America’s Inland Waterways Drive American Agricultural Dominance
By VOICES Staff. America’s barges quietly sustain farmers’ ability to compete, and dominate, in global markets — a reality underscored by a new 2026 federal study on the economic importance of inland waterways to U.S. agriculture. The report, prepared for the U.S. Department of Agriculture by the Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center, finds that the […]
Hackathon Delivers Next-Gen Ice Forecasting for the U.S. Coast Guard
By VOICES Staff. Winter on the Great Lakes is not simply a seasonal challenge. It is an operational test for one of the most economically vital corridors in the United States. Each year, ice cover threatens the flow of commerce across a multibillion-dollar shipping system that moves roughly 130 million tons of cargo — including […]
Investing in America’s Maritime Future: Crowley Awards 2025 Scholarships
In December 2025, Crowley awarded the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship to outstanding American students pursuing careers that will sustain and strengthen the nation’s maritime workforce at our nation’s maritime academies. The scholarship, established in 1994 to honor the legacy of Thomas B. Crowley Sr., recognizes exceptional academic achievement and dedication to maritime careers. […]
Jones Act Operator Crowley Earns Environmental Achievement Honors for Combined 958 Years of Safe Operations
By Crowley. (JACKSONVILLE, Fla.; Dec. 3, 2025) – Crowley has been recognized by the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) for its commitment to environmental stewardship, earning Environmental Achievement Awards for 108 Crowley-operated vessels that have collectively earned 958 years without an incident. The awards celebrate companies and mariners who maintain the highest standards of safety […]
MV Jean Anne Makes History as First U.S. Ro-Ro to Plug Into Shore Power
By VOICES Staff. The United States just hit a major clean-maritime milestone at the Port of San Diego, where Pasha Hawaii’s MV Jean Anne became the first roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel in the nation to connect to shore power. This achievement also marks the first-ever shore-powered pure car/truck carrier (PCTC) in America, setting a new standard […]
Around the World, Nations Are Adopting Their Own Jones Acts
By VOICES Staff. A new study by Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI), commissioned by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), finds that 105 nations now have cabotage laws — up from 91 in 2018 — covering 85 percent of the world’s coastlines. These are laws that reserve a nation’s domestic shipping routes for its own vessels, […]
The Tugboat, Towboat and Barge Industry’s Importance to National and Homeland Security
By American Waterways Operators. The American Waterways Operators, the trade association of the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry, has released a new video on the industry’s contributions to U.S. national and homeland security. The two-minute video, The Tugboat, Towboat and Barge Industry: Supplying America, Securing America, notes that while the mariners who transport cargo […]
VOGEL: Want More Ships? Fix How Washington Builds Them
By Jeff Vogel, TOTE Services. President Donald Trump’s call for new investment in U.S. shipbuilding comes at a pivotal moment. From icebreakers to training ships, America faces rising demand for vessels even as foreign competitors pour billions into their own yards. But there has been significant concern about how America can keep up. Government shipbuilding programs have fallen behind due […]
How This Shipyard is Training America’s Next Generation of Shipbuilders
By VOICES Staff. As the Trump administration’s focus on domestic energy production drives new opportunities in American shipbuilding, the Jones Act remains critical to workforce development initiatives across the maritime industry. Eastern Shipbuilding Group recently launched an innovative Marine Electrician Apprenticeship Program to grow Florida’s 65,900-strong maritime workforce—but warns that any Jones Act repeal would […]
Great Lakes Announces the Delivery of its Newest Hopper Dredge, the Amelia Island
By Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation. HOUSTON, Aug. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (“Great Lakes” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: GLDD), the largest provider of dredging services in the United States, today announced it took delivery of its newest Jones Act-compliant hopper dredge, the Amelia Island from the Conrad Shipyard in Morgan City, […]