Back To Top

Barge & Tug

Barging is the most economical mode of cargo transportation, capable of transporting container and bulk commodities like grain, coal, petroleum and salt for a fraction of the cost of moving them by truck or rail.  Barging is also the most environmentally friendly mode – one large inland towboat can push 40 barges that have the same carrying capacity as more than 2,400 trucks, resulting in significantly fewer hydrocarbons entering the air.  Our bulk carriers and barges are able to access shallow water ports and dock locations, often bringing cargo much closer to final destination.  Waterways transportation is the safest mode of commercial freight transportation, with the fewest number of accidents above all other modes of transportation.  Depending on the cargo itself, dry cargo barges may be open or covered.

Deck Barges

Deck Barges

Deck barges are used to carry cargo on deck and differ in size and structural design, depending on their intended use. Deck cargos include pipe, piling, fabricated structures, equipment, rock, palletized material or even horses, cattle and rocket boosters.

  • Length: 250 feet / 76.2 Metres
  • Width: 72 feet / 21.95 Metres
  • Depth: 16 feet / 4.9 Metres
  • Draft: 2 feet / 0.61 Metres
Spud Barges

Spud Barges

A spud barge is used to provide a flat, level and stable surface on the water from which construction operations may be performed. The large surface area of a spud barge makes it easy to load equipment such as cranes and digging machines.

Various Size Spud Barges with 60’ Spuds Standard:

  • W41 Barge Deck 120’ x 30’ x 6.5’ with Spudwells
  • W46 Barge Deck 104’ x 40’ x 5’ with Spudwells
  • W47 Barge Deck 104’ x 40’ x 5’ with Spudwells and SE Spuds
  • W62 Barge Deck 104’ x 40’ x 8’ with Spudwells
  • W65 Barge Deck 135’ x 50’ 11.5’ with Spudwells
  • W66 Barge Deck 135’ x 50’ x 11.5’ with Spudwells
Ocean Cargo Barges

Ocean Cargo Barges

Oceangoing barges transport cargo beyond the inland water boundaries of a country. Using ocean barges as an alternative to higher speed ocean freighters can offer many advantages. Unimproved or shallow draft ports often are only accessible by tug and barge. High-volume loads, such as large-diameter pipe, and extremely heavy equipment like prefabricated oil-production facilities, are especially adapted to ocean barging. The hazards of navigation and the forces of nature require oceangoing barges to be of specialized design and heavy construction. This results in an increase in cost of building, outfitting, maintaining and towing such vessels. American flag ocean barges are built to the requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the authorized load lining agency. Each barge is inspected and certified by authority of these agencies, and appropriate documents are always issued to be carried on board. The Coast Guard and ABS should be consulted for comprehensive information on their requirements for ocean barges.

BARGE SIZE

LOADLINE

APPROXIMATE SHORT TON CARGO CAPACITY

3 Feet

4 Feet

140’ x 40’ x 9’

900

740

580

140’ x 40’ x 9’6”

965

820

660

150’ x 55’ x 9’

1330

830

345

160’ x 50’ x 8’

982

787

545

180’ x 54’ x 12’

2360

2200

1900

180’ x 54’ 12’6”

2380

2230

1935

180’ x 60’ x 12’6”

2696

2524

2182

200’ x 50’ x 13’

2600

2500

2150

210’ x 60’ x 13’6”

3050

3180

2805