Coastal and Great Lakes Freight Transportation
Description
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing water transportation of cargo in coastal waters, on the Great Lakes System, or deep seas between ports of the United States, Puerto Rico, and United States island possessions or protectorates. Marine transportation establishments using the facilities of the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority Commission are considered to be using the Great Lakes Water Transportation System. Establishments primarily engaged in providing coastal and/or Great Lakes barge transportation services are included in this industry.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 48 | Transportation and Warehousing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Transportation and Warehousing sector includes industries providing transportation of passengers and cargo, warehousing and storage for goods, scenic and sightseeing transportation, and support activities related to modes of transportation. Establishments in these industries use transportation equipment or transportation-related facilities as a productive asset. The type of equipment depends on the mode of transportation. The modes of transportation are air, rail, water, road, and pipeline. The Transportation and Warehousing sector distinguishes three basic types of activities: subsectors for each mode of transportation, a subsector for warehousing and storage, and a subsector for establishments providing support activities for transportation. In addition, there are subsectors for establishments that provide passenger transportation for scenic and sightseeing purposes, postal services, and courier services. A separate subsector for support activities is established in the sector because, first, support activities for transportation are inherently multimodal, such as freight transportation arrangement, or have multimodal aspects. Secondly, there are production process similarities among the support activity industries. One of the support activities identified in the Support Activities for Transportation subsector is the routine repair and maintenance of transportation equipment (e.g., aircraft at an airport, railroad rolling stock at a railroad terminal, or ships at a harbor or port facility). Such establishments do not perform complete overhauling or rebuilding of transportation equipment (i.e., periodic restoration of transportation equipment to original design specifications) or transportation equipment conversion (i.e., major modification to systems). An establishment that primarily performs factory (or shipyard) overhauls, rebuilding, or conversions of aircraft, railroad rolling stock, or ships is classified in Subsector 336, Transportation Equipment Manufacturing, according to the type of equipment. Many of the establishments in this sector often operate on networks, with physical facilities, labor forces, and equipment spread over an extensive geographic area. Warehousing establishments in this sector are distinguished from merchant wholesaling in that the warehouse establishments do not sell the goods. Excluded from this sector are establishments primarily engaged in providing travel agent, travel arrangement, and reservation services that support transportation establishments, hotels, other businesses, and government agencies. These establishments are classified in Sector 56, Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services. Establishments primarily engaged in providing rental and leasing of transportation equipment without operator are classified in Subsector 532, Rental and Leasing Services. Establishments primarily engaged in providing medical care with transportation are classified in Sector 62, Health Care and Social Assistance. |
| 483 | Water Transportation 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Water Transportation subsector provide water transportation of passengers and cargo using watercraft, such as ships, barges, and boats. The subsector is composed of two industry groups: (1) one for deep sea, coastal, and Great Lakes water transportation; and (2) one for inland water transportation. This split typically reflects the difference in equipment used. Scenic and sightseeing water transportation services are not included in this subsector but are included in Subsector 487, Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation. Although these activities use watercraft, they are different from the activities included in water transportation. Water sightseeing does not usually involve place-to-place transportation; the passenger's trip starts and ends at the same location. |
| 4831 | Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 4-digit industry group | Industries in the Water Transportation subsector provide water transportation of passengers and cargo using watercraft, such as ships, barges, and boats. The subsector is composed of two industry groups: (1) one for deep sea, coastal, and Great Lakes water transportation; and (2) one for inland water transportation. This split typically reflects the difference in equipment used. Scenic and sightseeing water transportation services are not included in this subsector but are included in Subsector 487, Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation. Although these activities use watercraft, they are different from the activities included in water transportation. Water sightseeing does not usually involve place-to-place transportation; the passenger's trip starts and ends at the same location. |
| 48311 | Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing deep sea, coastal, Great Lakes, and St. Lawrence Seaway water transportation. Marine transportation establishments using the facilities of the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority Commission are considered to be using the Great Lakes Water Transportation System. |
| 483113 | Coastal and Great Lakes Freight Transportation 6-digit U.S. detail | This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing water transportation of cargo in coastal waters, on the Great Lakes System, or deep seas between ports of the United States, Puerto Rico, and United States island possessions or protectorates. Marine transportation establishments using the facilities of the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority Commission are considered to be using the Great Lakes Water Transportation System. Establishments primarily engaged in providing coastal and/or Great Lakes barge transportation services are included in this industry. |
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Classification References
- 01Providing deep sea transportation of cargo to or from foreign ports--are classified in U.S. Industry 483111, Deep Sea Freight Transportation;
- 02Providing inland water transportation of cargo on lakes, rivers, or intracoastal waterways (except on the Great Lakes System)--are classified in U.S. Industry 483211, Inland Water Freight Transportation; and
- 03Operating tugboats in harbors--are classified in Industry 488330, Navigational Services to Shipping.
Index Items
Barge transportation, coastal or Great Lakes (including St. Lawrence Seaway)
Coastal freight transportation to and from domestic ports
Coastal shipping of freight to and from domestic ports
Deep sea freight transportation to or from domestic ports (including Puerto Rico)
Freight shipping on the Great Lakes system (including St. Lawrence Seaway)
Freight transportation, deep sea, to and from domestic ports
Great Lakes freight transportation (including St. Lawrence Seaway)
Intercoastal freight transportation to and from domestic ports
Lake freight transportation, Great Lakes (including St. Lawrence Seaway)
Ship chartering with crew, coastal or Great Lakes freight transportation (including St. Lawrence Seaway)
Shipping freight to and from domestic ports (i.e., coastal, deep sea (including Puerto Rico), Great Lakes system (including St. Lawrence Seaway))
How Item Can Help
Optimizes routing across coastal shipping lanes and Great Lakes waterways to reduce fuel costs and delivery times while managing complex vessel schedules.
Tracks hazardous liquid cargo and sensitive goods in real-time throughout the waterway journey to ensure regulatory compliance and prevent spoilage.
Analyzes historical weather patterns and canal congestion to provide predictive alerts for delays, enabling proactive rerouting for freight carriers.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 483113.
American Association of Coastal and Marine Transportation Administrators
A trade association dedicated to the regulation and safety of marine and coastal transportation.
U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration
The primary federal agency managing commercial maritime commerce including coastal and Great Lakes freight.
FreightWaves Maritime & Port Sector
A leading industry directory providing data and news on coastal and Great Lakes freight operations.
