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An editorial describes headwinds facing the barge and towing industry, including higher steel costs, fluctuating oil and gas prices, and a weak farm economy hitting fertilizer shipments. It notes that USDA data show truck rates up 67% year over year and barge rates up 19%, while rail fuel surcharges reached a record.
Barge rates rising relative to trucks and rail signals firmer river freight costs for grain and oilseed shipments, though the editorial is mainly commentary on industry conditions rather than a new supply shock.
waterwaysjournal.netWaterways JournalNov 13, 2026Not enough comparable past events yet for a historical read.
Moves of each commodity's benchmark from the last close before the event. Historical reads pool past events of the same kind; they describe what happened, not what will. Not investment advice.
