about the industry

Additional Information:

History Channel Videos Mississippi Waterway Towboats and Barges Working on a Towboat Maintaining the Waterway

The Industry Today

Video: America's Inland Waterways Part I (7:00 Min) Video: America's Inland Waterways Part II (7:00 Min)

What You Should Know About the Tugboat, Towboat and Barge Industry's Safety Record ( PDF)

Maritime Cabotage Task Force Annual Report

AWO Publications

AWO "Leave-Behind"

WATERWAYS: Working for America

Advantages of Inland Barge Transportation: A Smaller Carbon Footprint

Facts About the American Tugboat, Towboat and Barge Industry

1. On our nation's inland waterways and coasts, America's tugboat, towboat and barge industry:

• transports 20% of America's coal - enough to produce 10% of all electricity used each year in the U.S.
• moves over 60% of U.S. grain exports, helping American farmers compete with foreign producers
• carries most of New England's home heating oil and gasoline

2. Today's fleet of nearly 4,000 modern tugboats and towboats and more than 27,000 barges moves over 800 million tons each year of raw materials and finished goods.

3. The industry allows the United States to take advantage of one of its greatest natural resources - the 25,000 mile waterway system - and adds $5 billion a year to the U.S. economy.

4. Waterways transportation is the most economical mode of commercial freight transportation. This is due to the enormous capacity of a barge. For example, a typical inland barge has a capacity 15 times greater than one rail car and 60 times greater than one semi trailer truck.

5. Waterways transportation is the most environmentally-friendly mode of commercial transportation. The greater fuel efficiency of tugboats and towboats results in cleaner air.

6. Waterways transportation contributes to the American quality of life by moving goods off the already-congested roads and rails and away from crowded population centers.

7. The American tugboat, towboat and barge industry is an important element in the nation's intermodal transportation network, and contributes to the American economy, environment, national security and quality of life.

Safety and Environmental Protection

1. Waterways transportation is the safest mode of commercial freight transportation, with the least number of accidents of any mode.

2. The Coast Guard-AWO Safety Partnership, the first industry-Coast Guard partnership of its kind, has launched more than 25 quality action teams that are improving safety and training throughout the industry's operations.

3. AWO has worked closely with the Coast Guard in the Coast Guard-AWO Safety Partnership to achieve a dramatic 82% reduction in oil spills just since 1994.

4. AWO is the only transportation trade association to require, as a condition of membership, that all our members comply with a third-party audited, U.S. Coast Guard-recognized safety and environmental protection regime - the Responsible Carrier Program.

The Responsible Carrier Program (RCP)

1. The Responsible Carrier Program is a set of safety and environmental protection practices that exceeds government standards.

2. How specifically does the RCP protect the environment? It puts into place safety systems that prevent accidents - most spills and environmental damage result from accidents - from comprehensive crew training to vessel maintenance procedures to equipment requirements.

3. As of January 1, 2000, all members of AWO were required to undergo a comprehensive, third-party audit by professional, experienced and knowledgeable auditors, to demonstrate their compliance with the RCP in order to retain their AWO membership.

4. AWO members demonstrated their serious commitment to the RCP by voting to drop 13 non-compliant members on January 1, 2000 and forfeit their dues revenue.

5. The Responsible Carrier Program continues to evolve, constantly upgrading and improving the safety environment of the industry to protect workers, the public and our precious environment.