Marathon Petroleum Marine Transportation …

Marathon Petroleum Company’s Marine Transportation group transports liquid petroleum products via river systems using towboats and tank barges. We boast the distinction of being among the largest capacity tank barge fleets in the USA.

Marine transports petroleum products on all major inland rivers to meet market and customer needs:

  • 500+ employees
  • 21 line-haul towboats owned & operated
  • 2 harbor boats owned & operated
  • 300+ owned tank barges plus additional chartered tank barges

What we do

Product Transportation
Towboats transport petroleum products to and from various MPC sites including refineries & terminals.

Tankering Services
Marine provides services to load and discharge barges at various facilities by Marathon and contracted Tankerman. This activity requires a U.S. Coast Guard license.

Storage
Products can be stored in “fleets” which are parking lots for barges.

Maintenance
We have a small shipyard in Catlettsburg, KY where we perform most of our own maintenance and inspection activities on our boats and barges. We also operate a barge cleaning facility and wastewater treatment plant in Catlettsburg.

Marine Employee Locations
Marine headquarters in Catlettsburg, KY is home to an electric shop, weld shop, motor shop, barge cleaning facility, and a wastewater treatment plant.

Other locations include:

  • Findlay, OH,
  • Garyville, LA
  • Galveston, TX
  • Cincinnati, OH
  • Wellsville, OH
  • Mt Vernon, IN
  • Nashville, TN

What it is like to be part of the Deck crew
Marine line-haul vessel employees work 28 days on a boat, known as a “hitch”, and 28 days off on a rotating basis. Each workday is comprised of two 6-hour watches and two 6-hour rest periods.

The primary duties of the deck crew are to manage the tow (connect and disconnect the barges to each and the boat as needed) and maintain the equipment, including the boat and barges.

In addition to having our meals provided while on hitch, we are also provided with conveniences of home such as Direct TV and fitness equipment.

The duties are physically demanding and are completed in variable weather conditions 24/7. Our day-for-day schedule of 28 days on/28 days off allows for work-life balance.

Marathon advantages:

  • Inexperienced deckhands start at $228/day
  • Experienced deckhands start at $247/day
  • Annual bonus program
  • Cash Balance pension plus 401(k) with company match
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance available
  • Career growth
  • No diploma/GED required

Several great career options exist within the MPLX and those can be accessed anytime at jobs.marathonpetroleum.com.