Category: Industry

Paving the Way for Better Crew Management

2025-04-24

The world relies heavily on the barge transport industry to ship everything from food to petroleum. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway alone transports 100 million tons

The Future of Vessel Maintenance: Predictive Maintenance Systems

2025-04-10

Data-driven decision making through predictive analytics has made a significant impact on nearly every industry over the last few years. It is not hard to

Harnessing Data to Optimize Barge Operations and Boost Profitability

2025-03-29

In logistics, small inefficiencies quickly compound into major costs. For barge transport companies, optimizing fuel use, reducing downtime, and improving cargo handling can significantly impact

The Importance of Barge Safety Protocols

2025-03-17

Anyone in the maritime industry knows that the working conditions for barge crew and other maritime employees can be dangerous when precautions are not taken.

How Government Regulations Affect the Barge Transport Industry

2025-02-21

Barge transport might not be the most heavily regulated industry, but regulations certainly impact every barge company’s operations one way or another. Government regulations are

6 Ways in which the Barge Industry Can “Go Digital” without Headaches

2025-02-19

Like many other industries, the barge transportation industry is undergoing something of a digital revolution: More and more workflows are being carried out with the

The Dangers of “Pencil Whipping” for Barge Transportation Companies

2025-01-24

Part of operating a successful business of any kind is identifying the hazards and finding ways of preventing them. Sometimes these hazards in the maritime

Five Features to Look for in Vessel Management Software for Barge Shipping

2025-01-10

The vessel management software market offers no shortage of options. Valued at $1.8 billion in 2023, it’s expected to more than double to $3.95 billion

Why Most Industries Are Moving Away from Email and Spreadsheets–Including Barge Transportation

2024-12-15

If a customer emailed you right now with an invoice question, how quickly would you be able to respond? Would you need to dig through

Looking Ahead to 2025 for the Barge Industry

2024-12-14

While the future has some degree of uncertainty, there is much we can glean from past trends in the barge industry. It is particularly helpful

aerial view of cargo boat and barge on river

What is the Useful Life of an Inland Barge? And How Can it Be Extended?

2024-11-16

A new barge with covers can cost around a million dollars and the tugs that pull them can cost far more, depending on the specifications.

Recap: How 2024 Shaped the Barge Industry for Years to Come

2024-11-07

For barge company owners and leaders in the maritime industry, staying informed about the forces shaping the sector is vital to navigating challenges and seizing

Modernizing Your Barge Business through Electrification

2024-09-27

In the modern world, staying competitive means embracing new technologies that drive growth, efficiency, and sustainability. The inland marine industry is no exception. At BargeOps,

The Challenge of Finding New Barge Transportation Workers, and How to Attract Them to the Industry

2024-09-13

The aging infrastructure of inland waterways has been a challenge for the shipping industry for some time. With the passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,

Mastering Liquid Transport: Key Strategies for Improving Barge Efficiency

2024-08-09

There are no magic bullets when it comes to increasing efficiency in liquid transportation. Instead, small steps can have significant impacts when barge operators focus

Building a Better Barge Business: The Importance of Customer-Friendly Invoicing

2024-07-29

Scaling a barge transport business demands simplifying and improving key processes, and invoicing is one critical area often overlooked. In the barge industry, invoicing is

The Enduring Impact of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

2024-06-28

The Establishment of a Vital Commercial Lifeline Stretching over 1,100 miles (1,800 km) between Brownsville, Texas, and Apalachee Bay, Florida, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW)

How Big Data Lifts the Barge Industry to a Higher Level of Performance

2024-06-21

As data analytics revolutionizes the barge industry, inland marine revenue is poised for growth from $132 billion in 2023 to a projected $185 billion in

Intelligent Waterways: Opportunities for Automating Traffic Monitoring in the Barge Industry

2024-06-14

The barge transportation industry plays a vital role in the US economy, facilitating the movement of vast quantities of commodities and raw materials along the

Advances in Inland Marine Shipping Communication Standards

2024-05-24

Today’s businesses run on data, and marine transport businesses are no exception. But collecting, sharing, and analyzing data are trickier when factoring in not only

Understanding Cybersecurity in the Barge Transport Industry

2024-05-10

Amid all the challenges of daily operation in the barge transport industry, marine cybersecurity may not be the first thing that springs to mind. Yet,

What are the Prospects for Automation in the Barge Industry?

2024-04-26

The barge transportation industry has been vital to the US economy for centuries, providing a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way to move massive quantities of

5 Recent Inventions for Safer Barge Operations

2024-04-22

Tugboat and barge workers are especially susceptible to danger while working on inland waterways. Despite OSHA barge safety guidelines for preventing slips on deck, wearing

Modernizing Employee Retention in the Maritime Industry

2024-04-12

Attracting and retaining workers is a growing challenge throughout the economy, and that goes doubly for the waterways workforce—but that doesn’t mean employee turnover must

What a Sustainable Future Might Look Like for the Barge Industry

2024-03-22

True, barges are more sustainable than other types of transport. But the industry will need to do more to “go green” to meet sustainability goals.

Barge Breakaways: The Risk, The Loss, and The Liability

2024-03-15

Barge breakaways are a nightmare for any owner or operator who experiences them. And since owners and operators can be found at fault if a

Best Practices for Barge Fleeting

2024-03-08

Fleeting operations require careful planning and coordination, as they involve the assembly, disassembly, and maintenance of barge tows in a way that maximizes space utilization

Navigating the Waters of Vessel General Permit (VGP) Compliance

2024-02-16

The Vessel General Permit (VGP) issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States represents a critical regulatory framework designed to minimize the

Creating a Freight Contract for Barges? Don’t Forget These Key Elements

2024-01-26

At first glance, contracts might seem pretty cut-and-dry—and certainly not the key to efficient barging operations. But contracts are more than legalese: They can help

7 Tips for Making Your Barge Operations More Efficient

2024-01-19

Like all businesses, there are things outside of a barge operator’s control, like bad weather or a congested waterway. However, companies can still do some

6 Things That Frequently Delay Barge Operations

2024-01-12

In the barge transportation industry, time is money. If items are delayed in port or in transit, that can mean additional costs, not to mention

Digital Transformation of Your Fleeting Business

2018-11-30

Running a barge fleeting operation requires attention to an incredible array of details. It takes a well-trained and experienced team to ensure that customers receive

BargeOps And the Data Revolution In Fleet Management

2018-10-26

By David Murray The St. Louis-based software company BargeOps has been serving barge company owners and barge fleet managers for more than 20 years now.

Forms For All of Your VGP Needs

2017-01-30

We recently wrote about how BargeOps is Streamlining VGP Compliance. This post provides some additional information about this topic. Our goal is to help inland

Streamlining VGP Compliance

2016-12-15

Compliance on the river is one of many challenges for inland marine operators. One issue that everyone struggles with is the EPA’s VGP (Vessel General

Overcoming The Challenges To Electronic Data Interchange – part 2

2015-07-13

By Mark Peterman (Second in a two-part series) In the first part of this two-part series on Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), which ran last month

Inland Marine Industry Would Benefit From More EDI

2015-06-15

By Mark Peterman President, Cornerstone Solutions Group First of a two-part series What do PDFs, papers, spreadsheets and emails all have in common? These are