January 1977 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News

TMT Adds Two Double-Deck Barges To Florida-Puerto Rico Operations

The addition of a fourth double- deck barge to its fleet has allowed Trailer Marine Transport Corporation to upgrade its service from Miami, Fla., to Puerto Rico by replacing smaller barges with double-deck barges, according to a recent announcement by Robert Homan, general manager of TMT, Jacksonville.

TMT previously provided service from Jacksonville to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with three doubledeck barges. The newest of these, the specially designed Miami, was joined later by the San Juan which was recently built in San Francisco, Calif.

Each of the new TMT barges is 400 by 100 feet long and has a capacity for 180 forty-foot trail'ers. Fully protected underdeck stowage is available for automobiles and other vehicles. The barges are fitted with built-in cardecks, enabling vehicles to be driven on and off.

TMT now offers service from Jacksonville every two days and from Miami every five days, with transit times to San Juan of less than four days. Northbound sailings from San Juan to Florida are available every second day. A fifth sister barge will be integrated into TMT's Florida/Puerto Rico operations in March.

"By introducing these mammoth barges and modern 9,000-hp tugs in both services from Florida to Puerto Rico," said Mr. Homan, "we have upgraded our ability to fully accommodate the many diverse needs of the Puerto Rican trade. We expect to add more equipment as demand warrants it." TMT has provided uninterrupted service to Puerto Rico from Florida ports over the past 22 years. Service is now extended to the Virgin Islands, Leewards and Windwards, and the Dominican Republic through affiliated companies in Puerto Rico. These companies and TMT make up part of the Caribbean Division of Crowley Maritime Corporation, San Francisco. Crowley has been operating in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean since 1971.

The TMT operation was acquired by Crowley Maritime in 1974.

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