Mississippi Barge Snag Forces Goods Onto Pricey Rail, Truck
- Nucor to halt Mississippi barge steel shipments for weeks
- Switch from barges is not an effective solution, analyst says
A towboat pushes barges up the Mississippi River in Granite City, Illinois, on July 9.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Shippers are scrambling for other ways to move goods after low water levels on the Mississippi River have forced barge companies to stop taking orders for immediate delivery of everything from metals to agricultural products to fertilizers.
Now, companies are paying a premium to move steel, aluminum and other goods by rail and truck, despite cost that are up to five times more than what they’d normally pay by barge. Shipments of coal and petroleum also have been rerouted, but these other modes of transportation aren’t an effective solution.