Barge and tugboat services can keep your business moving. From transportation of goods, to keeping your boats passing through hard to maneuver waterways, barge companies and tugboat services can help keep your business stay afloat.

Barge companies and river barge companies can offer you a cost effective means to transport non-perishable items. Tug companies can help you move your larger ships into hard to reach or maneuver harbors or waterways. They allow you to cut your power to a lower speed and be pushed or pulled into place or the right direction.

Making the most of barge and tugboat services includes:

1. Finding out how barge companies can move your products cost effectively. Run a cost comparison and see how much money you can save.

2. Find out how tug boat companies can cut your navigation time by helping you into places you didn't think you could go before.

3. Consider companies that offer both barge and tugboat services.

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Use barge companies for transportation of goods

Find out how barge companies can offer you a cost effective means of transportation of goods.

I recommend: Find out how CGB Marine specializes in grain transportation by taking advantage of the nation's inland waterways. Tidewater specializes in grain, wood and wood products, refined petroleum products as well as liquid and dry fertilizers.

Take advantage of tug boat companies to get your boat a movin'

Find out how tug boat companies can push or pull your vessel into harbors, out to sea, in for repair and more. Learn how their services can become invaluable to your business.

I recommend: Take advantage of Pacific Tugboat Services for your professional marine service needs 24 hours a day. Urban Towing is a company available out of New York City Harbor.

Look at companies that offer both barge and tugboat services

Consider companies that can give you both barge and tugboat services. Some businesses may be large enough to have that need, and there are companies out there large enough to fill it.

I recommend: C&P Tug and Barge of Portsmouth, Virginia offers both tugboat and barge services. Their services include coastal and inland barge transportation, contract towing and bulk and liquid transportation. Island Tug and Barge out of Seattle also offers dual tug and barge services. They have been in business since 1979. They offer cargo transport, construction support, environmental transportation and more.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Barge companies are only applicable to businesses that have access to major waterways, such as the Ohio and Mississippi River. Rail transport is another of the least expensive modes of transportation, though, so transporting by rail to barge, may be an option. Running a cost analysis is imperative, though.

Barge and tugboat services are required for many different reasons. Most tug companies use this equipment to transport materials, rescue damaged vessels, fire fighting, etc. Tugboats come in two different types, inland and ocean going. The tugboat is designed to fit into a notch within the barge. This allows the tug to either push or pull the barge and transport materials along waterways. By using a tug and barge, a business owner can transport their supplies and equipment more efficiently.

If you need the services of a barge or tugboat, there are several different aspects of barge and tugboat services that you will want to think about, such as:

1. Barge service and tugboat charter can be used for occasional service;

2. Barge transportation and tugboat builders can construct a barge and tugboat system designed around your business needs; and

3. Tugboat companies and barges for sale either new or used. By purchasing a tug and barge your company has use of it whenever the need arises.

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Charter barge companies and tugboat services from tug boat companies for occasional use

River barge companies have found a great need in chartering their vessels. Tug and barge docking stations are situated up and down the river and it makes transporting your company's products convenient and cost effective.

I recommend: Donjon Marine Co., Inc. charters barges, dredges, tugs etc. They have been in business since 1964 and they specialize in marine salvage, transportation, ocean engineering and related services. U.S. United Barge Line is a leader among river barge companies specializing in the Mississippi, Ohio and Illinois rivers.

Order from a tug and barge builder

Many tug boat companies and barge services will craft a tugboat or barge to fit your business needs. These same barge and tugboat builders will also repair your existing vessels.

I recommend: Progressive Industrial Inc. sells new tugboats that are built on site. They guarantee all of their products to be free of manufacturer defects for at least one year. Hall Associates has an extensive listing of used tugboats located all over the United States. They specialize in the sale of U. S. flag ocean tugboats. Bollinger Shipyards is a well established company and have been family owned and operated since 1946. They build barges and tugs to your specifications and they also offer tug and barge repair service.

Find barge companies that have new and used barges for sale

Tugboat companies will design a tugboat and barge system that suits your business perfectly, including whatever specifications and features that you require. However, if you need to save on the high expense of purchasing a new tugboat or barge, you may want to consider purchasing a used model.

I recommend: Poseidon Barge Corp. offers both new and used barges for sale. They will arrange barge transport to anywhere in the continental United States and assist with setup by qualified and trained personnel. Rodson Universal Inc. maintains a listing of tugboats, ocean barges and river barges for sale. When purchasing a used vessel it is a very good idea to check its history on BoatHistoryReport.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Even though barges are typically made to be powered by tugboats without their own propulsion system, there are some barge companies that will outfit a barge with an engine as a special order.

