Ships Reducing Drag to Save on Gas

Ocean going cargo vessels are responsible for moving an important part of the global economy. Consider how much of the items you buy in the US are made overseas and have to be brought to you by ship. Moving a huge ship against the resistance of the water costs a lot of gas. Ships are enormous gas guzzlers. Ideas for saving on gas in shipping could be very important for us in the future given our massive dependence on seaborn imports.

Bunker Fuel Prices

You know the price of the gasoline you buy. The price of bunker fuel, which is what ships burn in their engines, is important for the global movement of cargo. A very large percentage of all the goods sold in the US are made overseas and carried to our shores in cargo ships. Keeping an eye on the price of bunker fuel gives a peek into the health of the global movement of goods. Bunkerworld is a website which keeps you informed up to the moment on developments in bunker fuel prices. We see that lately the price has been going up.

Sign of the Times: Idled Shipping

The transport of raw materials and finished goods across the oceans is a vital part of the modern economy. The current depression coupled with persistently high crude oil prices has hurt the global shipping industry. Now many tankers and cargo ships are idled, just floating waiting for a job.

The Story of the US Inland Waterway System

The development of transportation systems in the United States was strongly interwoven with the Inland Waterway System. Hauling freight by barge or ship can be far more economical per ton of cargo moved. It has the disadvantages of slow speed and limited access. Only destinations on a canal or coast are reachable. Today we depend heavily on the highway system and the trucking industry which uses it. In earlier decades we depended just as heavily on the Inland Waterway System. And in the future, with consistently high gasoline prices, the balance may shift decisively towards high fuel economy per unit of cargo moved. In which case, we may find the good old waterways once again supporting us long after the gas thirsty trucks have come and gone.