Tank Barge PIC

Kirby Corporation vessel personnel work a rotating schedule of 6 days on, 3 days off.

Responsibilities

• Walk 2–3 miles per day to inspect barges and rigging on tows up to 500 ft in length.
• Step across 2 ft vertical and 2 ft horizontal gaps between barges and docks, accounting for draft differences, river stages, and deck-height differentials during loading/discharging.
• Extend arms fully in horizontal and vertical planes to throw and catch lines, perform engine-room maintenance, and reach overhead.
• Climb 90-degree vertical ladders 25–30 ft high to access barges at various dock facilities, especially at low river stages.
• Lift and carry 60–75 lb ratchets or crossover hoses approximately 500 ft to repair couplings or reposition equipment.
• Detect potentially dangerous chemical vapors using sense of smell.
• Wear and function in personal protective equipment: gloves, goggles, rubber boots, slicker suit, steel-toe boots, hard hat, five-minute escape pack, negative- or positive-pressure respirator.
• Endure harsh environments including extreme temperatures, rain, ice, sleet, wind, wave action, and long transfer hours.
• Operate firefighting and spill-containment equipment.
• Communicate with dock personnel, maintain documentation, and assist in training new crew members.
• Assist with engine and generator-room maintenance.
• Qualify for all federal and state standards, licenses, and documents.
• Perform all duties while adhering to safety protocols and wearing required protective gear.

Physical & Mental Requirements

• Vision: Uncorrected 20/20 in each eye, correctable to 20/40, with normal color vision (required for merchant mariner’s document).
• Hearing: Sufficient to obtain a merchant mariner’s document.
• Speech: Clear verbal communication in English, both in person and via handheld radios.
• Reading/Writing: Proficient in reading and writing English for documentation and training.
• Pulmonary Function: Minimum 80 % score on pulmonary function test with physician’s approval.
• Physical Condition: Ability to wear all specified PPE and perform physically demanding tasks in extreme conditions.
• Mental/Emotional: Ability to live and work in close quarters, spend extended time away from family, and comprehend safety protocols, MSDS, emergency actions, and video-based training (e.g., safety meetings, Benzene training).

Qualifications

• Tank Barge PIC License is required (for PIC role); no license required for Trainee role.
• Valid merchant mariner’s document with Tank Barge PIC endorsement under 46 CFR 12/20 et seq.
• Current and valid driver’s license.
• Successful completion of Kirby Corporation’s Tank Barge PIC training school.
• Pass a company-approved test.
• Certification for 46 CFR Part 197 Subpart C – Benzene.
• Compliance with US Coast Guard Chemical Drug Testing Programs for Vessel Personnel (46 CFR Part 16).
• Pass a physical examination by a Kirby-appointed physician upon conditional offer of employment.

Possible Non-Essential Functions

• Swimming.
• Cooking.
• Washing clothes.