For Aimee Andres, the nation’s inland rivers are not an abstract transportation network or a policy talking point. They are personal. Growing up, she spent her formative years around ports, terminals and railroads, watching firsthand how freight moved and how quietly essential inland infrastructure is to the country’s economic engine. That upbringing ultimately led her to a role she has now held for more than a decade: Executive Director of Inland Rivers, Ports & Terminals (IRPT). Over the past 13 years, Andres has helped transform IRPT from a relatively small, inland-focused association into a national advocate for freight mobility, infrastructure investment and supply chain resilience.

“My dad was a terminal operator, then a port engineer, then a port director,” Andres said. “Transportation literally runs through my blood.”
That early exposure made a lasting impression. As an adult, when it came time to choose a career path, Andres knew ports and terminals were where she wanted to be. When she stepped into the executive director role at IRPT, she quickly recognized a core challenge shared by many inland ports: extremely small staffs carrying enormous responsibility.

“These facilities might have one or two people managing legislative affairs, HR, business development, tenant relations — you name it,” she said. “Yet the impact they have on their communities and shippers is enormous.”

Helping those lean organizations gain access to resources, advocacy and business development support has been central to IRPT’s evolution under her leadership.

IRPT Today

From its headquarters in St. Louis, IRPT now operates with a small but geographically distributed team. Its membership has grown to roughly 500 organizations spanning the freight ecosystem: public ports, private terminals, barge lines, railroads, trucking companies, shippers, state agencies and service providers.

The association organizes its members across 11 river basins, reflecting the geographic diversity of U.S. inland navigation. While IRPT began with a focus on the inland river system, its scope has expanded significantly. Today it also serves members connected to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, the Great Lakes, the Pacific Coast and navigable waterways throughout the nation’s heartland.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about freight and the movement of freight,” Andres said. “We’re not just serving waterways, we’re serving the nation’s supply chain.”

IRPT’s mission centers on three pillars: business development, advocacy and education, at both the state and federal levels. That combination has positioned the association as a key voice for smaller ports and terminals that often struggle to compete for attention and funding alongside their larger coastal counterparts.

Leveling the Funding Playing Field

When asked which accomplishments she is most proud of, Andres immediately pointed to IRPT’s role in shaping the federal Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).
Before the program was restructured, small inland ports were forced to compete directly with mega-ports like New York–New Jersey or Long Beach for a limited pool of federal infrastructure dollars. IRPT saw the imbalance and took action.

In 2019, the association helped write legislation establishing a “small port, small project” category within PIDP. The result: a dedicated funding pool that allows small ports to compete against peers with similar scale and needs.
Since then, Andres said, $112 million per year has been set aside for small-port projects, funding roughly 50 projects nationwide. “That program is near and dear to our hearts,” she said. “It has changed what’s possible for inland ports.”

The economic value of inland ports and terminals is often underestimated, Andres said, because their success is measured in what doesn’t happen.

“If we didn’t have our river system providing that modal option, transportation costs would rise across rail and trucking,” she explained. “The competition keeps prices down for everyone.”

She pointed to Interstate 70 in Missouri as a vivid example. Without the freight capacity carried by the river system, truck traffic on that corridor would multiply — tripling or quadrupling in some estimates. The consequences would extend beyond congestion to public safety, infrastructure wear and community impact.
Inland waterways, she emphasized, quietly absorb massive freight volumes while reducing highway congestion, lowering emissions per ton-mile and improving overall supply chain resilience.

Growth, Efficiency, Sustainability

Looking at the system today, Andres sees nearly every port and terminal in growth mode. Investments are flowing into infrastructure, equipment and efficiency improvements, often supported by federal programs such as PIDP and EPA SmartPorts grants.

Ports and terminals are upgrading material-handling systems, increasing throughput and reducing costs. At the same time, they are investing in cleaner equipment and higher-tier engines to reduce emissions and environmental impact.

While public ports often receive the spotlight, Andres is quick to stress the role of private terminals. “There are about 335 public ports in the U.S., but there are tens of thousands of private terminals moving freight every day,” she said. “They are essential to the system.”

The Infrastructure Challenge

Despite recent progress, Andres is candid about the biggest challenge facing IRPT members: aging infrastructure.

Locks, dams, channels and other navigation assets — many managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — have suffered from decades of underfunding. Authorized projects remain unfinished, and the backlog continues to grow.

Congress has begun asking hard questions, including requesting a comprehensive database of authorized but unfunded projects. Yet progress has been slow, and Andres sees this as a critical advocacy priority.

“We need to know where we are and what it will take to get to a reliable, sustainable system — not just for today, but for generations,” she said.
Beyond legislation, IRPT’s priorities for 2026 center on business development and shipper engagement. A goal is educating shippers—many of whom are unaware of the inland system’s reach and capabilities. That effort extends overseas.

In June 2026, IRPT will lead a member delegation to Europe, including visits to ports and terminals and participation in Breakbulk Europe. The trip will also include meetings with European inland port organizations and infrastructure authorities to explore marketing strategies such as “container-on-barge” models and hinterland connectivity.
Domestically, IRPT will continue its extensive schedule of free regional basin meetings and prepare for its annual conference, scheduled for September 1–4 in Kansas City, Missouri.

IRPT: “Not your grandma’s association”

Asked why organizations should join IRPT, Andres didn’t hesitate. “We are not your grandma’s association,” she said with a laugh, noting that she, herself is a grandmother! “You should expect more, and you’ll get more from us.”
For an annual membership cost of $825, members gain access to advocacy, marketing and business development support that would otherwise require multiple full-time staff.
“The sky’s the limit on the resources we provide,” Andres said.

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