The Waterways Journal

What The Waterways Journal does

The Waterways Journal, founded in 1887 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a privately held trade media company serving the U.S. inland marine industry — towboat and barge operators, shipyards, ports, terminals, and dredging firms. Its flagship product is a weekly print and digital journal covering inland waterways news, regulations, vessel activity, and industry analysis. The company also publishes the Inland River Record (a vessel/fleet database covering 3,800+ vessels and 25,000+ barges), the Inland River Guide, and the IDR Annual Directory, and operates the IRR Online subscription database alongside a Digital Edition of the weekly journal.

The product portfolio has expanded into multimedia with the Inland Marine Insights podcast (produced in partnership with HealthWorks Medical), the WJ Talk video and webinar series, and a daily newsletter, while the website is built on WordPress. Revenue is generated through a combination of print and digital subscriptions, display and classified advertising, publication and directory sales, event sponsorship and exhibiting at the Inland Marine Expo (IMX), and emerging digital subscription tiers such as IRR Online.

The company runs on a traditional trade-publication business model targeting a fragmented but well-defined buyer base of inland marine operators and suppliers, with advertiser and sponsor relationships concentrated among the larger barge and towboat fleets. Operational scale is small (11–50 employees), and there is no indication of external funding, AI-driven capabilities, or material geographic expansion beyond the contiguous U.S. inland waterway system.

Name

The Waterways Journal

Legal name

The Waterways Journal, Inc.

Website

https://waterwaysjournal.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Waterways Journal is a 138-year-old St. Louis–based trade publication serving the U.S. inland marine industry with a weekly journal, vessel/fleet databases, directories, podcasts, video content, and the Inland Marine Expo event.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Trade Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive & Transportation Magazines (MPAJAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

Keywords

• Inland marine news
• Maritime trade publication
• Industry reference data
• Vessel directory publishing
• Maritime classified advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Weekly print and digital magazine subscriptions for maritime industry professionals including towboat operators, barge companies, shipyards, and ports
2. Advertising: Display advertising and classified ads within the magazine and on the website targeting the inland maritime industry audience
3. Publications and Books: Sale of industry reference publications including the Inland River Guide, Inland River Record (annual), and IDR Annual Directory
4. Classified Ads: Revenue from classified advertisements including help wanted, equipment for sale, boats/barges wanted, and professional directory listings

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Waterways Journal publishes a weekly trade journal covering inland marine, towboat, barge, shipbuilding, ports, dredging, and regulatory news for the U.S. inland waterways industry, complemented by annual reference publications (Inland River Record, Inland River Guide, IDR Annual Directory), a digital edition, weekly email newsletter, classified advertising marketplace, and multimedia content including podcasts and webinars.

Product overview

The Waterways Journal is a long-established maritime publication company (since 1887) serving the inland waterways industry. Its core product is the weekly Waterways Journal publication covering inland marine, towboat, barge, river, shipbuilding, jobs, and training news. The company operates a multi-product portfolio including data reference products (Inland River Guide, Inland River Record, IDR Annual Directory), multimedia content (Inland Marine Insights Podcast, WJ Talk webinars/interviews), a digital edition, weekly newsletter, and classified marketplace. The data products serve an audience operating more than 25,000 barges and 3,800+ towboats, dredges, and material handlers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Waterways Journal (Weekly Publication) Weekly trade journal covering inland marine, towboat, barge, river, shipbuilding, jobs, training, and maritime regulatory news for inland waterways professionals.
• Digital Edition Browser-based electronic version of the weekly Waterways Journal publication available to subscribers online.
• Weekly Newsletter Weekly email newsletter delivering the latest inland marine news, breaking news, and exclusive columns to subscribers.
• Inland River Record (IRR) Annual print reference publication and online database (IRR Online) providing detailed records of inland river vessels, towboats, barges, and maritime companies for industry professionals.
• IRR Online Database Online subscription-accessible searchable database version of the Inland River Record containing vessel and company information for the inland marine industry.
• Inland River Guide Comprehensive reference guide for the inland river industry, available in print and digital formats, providing industry reference information for maritime professionals.
• IDR Annual Directory Annual directory for the inland marine industry containing comprehensive listings of companies and vessels, sold through the online store.
• Inland Marine Insights Podcast Podcast series filmed at the Inland Marine Expo featuring interviews with industry leaders and maritime professionals, presented by HealthWorks Medical.
• WJ Talk Webinar and one-on-one interview video series featuring thought leaders, innovators, and decision-makers discussing maritime and waterways industry topics.
• Classifieds Online classified advertising section covering help wanted, situations wanted, boats and barges for sale, equipment for sale/rent, professional directory listings, and other industry listings.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Inland Marine ExpoflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Waterways Journal presents the Inland Marine Expo (IMX), an annual trade event for the inland maritime industry. The expo features the Inland Marine Insights Podcast filmed in the exhibitor hall, industry awards including '40 Under 40', and brings together towboat operators, barge companies, shipyards, ports, and maritime suppliers.
• HealthWorks MedicalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthWorks Medical sponsors the Inland Marine Insights Podcast filmed at the Inland Marine Expo. The podcast features interviews with maritime industry professionals including company executives, safety specialists, and technology providers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Marine Log: A trade publication focused on the commercial marine and inland/offshore shipping industry; comparable as a B2B periodical providing news and analysis to marine industry professionals.
• WorkBoat Magazine: A long-running trade publication covering the commercial marine industry including tugboats, towboats, and inland vessels; directly comparable as a B2B maritime trade publication serving overlapping professional audiences.
• Maritime Logistics Professional: A B2B trade publication covering maritime logistics and shipping; comparable in providing industry news, regulatory updates, and reference information to maritime professionals.
• Boating Industry Magazine: A trade publication serving the recreational and small commercial marine industry; comparable as a B2B periodical targeting marine industry segments with news and classified advertising.
• MarineLink: A digital-first maritime news and information portal covering commercial marine, offshore, and inland shipping; directly comparable as a competitor for digital maritime news audience and advertising spend.

Emerging players

• gCaptain: A leading digital maritime news and community platform covering merchant marine, regulatory, and shipping topics; an emerging digital competitor challenging traditional trade publications like The Waterways Journal.
• Splash 247: A digital-first maritime shipping news outlet covering global shipping and marine logistics; comparable as a digital news competitor targeting maritime industry professionals and advertisers.

Broad incumbents

• Passagemaker / Soundings Trade Only: A broader B2B trade publication serving the recreational boating industry with news, regulatory coverage, and classifieds; comparable as a sister trade publication but serves a different marine segment.
• Informa Maritime (Informa Markets): A large global B2B media and events conglomerate with multiple maritime publications, events, and data products; relevant as a broad incumbent whose maritime portfolio competes indirectly for advertisers and events.

Others

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Inland Navigation Links: The federal regulator responsible for inland waterway maintenance and vessel operations; not a direct competitor but a closely related information source that affects regulatory coverage and audience overlap with The Waterways Journal's content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WaterwayJournal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Waterways Journal