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. […]
Florida AI Developer Says Its Platform Can Save Shipyards from Aging Workforce ‘Cliff Edge’
By Dolgo. Dolgo, a new maritime tech start-up spun out of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Enterprise Accelerator, today announced the development of a new AI software platform to transform shipyard skills training. Tampa, Florida based Dolgo says the software will retain expertise presently being lost as large numbers of workers retire from the […]
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 […]
Automation Serves as a Workforce Multiplier for Maritime
By Brooklyn Kiosow, Marketing Communications Manager at Formic. Across the U.S., manufacturers are racing to meet growing demand for products. But with too few people to fill critical production roles, many are turning to temporary labor, overtime, and outsourcing just to keep up. On the production floor, employees are feeling the physical toll: lifting, stacking, […]
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, […]
For America’s Economy and Health, Alaska Seafood is the Answer
by Matt Alward, Alaska Beacon. October 27, 2025 As food prices rise and federal leaders revisit trade and nutrition policies, one solution has quietly been working for decades: Alaska’s commercial seafood industry. It is not only a pillar of our state’s economy, but also a strategic asset in strengthening America’s food security, trade competitiveness, and […]
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 […]