Many Americans don’t regularly encounter a tugboat, towboat or barge in their daily lives. But these vessels quietly navigate America’s rivers, coasts and Great Lakes, safely and efficiently moving over 760 million tons of commodities every year that drive our nation’s economy.
In the process, they support over 300,000 jobs — nearly half of the 650,000 jobs supported by the U.S. maritime industry as a whole.
Even less well-known is the extent to which these vessels that deliver fuel for our homes and cars, building materials for our towns and roads and food for our tables, are also critical to keeping our nation safe.
