Day in the Life of a Tow Boat Crew

FOX 17 News - By: John Dunn

WHEN IT COMES TO MOVING CARGO YOU PROBABLY THINK OF TRUCKS, TRAINS AND PLANES, BUT HERE IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE, THERE'S ANOTHER OPTION.

IT HAPPENS EVERYDAY...AND YOU PROBABLY DON'T REALIZE HOW MUCH YOU DEPEND ON IT.

WORK NEVER STOPS ON BOARD THE THOMAS VORHOLT.

TOW BOAT CREWS WORK 24 HOURS A DAY...365 DAYS A YEAR.

A LITTLE RAINY WEATHER IS JUST A SMALL INCONVENIENCE.

"The rain, the snow, the sleet, you know they're out there in it," says Capt. Todd Butts.

THE MAIN FUNCTION OF A TOW BOAT IS TO MOVE BARGES DOWN THE RIVER.

TODD BUTTS IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE VORHOLT WHICH IS OWNED BY INGRAM BARGE COMPANY.

TODAY HE'S IN CLARKSVILLE LINKING UP TO EIGHT EMPTY BARGES ON THE CUMBERLAND.

DOWN BELOW, DECKHANDS WORK TO SECURE THE LOAD. THEY STAY IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE CAPTAIN..

IT'S HARD WORK WITH STEEL CABLES, IN A RELENTLESS RAIN.

ONCE SECURE...THE SLOW PUSH DOWN THE CUMBERLAND BEGINS.

THE TOW BOAT PUSHES THE LOAD AT ABOUT SIX MILES AN HOUR.

CAPTAIN BUTTS WATCHES THE FLAGS FOR SIGNS OF WIND.

"You wouldn't think all this big heavy steel and this big old boat that the wind would affect it, but it does very much," says Butts.

THE EMPTY BARGES ARE BEING TAKEN TO CUMBERLAND CITY IN STEWART COUNTY.

THE TRIP IS LESS THAN 20 MILES BUT TAKES NEARLY THREE HOURS TO COMPLETE.

DOWN BELOW, THE CREW IS EATING LUNCH IN THE GALLEY.

THE NINE PEOPLE ON BOARD WILL SPEND 28 DAYS ON THE BOAT TOGETHER, TOWING MULTIPLE LOADS.

CAPTAIN BUTTS SAYS THE JOB CAN BE HARD, ESPECIALLY WITH A WIFE AND KIDS.

"Once I leave the house, I lay everything on her, you know, I've got a job to do out here and she doesn't have my help at home anymore," says Butts.

EVENTUALLY THE VORHOLT AND ITS CREW MEET UP WITH ANOTHER TOW BOAT TO SWAP LOADS.

THE VORHOLT UNHOOKS ITS EMPTIES AND REATTACHES TO 12 FULLY LOADED BARGES.

HERE IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE, THOSE BARGES ARE OFTEN LOADED WITH COAL AND SAND.

THE COAL PRODUCES YOUR ELECTRICITY...THE SAND IS TURNED INTO CONCRETE.

BACK IN THE WHEELHOUSE, PILOT JASON ROBERTS IS NOW AT THE HELM.

HE TELLS US MANY PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT WHAT GOES ON ON THE RIVER.

"You can explain it to them, and tell them exactly what you do, and I don't think they really still quite understand what you're talking about," says Roberts.

WITH 12 BARGES IN TOW THE VORHOLT AND ITS LOAD NOW MEASURE NEARLY 1000 FEET FROM BOW TO STERN.

"It's just like a truck driver on water," says Roberts.

IN FACT THE 12 BARGES THE VORHOLT IS TOWING CAN ACTUALLY HOLD THE EQUIVALENT OF 696 TRACTOR-TRAILER LOADS.

TWO MASSIVE 16-CYLINDER ENGINES PROVIDE 3900 HORSEPOWER TO GET THE JOB DONE.

AN ENGINEER ON BOARD KEEPS THINGS MOVING.

AS JASON PILOTS THE BOAT, CAPTAIN BUTTS IS GETTING SOME REST.

"This is my quarters," says Butts.

EACH CREW MEMBER WORKS SIX HOURS ON, SIX HOURS OFF, BUT EVEN WHEN HE'S ASLEEP THE CAPTAIN IS STILL IN CHARGE.

"If the guys are out on tow and the pilot needs me, he can buzz me," says Butts.

AFTER A LONG DAY THE RAIN HAS GONE, AND THE SUN BEGINS TO SET..

THE THOMAS VORHOLT ARRIVES BACK IN CLARKSVILLE, BUT IT'S TRIP IS FAR FROM OVER.

ALTHOUGH WE GET OFF HERE, THE CREW HAS 26 DAYS LEFT ON ITS CRUISE BEFORE THEY GET SOME MUCH DESERVED TIME OFF.

SOME CALL MOVING BARGES AN INVISIBLE INDUSTRY, BUT IF YOU LOOK TO THE RIVER YOU'LL SEE HOW THEY HELP KEEP THE ECONOMY AFLOAT.

IN THE PAST YEAR, INGRAM BARGE HAS MOVED SIX AND A HALF MILLION TONS OF COAL, SAND, AND STEEL TO NASHVILLE AND GALLATIN.

ALL OF IT FLOATED DOWN THE CUMBERLAND RIVER.