A story of Total Quality Management for an inland marine company.

Our final installment of becoming a tow boat master focuses on the demanding schedule that one will encounter if he or she chooses this path. It is not an easy schedule, but the rewards have drawn many. 

We continue our series on becoming a Master of Towing Vessels by next addressing the duties in which this person is responsible. Our last entry left off with some fun statistics that outlined the enormity of cargo in which an average sized tow can transport. This statistic, supplied by the National Waterways Foundation, stated that an average sized, 15 barge tow can transport as much as 216 rail cars, and 1,050 semi-tractors!  Just one barge alone can carry 58,333 bushels of wheat, enough for 2.5 million loaves of bread!

Have you ever wondered how you can get a job running a tow boat up and down the Mississippi River?  Did you know that there is actually a shortage of river boat pilots?