Business View Magazine | Volume 9, Issue 3

157 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 3 some really great work being done. “The new infrastructure bill will help our industry. Anytime we can improve surface transportation and the transportation network, as a whole, is a good thing. The repaving of an interstate, you may think is direct competition with river transportation but it’s absolutely not. It’s a complementary service. If you can improve an off-ramp into intermodal facilities, like a river transportation facility, you’re increasing the efficiency and the throughput of cargo. So let’s improve our rail. Let’s improve our surface transportation, and let’s improve the operation maintenance of the river system, because it’s all one transportation network.” BVM: Is a lack of available skilled workers an issue? Andres: “When we talk about river transportation, we’re intermodal points. So if you’re shipping Chicago to New Orleans, that’s not the final destination. You actually need either truck drivers or longshoremen at that point for first and last mile delivery. We need those workers. Yes, we are under a truck driver shortage – they want to stay closer to home because family is becoming more important in our society. So instead of offering long-haul trucking opportunities, we’re saying first and last mile delivery are regional routes that we can offer, which are much more attractive.” BVM: Do you provide training and networking opportunities to members? Andres: “We do. In 2016, we worked with the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives (IAMPE) to develop programs that weren’t then available in the industry. Since then, we’ve held two classes a year, where we educate port directors on everything including business development, river management services, regulations, security – you name it, we’re teaching it. So I’m super proud to be serving INLAND R I VERS , PORTS AND TERMINALS , INC . ( I RPT )