updated January 2017, can be downloaded from
This presentation has just touched upon the highlights of the study. You can see the study in its entirety at the web site of the National Waterways Foundation, You may also request a copy of the powerpoint presentation and/or a brochure that captures these highlights.

22. Learn more about the Foundation:
America’s Inland Waterways:
Factual and Intellectual Support for Waterways
The mission of the National Waterways Foundation is to develop the intellectual and factual arguments for an efficient, well-funded and secure inland waterways system.
Learn more about the Foundation:
Visit
Call 202/
Again, the mission of the National Waterways Foundation is to develop the intellectual and factual arguments for an efficient, well-funded and secure inland waterways system.
To learn more about the Foundation, call, or visit their web site.

23. WATERWAYS: Working for America
Waterways transportation keeps our nation’s commerce on the move in the safest, most
fuel-efficient, environmentally sound way.
Thank you so much for your attention today. Are there any questions?
Highlights of A Modal Comparison of Domestic Freight
Transportation Effects on the General Public: Updated February 2017