Ferien

Since there's not a gender-neutral term for Ferryman, I went back to etymology until I found a good word for this.

Boaters, ferrymen, ferien, are, you guessed it, people that transport people and goods by boat. As there are several rivers that go very far inland in most of my world, these can be found virtually anywhere.

They are not always welcome, either. Several of the waterways are carefully guarded by the locals, and it's customary for ferien to bribe their way inland with new places.

Independent or associated with trading companies, merchant lines, or simply helping the locals transport goods from work to home and carrying tourists around or providing a travel service with crossways-- Ferien can make a living and do a great job of it wherever they happen to be.