Only 34 of the 67 U.S.-Flag lakers available for service this year were in operation on April 1. That's a decrease of two hulls compared to a year ago and likely the lowest April 1 total since the early 1980s. The 34 vessels in service on April 1 represented only 56 percent of available carrying capacity.
The troubled state of America's steel industry continues to have significant impacts on the U.S.-Flag Great Lakes fleet. Not only is the April 1 total one of the lowest in recent memory, a number of vessels are not currently scheduled to operate in 2002. A survey of U.S.-Flag operators finds 8 vessels with no sail date in 2002. Included in that total is one of the 1,000-foot-long supercarriers. A ninth vessel has no firm sail date and another has postponed its sailing until early May.
Year | Dry-Bulk Carriers | Cement Carriers | Tankers | Total |
2002 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 34 |
2001 | 29 | 4 | 3 | 36 |
2000 | 41 | 4 | 6 | 51 |
1999 | 40 | 4 | 7 | 51 |
1998 | 49 | 5 | 6 | 60 |