Barge Services come in many shapes and forms. You might be hauling liquid cargo or dry cargo. You might be looking for hopper barges or deck barges. You might be hauling such bulk products as coal, steel, rock or grain, but whatever you are moving, you have chosen barge companies because they can offer you the most cost effective means to move your product, and time isn't necessarily a factor in your movement decision.

Tug boat companies, on the other hand, are hired to help maneuver another vessel by towing or pushing it. Generally, this is to bring it into harbor, or it can be to bring it over the open sea or through rivers and canals. Tugboats are also used to tow barges or disabled ships.

To make the most of barge and tugboat services basics:

1. Start by looking at available barge companies.

2. Follow up by reviewing the services of available tug boat companies.

3. Look at tugboat and barges for sale if you are considering opening your own operation or business or service.

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Use river barge companies and other barge companies for cost effective transportation

Use barge companies for an inexpensive means to move your dry goods, fossil fuels and metals.

I recommend: Canal Barge Company offers a wide variety of liquid and dry cargo product barges. Ingram Barge Company can help you haul steel, grain, ores, coal, fertilizers, stone, alloys, coke or scrap metals in on of their fleet of open or covered hopper barges.

Find tug boat companies to give your larger boats a needed push

Take advantage of tug boat companies for the extra needed 'umph' to push your vessel through tight spaces or in hard to navigate waters.

I recommend: Find out what services Fremont Tugboat has to offer. Take a look at the tug fleet that Moran has to offer. They offer a wide variety of tugs including Single Screw, Twin Screw, Twin Screw Z Drive, Mortrac, Pushboat and Articulated Tug.

Locate barge and tugboat services with vessels for sale

Find barge and tug boat companies with boats for sale if you plan to purchase a boat for your own purposes or to open an operation of your own.

I recommend: Look at the barges for sale from Mid-America Foundation Supply Inc. d.b.a. Poseidon Barge out of Ft. Wayne, IN. Find tugboats for sale from Maritimesales.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Have your barge companies help you run cost analysis of barge transport versus other means of transportation. Barge transportation is slow, yet cost effective, and having the cost comparison in front of you can make for an easy decision. If time is not a major factor, and you are near a major waterway, barge should be a real consideration for a means of transportation.

For companies that are located near rivers or major ports, barges and tugboats can be an excellent way to deliver your goods. While it can take a long time to ship goods by barge, the cost savings makes it worthwhile. Still, there are many words that are specific to the industry. If you want to ship using barges and tugboats, you should know, for example, whether you need an inland or ocean going tugboat and if you will purchase or simply charter.

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Inland and ocean going tugboats

Inland tugboats are designed for use in ports and on rivers, while ocean going tugboats are safe for the open seas. The type you choose depends on what you services you need.

I recommend: Learn more about the different types of tugboats, including pictures, from Solar Navigator.

Hopper barges

Hopper barges have an inner layer that is used for storing the goods. It is ideal for shipping bulk items. Some are covered while others are open-air.

I recommend: You can see pictures of hopper barges in action at McDonough Marine Service.

Deck barges

A deck barge has a large flat surface and goods such as pipes are stacked on top of the barge. Occasionally, liquids are stored in the bottom compartment. One potential use for a deck barge is as a work platform, acting as an extension of the harbor.

I recommend: Bristol Harbor Group shows pictures and designs of a deck barge.

Tugboat charter

Many companies do not need the full-time services of a tugboat, so they charter one. This allows them to use a tugboat as needed, without having to pay for its full-time care.

I recommend: You can charter a tugboat for the typical work of a tugboat, but you can also charter a tugboat for a fun corporate retreat, as offered by Tugboat Cornell.

Certificate of Financial Responsibility

A Certificate of Financial Responsibility is given by the National Pollution Funds Center. It proves that a tugboat or barge company has the necessary insurance to deal with any hazardous spills. If you're hiring a tugboat, make sure the company has this certificate.

I recommend: Visit the website of the United States Coast Guard to learn more about Certificates of Financial Responsibility.

Ship docking

One of the main purposes of tugboats is to assist with ship docking. Tugboats are small and can push or pull much larger ships. They can be used to help bring these ships into the dock.

I recommend: Learn more about ship docking from Moran, a company that provides tugboat services.