Carrier Membership: $5,000+

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Carrier Membership: $5,000+

Carrier membership is open to companies that own or operate tugboats, towboats or barges engaged in U.S. domestic transportation. All AWO carrier members are required to achieve compliance with the Responsible Carrier Program, a comprehensive safety management system that the U.S. Coast Guard has accepted as a Towing Safety Management System under Subchapter M.

Please carefully read the Responsible Carrier Program requirements.

Complete the membership application form.

FULL MEMBER BENEFITS

Carrier Specific

  • Access to the gold-standard Safety Management System: AWO’s Responsible Carrier Program
  • Tools to achieve and maintain RCP compliance
  • Up to the minute information on issues impacting vessel owners and operators
  • A respected voice and advocate with lawmakers, regulators, and thought leaders on industry-impacting issues
  • Full voting rights in member decisions, one vote per member company

All Member Benefits

  • Recognition and respect among peers and customers
  • A platform to promote industry awareness
  • Opportunities to collaborate on pivotal industry issues
  • Access to cutting-edge industry research studies
  • Industry leadership opportunities
  • A team of experts advocating on your behalf
  • AWO Letter, AWO Alerts, and other timely publications
  • Career enriching meeting and convention experiences
  • Avenues to market your services

Provisional Status
Provisional members are companies that have been members of AWO for less than one (1) year and have not yet provided a TPO-issued TSMS Certificate, Letter of Compliance, or comparable documentation certifying compliance with an SMS that meets the minimum requirements of 46 CFR Subchapter M Part 138. All new carrier members will be classified as Provisional on all member websites and RCP lists. You will be able to access the full range of member benefits during this period.

Making Sense of the Dues
Annual dues for Carrier members begin at $5,000. In addition to the base dues, an annual assessment is calculated to determine total cost of membership. The assessment takes into account tonnage by barge type, powered vessels’ nameplate horsepower, and the tonnage and horsepower of self-propelled freight vessels. Current dues and assessments range from just over $5,000 for the smallest carrier members to over $300,000 for the largest companies in the industry.

Dues and assessments are based on the calendar year. This means that new members pay a prorated portion of the dues to complete the calendar year in which they join. It is important to keep this in mind as you consider your dues for the coming years.