Transport 360 Managing Port KC

Since the beginning of 2022, Transport 360, which operates the Port of St. Joseph on the upper Missouri River, has also been quietly managing Port KC in Kansas City, Mo. Bill Becker, CEO of Transport 360, said talks with Port KC began in late fall, and a deal was signed December 12. Neither party announced the move at the time.

Becker said he hired two new employees and shifted some existing employees around to handle the workload. “That’s one of the advantages of managing more than one facility, he said. “You can get synergies from existing employees.” He said Transport 360 has at least 14 employees now.

Becker said the two ports complement each other. The Port of St. Joseph has been steadily growing, he said. “The Corps of Engineers has been doing a good job maintaining the channel. We really haven’t had any trouble getting barges in or out.” Top cargoes at the Port of St. Joseph include inbound aggregate and outbound grain, using the port’s new Telestacker. St. Joseph has a better ability to receive heavier equipment because they are closer to the water than they are in Kansas City. The port of St. Joseph has been getting inquiries from customers interested in moving steel, he said, which it has done in the past and is well equipped to do.

Transport 360 has been managing the Port of St. Joseph for almost four years. “We’ve continued to grow every year,” Becker said. “The more freight we can move on the Missouri River, the more it helps everyone to grow.”