Introduction
To improve the reliability of cargo movement along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, we are expanding our container shipping services to include five additional ports.
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway is the only deep draft inland waterway in North America that allows ocean-going vessels to travel to the interior of the continent.
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway is the only deep draft inland waterway in North America that allows ocean-going vessels to travel to the interior of the continent. The lakes occupy 21% of the total surface area in the United States and Canada, and they provide an important transportation route for bulk commodities, manufactured goods, and raw materials for industry.
The Great Lakes are a network of interconnected freshwater lakes in the upper mid-east region of North America including Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron (collectively known as “Superior”), Lake Erie, Lake Ontario (which drains eastward into St Lawrence River) and St Clair River which drains westward into Detroit River system before entering Lake Erie again at its southern end via Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge where it empties into Lake St Clair which then drains into Niagara Falls before continuing its journey downriver towards Buffalo NY where it eventually empties out into the Atlantic Ocean via Niagara Falls at Lewiston NY
The system provides a 3,700 km (2,300 miles) navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the heart of North America.
The Great Lakes and Seaway system provides the only deep draft inland waterway in North America that allows ocean-going vessels to travel to the interior of the continent. It includes lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron, and Erie as well as the St. Lawrence River.
The system provides a 3,700 km (2,300 miles) navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the heart of North America and is an important part of our country’s transportation network for trade between countries on both sides of these inland seas.
Containers are now taking advantage of the shorter transit times made possible by this all-water and non-air mode of transport along this corridor.
In the past, containers were not able to use this route because of the time needed to load and unload them from rail cars. However, with an all-water and non-air mode of transport now taking place along this corridor, containers are now taking advantage of shorter transit times made possible by this all-water and non-air mode of transport along this corridor.
This means that exporters and importers will be able to take advantage of shorter transit times on their products destined for ports located along or near the Great Lakes. In addition, they will benefit from lower overhead costs due to reduced fuel consumption when compared with other modes of transportation such as trucks or trains (which require crews).
While many cargoes move on more than one leg of their journey, containers and other cargo have traditionally moved directly overland from port to destination for shipments east to west or west to east.
While many cargoes move on more than one leg of their journey, containers and other cargo have traditionally moved directly overland from port to destination for shipments east to west or west to east. A container can be transported by truck from Port Huron, Michigan, a Great Lakes Seaway port, to Chicago; then loaded onto railcars and taken to New York City, and finally loaded onto an ocean-going vessel for delivery overseas.
More and more importers and exporters however are utilizing the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system.
More and more importers and exporters however are utilizing the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system.
The length of time it takes to ship via water is not necessarily longer than overland, as it depends on the number of ships available at any given moment and their speed. Shipping via water is less expensive than overland, which makes this option very appealing for many businesses. The number of containers shipped between the two coasts is increasing due to this fact and other reasons as well, including increased demand for goods within North America from Europe (particularly from Germany) due to its recent recession.”
With an increasing variety of cargo being transported along this shipping corridor, new facilities are being constructed to accommodate these goods at each end of their journey.
With an increasing variety of cargo being transported along this shipping corridor, new facilities are being constructed to accommodate these goods at each end of their journey.
There is a demand for container shipping along the Great Lakes & Seaway, and it has grown by over 5% since 2010. The system is efficient and cost-effective for shippers because they can use one mode of transportation (rail) to move their products from origin to destination.
Additionally, the system provides a unique opportunity to transport containerized cargo across multiple modes of transportation including rail and barge; most importantly in areas where there aren’t any significant highways or major waterways available.
This opportunity presents itself as an opportunity for expansion of facilities and improvement in transportation along this corridor because it allows for increased access into Canada as well as better access between ports on either side of Lake Michigan than ever before
Conclusion
With the world’s population expected to grow by 2 billion people over the next few decades, the need for container shipping will only continue to increase. If you are interested in learning more about container shipping on the Great Lakes or exploring how your company may be able to benefit from it, please get in touch with us today!
