# Grain Journal | Downbound Barged Grain Spot Freight Rates Rise Sharply

> USDA's Grain Transportation Report shows US barge spot freight rates surging, with St. Louis rising to $34.75 per ton from $18.80 and the Upper Ohio River jumping to $49.70 per ton. Empty barges are tight and rising fuel costs are expected to push operators to raise rates further.

- Date: 2022-03-17 · published 2022-03-17T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/42187-grain-journal-downbound-barged-grain-spot-freight-rates-rise-sharply
- Commodities: [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Barge rate spikes raise the cost of moving corn and soybeans down the Mississippi to Gulf export terminals, lowering farm-gate prices inland while supporting Gulf basis and feed ingredient costs.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- CORN: bearish ▼
- BARGE: bullish ▲
- OCEANFRT: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SOY | 2019-02-14 | [Grain Journal \| Fourth Quarter Ocean Freight Rates Up in 2018,…](https://feedsoft.ai/events/60487-grain-journal-fourth-quarter-ocean-freight-rates-up-in-2018.md) | -0.6% | -2.9% |
| SOY | 2025-12-04 | [Ocean Freight Rates Rise as Grain Shipping Pressures Build - RFD-TV](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16896-ocean-freight-rates-rise-as-grain-shipping-pressures-build-rfd-tv.md) | -2.2% | -7.7% |
| SOY | 2025-12-02 | [Bulk ocean freight rates rise in third quarter 2025 amid shifting global demand \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16894-bulk-ocean-freight-rates-rise-in-third-quarter-2025-amid-shifting-global-demand.md) | -3.0% | -7.2% |
| SOY | 2024-10-25 | [Horizons: Low Water Equals Rising Freight Rates - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16501-horizons-low-water-equals-rising-freight-rates-the-waterways-journal.md) | -1.4% | -1.9% |
| SOY | 2026-10-22 | [Rising Ocean Freight Raises Costs for U.S. Grain - RFD-TV](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17245-rising-ocean-freight-raises-costs-for-u-s-grain-rfd-tv.md) | -2.3% | — |
| CORN | 2019-02-14 | [Grain Journal \| Fourth Quarter Ocean Freight Rates Up in 2018,…](https://feedsoft.ai/events/60487-grain-journal-fourth-quarter-ocean-freight-rates-up-in-2018.md) | -1.4% | -3.4% |
| CORN | 2025-08-12 | [Rising Freight Rates for Grain Shipping from Ukraine](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14187-rising-freight-rates-for-grain-shipping-from-ukraine.md) | +0.0% | +4.3% |
| CORN | 2025-12-04 | [Ocean Freight Rates Rise as Grain Shipping Pressures Build - RFD-TV](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16896-ocean-freight-rates-rise-as-grain-shipping-pressures-build-rfd-tv.md) | +0.4% | +0.1% |

## Sources

- grainjournal.com: https://www.grainjournal.com/article/265956/downbound-barged-grain
- world-grain.com: https://www.world-grain.com/articles/16641-rates-climbing-for-ocean-barge-freight-as-war-in-ukraine-continues

---
Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.