Why Accurate Tonnage Reporting Matters for Our Waterways
Tonnage remains the sole metric used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to determine how maritime transportation is utilized for cargo traffic across the nation’s waterways. This data, collected by the Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (WCSC) and published by the Institute for Water Resources (IWR), directly influences how the federal government prioritizes operations, maintenance, and investment in our river systems.
Who’s Who in Waterway Data
The Institute for Water Resources (IWR) was established to anticipate changing water resource conditions and to develop analytical tools that support sound planning and policy decisions. Within IWR, the Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (WCSC) collects critical information from vessel operating companies, tracking vessel movements, tonnage, commodities, origins, and destinations.
In 2023, Inland Rivers, Ports & Terminals (IRPT) renewed its longstanding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IWR to strengthen and modernize the collection of tonnage data on U.S. waterways. This collaboration is vital to ensure the accuracy and reliability of data that guide infrastructure and funding decisions.
Why Reporting Accuracy Matters
By law, the entity receiving payment for the movement of freight must report monthly tonnage to WCSC using the Vessel Operating Report (VOR). The VOR includes the origin, destination, commodity, and weight.
Errors in reporting, misunderstanding who is to report or misidentifying port boundaries can lead to underrepresentation of your port’s activity, potentially affecting how your waterway and harbor is operated and maintained. Additionally, because the WCSC continues to rely on a 1990s-era MS-DOS system, data publication is often delayed by two to three years, limiting its usefulness for timely investment planning.
When data is late or incorrect, it directly impacts the ability of ports and terminals to:
- Compete for maintenance and improvement funding.
- Demonstrate their economic and environmental value.
- Plan for growth or infrastructure resilience.
These gaps distort the true economic contribution of America’s inland waterways, a network that moves hundreds of millions of tons of cargo annually and fuels domestic manufacturing, agriculture, and energy sectors.
How You Can Help
The 2023 tonnage data has now been published. If your port’s numbers appear to be accurate, excellent! If not, let’s work together to fix it. Accurate reporting ensures fair recognition of your operations and helps secure future investment in your region’s infrastructure.
IRPT can help you review:
- Dock Reconciliation: Verify that all terminals within your port boundary are correctly associated to your port. Many years ago, WCSC would send personnel out to confirm that terminals are still operating, that they have captured new operators and that terminals bought and sold were correctly identified in their system. Now this can be performed digitally.
- Reporting Practices: Ensure barge lines and terminals are submitting their VORs correctly (dock receipts can also be accepted). A monthly reminder of who, what, when, how and why - can be distributed to your customers. This might be an excellent time to introduce your unique port code.
- Port Boundaries – Confirm that your port’s legislative boundaries are recognized properly; updates can be submitted for correction.
Did you know? Similar to airport codes for each of its airports/cities, waterway ports are assigned a unique port code.
While tonnage is important, it does not tell the full story of how America’s waterways support jobs, economic growth, environmental sustainability, and regional competitiveness. It’s time to modernize both the systems and the metrics that shape the future of maritime infrastructure.
IRPT calls on Congress to:
- Mandate modernization of the Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center and Institute for Water Resources data systems.
- Hold USACE accountable for implementation timelines and progress until modernization is complete.
- Expand the metrics used in operations and maintenance decisions to include:
- The economic impact of waterborne commerce,
- The environmental benefits of marine transport, and
- Each waterway’s contribution to regional and national GDP.
Together, these actions will ensure that decisions on infrastructure funding and maintenance reflect the true value of America’s inland waterways—not just the tonnage they carry, but the prosperity and sustainability they deliver.
👉 Contact IRPT today to verify your port’s tonnage data, correct reporting errors, and strengthen the case for continued investment in our inland waterway system.
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All about Tonnage
Tonnage is the primary metric system used by the inland river system.
Through the Institute of Water Resources (IWR), the Navigation and Civil Works Decision Support Center (NDC), exercises its Federal responsibility for establishing and maintaining a variety of water transportation automatic information systems that include databases and statistics pertaining to waterborne commodity and vessel movements, domestic commercial vessel characteristics, port and waterway facilities, lock facilities, lock operations, and navigation dredging projects, and helps ensure that USACE decisions are based on the best available data.
The Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (WCSC) in New Orleans collects vessel movements for commercial navigation. This is done monthly via Vessel Operating Reports (VORs). A completed VOR will include vessel identifier, date, origination/destination, commodity and volume. Barge lines are to report the commodity movement, unless the barge is contracted as chartered and, in that case, it is the terminal operator who is to report.
Ultimately the operator is responsible for ensuring their vessels are reported, but that doesn't necessarily mean they do the reporting - they may delegate that reporting to whoever is moving the barge, but not always.
Penalties for not reporting:
Other than the fact that reporting tonnages keeps our waterways open and maintained, there is a $5,000 fine for not reporting. A letter from the Corps can be found here. Failure to provide statements required are subject to the following penalties:
- For each and every offense, a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding two months.
- A civil penalty of up to $2,500 per violation.
- Denial of passage through locks and canals.
Inland Rivers, Ports & Terminals has prepared a monthly reminder for usage by our Members to share with port tenants and barge companies that serve their facilities. You can access that reminder letter here.