What does the future hold for the barge industry?
Background The inland river dry cargo barge industry operates amidst a volatile revenue and rate of return environment moving commodities and products that not only respond to variations in tonnage and the supply of barges but to weather, policy, competing modes and a myriad of other factors. The multi-client study proposed in this document examined all of these factors and develop a coherent picture of the future of the dry cargo barge industry. Over the past 2 decades, the barge industry has undergone significant changes due to consolidation, policy issues and changing barge ownership regulations. Gyrations in barge construction have also had a profound impact. Moreover, the barge business has been subject to periods of extreme demand weakness and extreme demand strength. This has had an impact on all barge lines and manufacturers of barges and leads to critical questions such as how will changes in the industry affect the long-term outlook for the barge industry and what are the dem
