Inland River Shipping
Operators transporting cargo on inland river systems.
Market snapshot
These figures describe Coastal & Short Sea Shipping (10.4.2), the segment that Inland River Shipping sits within — not Inland River Shipping on its own.
- Market size
- ~$10B
- Growth
- ~5.8%CAGR (2017–22, nominal)
- Companies
- ~500
U.S. Census Bureau 2022 CBP/Economic Census, NAICS 483113 (coastal & Great Lakes freight transportation) — largely Jones Act domestic trades.
Business model & economics
Revenue model
Domestic coastal/island freight rates
Key economics
- Recurring revenue
- Moderate–High
- EBITDA margin
- Protected but high-cost Jones Act economics
- Capex intensity
- High
recurring domestic trade lanes
Characteristics
- Jones Act trades (Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Great Lakes).
- Protected from foreign competition.
- U.S.-built vessels far more expensive.
Geographic concentration
Coastal and short-sea shipping concentrates where domestic marine trade is busiest — Alaska, Louisiana, and Florida — spanning resource, Gulf, and Caribbean routes.
U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 County Business Patterns (establishments by state), NAICS 483113. Concentration shown by location quotient.
M&A deal context
Who’s acquiring
- Jones-Act carriers (Matson, TOTE, Crowley)
- Great Lakes operators
- Maritime investors
What’s driving deals
- Jones-Act fleet renewal.
- Island/territory trade demand.
- Jones-Act policy dynamics.
Find Inland River Shipping acquisition targets
Search Acquisera’s index for companies classified under Inland River Shipping (10.4.2.3) and build a targeted deal pipeline.
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