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Inland Water Transportation in the US Industry Data and Analysis
The inland water transportation industry is navigating a period of structural transformation driven by aging infrastructure, consolidation dynamics and evolving commodity flows. Providers benefit from inherent cost advantages over rail and truck because barges have greater economies of scale. This efficiency has sustained high utilization rates among major providers. However, profit have compressed over the past five years, dropping from 6.6% of revenue in 2021 to 5.5% in 2026. Providers absorbed costs from weather-related delays, unscheduled lock closures and rising vessel maintenance expenses. Larger providers continue to expand through acquisitions and fleet modernization. This concentrates market share because of capital-intensive investments in automation, real-time tracking systems and compliance with environmental regulations. Revenue has grown at a CAGR of 2.4% through 2026, climbing 0.9% to $8.8 billion in 2026.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released February 2026.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States operates under the NAICS industry code 48321. This industry includes establishments primarily engaged in providing waterborne transportation of cargo and passengers along the nation’s lakes, rivers and other inland waterways. Related terms covered in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States include barge, intercoastal, intracoastal, the jones act, bulk cargo, tank barge, hopper, lock and twenty-foot equivalent unit (teu).
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States include Dry bulk and container transportation, Towing and tugboat services and Liquid bulk transportation.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States include Ingram Industries Inc., Kirby Corporation and American Commercial Barge Line Llc.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States in 2026?
The market size of the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States is $8.8bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States in 2026?
There are 499 businesses in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 33.0 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States?
The Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States?
The Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 2.4 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States?
The biggest companies operating in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States are Ingram Industries Inc., Kirby Corporation and American Commercial Barge Line Llc
What does the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States include?
Canal barge transportation and Freight transportation on inland waters are part of the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States?
The company holding the most market share in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States is Ingram Industries Inc..
How competitive is the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Inland Water Transportation industry in the United States.
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