Moving commodities. 

The barge and towing industry in Texas is a vital, yet often unseen link in our state’s economy.  TWOA members transport vast quantities of petroleum, chemical and petrochemical products by barge between facilities within Texas and to markets throughout the heartland of America along our nation’s inland waterway system.  In addition to these products, barges in Texas transport a range of other goods, including steel products, aggregate, fertilizer, agricultural products and project cargoes.  TWOA members supply tugboats to assist ships entering and leaving Texas ports and deliver fuel to ships engaged in both domestic and international commerce. 

 

Keeping Texas industry competitive. 

Texas ports are linked by the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, a federally maintained waterway with design dimensions of 125’ wide and 12’ deep.  The waterway allows river type towboats and barges to serve Texas ports and connect them to the vast Mississippi River system.  This allows Texas products to be shipped not just to Lake Charles, New Orleans or Mobile, but to St. Louis, Chicago or Pittsburgh, all on the same barge.  In addition to these longer trips, barges are used for many shorter trips within the state or even within a single port.  Barges allow safe, reliable and efficient movements of feedstocks between refineries, chemical plants, terminals and other facilities that line our coast and waterways.  This interconnectivity is one of the key factors that continues to draw these facilities to the Texas coast and makes Texas industry more competitive in the world marketplace.

 

Providing good jobs for Texans. 

The barge and towing industry is the backbone of the domestic maritime industry in Texas, which provides over 39,000 Texas jobs and $8 billion in economic impact to the state each year.  Our industry provides great pay and blue collar careers for high school graduates and GED holders.  A young person can start with a TWOA member company out of high school and be making close to $100,000 a year after three to five years on the job.  Most member companies provide or assist with the training necessary to advance. 

 

Hiring Veterans. 

TWOA members welcome returning veterans and seek their skills, experience and discipline.  If you were successful in the military, chances are you will be successful in the barge and towing industry, where teamwork and following procedures to get jobs done safely as part of a drug free workforce is the foundation of everything we do.