Sustainability in Inland Barge Transportation

Are you looking for a better way to strengthen your sustainability efforts? Inland barge transportation is an effective, cost-efficient, and one of the most sustainable forms of freight transportation available. It is often overlooked for its advantages compared to other modes, but inland barge transportation has several environmental benefits that make it an excellent choice for shipping your goods.

Shipping bulk goods by inland barge allows businesses and manufacturers to reduce their carbon footprint without sacrificing efficiency or quality of service.

Inland waterways are a much more sustainable and cost-effective form of inland transport than truck or rail. According to researchers, CO2 emissions from rail and truck transportation are an eye-opening 39% and 371% higher respectively when compared with the lower emission levels associated with barge or vessel travel (FN2).

Let’s take a look at some of the ways inland barge transportation can be beneficial both to your bottom line and to the environment.

Lower Carbon Footprint

The most important benefit of using inland barges for freight transport is its significantly lower carbon footprint than other modes, such as trucking and air transport.

With the urgent need to decrease Carbon emissions, inland waterways carry a major advantage. To ensure continued success in sustainable goals, American Waterways Operators recently announced their Sustainability Agenda and CEO Task Force - highlighting that the barge transportation industry is already taking critical steps to advance green initiatives.

“Empirical data shows that the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry is the most environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient mode of freight transportation, with both lower greenhouse gas emissions per ton-mile and a substantially smaller carbon footprint than competing modes,"

Additionally, barges are much more fuel-efficient than trucks, which reduces their operating costs and makes them even more attractive from an environmental standpoint.

Reduced Congestion on Roads and Railways

Inland barges are also beneficial from a congestion standpoint. With fewer trucks on the roads and railroads, there is less congestion and fewer emissions caused by idling vehicles waiting in traffic jams or loading docks.

Congestion on America's highways is a significant roadblock to the nation's economic advancement. Traffic growth has surpassed any increase in infrastructure capacity for some time now, leading to gridlock, delays, and safety issues when demand exceeds supply.

Above a certain threshold, traffic congestion has many negative consequences:

• it restricts the movement of people and goods,
• wastes energy and resources,
• generates deliveries delays,
• and damages the environment.

As traffic congestion increases, the probability of accidents also increases. Barge transportation is rarely a source of traffic congestion.

The barge transportation sector has met the growing demand for cargo with fewer, more powerful towboats that can propel multiple barges simultaneously. Locks are used with greater efficiency as larger tows can lock through just as quickly as smaller ones. It allows operators to maximize their time and resources while meeting customer demands.

Reduced Risk of Pollution

Finally, inland barge transportation also helps reduce the risk of pollution caused by spills or other accidents during transport. Barge accidents are rarer than trucking or air transport accidents, thanks to their slow speed and low risk of collision with other vessels or obstacles on land.

Additionally, barge operators must adhere to strict safety protocols to protect human life and the environment. All these factors contribute to reduced risk of pollution when using inland barges for transport.

Bottom Line

Inland barge transportation is a sustainable choice for freight shipping that offers many environmental advantages over other modes of transit, such as trucking or air transport. It helps reduce carbon emissions and congestion on roads and railways and reduces the risk of pollution caused by spills or accidents during transport. 

As shippers increasingly look for sustainable solutions for their freight shipping needs, inland barge transportation is becoming an increasingly popular choice that offers many environmental benefits.

Explore the benefits of barge transportation with OpenTug. Check our services and start enjoying the rewards of choosing sustainable and reliable shipping options.

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