If it can be moved by truck or rail, it can be moved by container-on-barge.

Container-on-barge service-also known as short-sea shipping-can handle virtually any product that can fit into a shipping container. Even better, shipping via container-on-barge is economical: full containers, greater efficiency and fewer logistics means shippers save money.

"Container-on-barge shipping is most certainly the wave of the future for most commodities traded throughout the world."

Kurt Nagle, President
American Association of Port Authorities

U.S. Inland Waterway System: An Unsung Hero

Trucks on highways and railcars on rail are easily seen. Inland waterway transportation-and its benefits-can be overlooked. Without the U.S. Inland Waterway System, there would be dramatic increases in a variety of areas: the price of goods, congestion on roads and rail and the price of gas as the pump. Unbeknownst to many, commerce would be crippled without the 12,000 miles of navigable inland waterways in the United States.

The major players in the U.S. Inland Waterway System are the Mississippi River and the U.S. Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The 1,200-mile long Mississippi, its tributaries and the ports working along her shores support millions of tons of product worth billions of dollars. The manmade U.S. Gulf Intracoastal Waterway stretches 1,300 miles from Texas to Florida and provides an efficient transportation mode for petrochemical and refining industries.

The Port of Greater Baton Rouge's strategic location takes advantage of the benefits of the U.S. Inland Waterway System. The Inland Rivers Marine Terminal, home to the port's container-on-barge service, is located on a slack water canal just off the U.S. Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and has ready access to the Mississippi River. Container-loaded barges can make the trip to New Orleans in less than 24 hours and the trip to Houston in less than a week.

Strategic Partnerships

Container-on-barge service is more valuable if it's embraced on the receiving end. This is why the Port of Greater Baton Rouge entered into agreements with the Caddo-Bossier Parishes (Shreveport, LA) Port Commission and the Memphis & Shelby County Port Commission. Both Caddo-Bossier and Memphis ports call container-on-barge service a win-win for everyone involved.

Other information on Container-on-barge:

To learn more about short sea shipping, view the Heartland of America presentation - click here.