摘要: |
Inland Rivers, Ports and Terminals Inc. (IRPT) presented speakers who examined current conditions and evaluated the foreseeable future as part of its annual conference September 19-21 in Louisville, Ky. Patrick Sutton, chief operating officer of American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL), discussed the state of the inland navigation industry. ACBL operates 130 to 180 boats ranging from 1,500 hp. to 11,100 hp. and roughly 4,300 barges along the 12,000-mile inland river system. Sutton explained the company's model as a hub and spoke design, with the Lower Mississippi being the hub and various tributaries being spokes. It can also be thought of as a heart pumping blood to outlying veins and arteries, he said. |