What Makes TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale Different?
Going the Extra Mile to comply, Insure, Attend to Details
and Prepare for the Unexpected

Many years ago, the leaders at TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale made a conscious decision to always remain current with the regulations related to the marine towing and salvage industry. The company includes strict compliance as one of the cornerstones of their day to day operations. Compliance, along with safety, ethical business practices, professionalism and flexibility are all key components woven into the DNA of the company. Company Founder and President Larry Acheson stated in a recent discussion “Our industry is one that requires higher risks than many others. The government and our industry leaders have developed regulations and certifications to assist in ensuring the safety and security of our crew, our assets, our customers and their property. This compliance requires time and money. A new captain joining our ranks is subjected to 4-6 weeks of rigorous towing and salvage training and may also require as many as 4 weeks of classes costing over $3000.00 to comply with each requirement. The days of hiring a captain with their USCG 6 pack license and towing endorsement have long passed. Jobs that take us into international waters introduce another set of challenges that we meet head on by working closely with United Stated Customs and Border Protection, customs officials from other countries and shipping agencies when necessary. Compliance also requires a dedicated management team that can navigate the complicated laws and ensure that we stay current in an ever changing environment. Although this unwavering commitment does have its challenges, we are fortunate to have a team that patiently works through new regulations, implements policy and keeps tabs on changes in regulations to avoid surprises that would have far reaching affects on our business. I sleep well at night knowing that “We do the right thing!”

The following is a list of training, certifications and credentials that are held or will soon need to be held by each of the company’s captains to ensure they comply with regulations. Deck crew must comply with many of the items listed here as well.

Once the crew is fully certified, the next task is to ensure the job itself is completed according to all USCG and CBP regulations. There are dozens of regulations that affect the many different types of jobs that TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale undertakes on a regular basis. Specific regulations exist which dictate many details of the business. These range in scope and complexity from the size of the towboat that can be used to undertake a tow of a floating boat lift to the necessary documentation to carry a load of groceries to a foreign ship in International waters and many others in between. Larry added “As you can see, we feel strongly that complying with local, state and government regulations is the only way to provide high quality services to our customers. Combine this commitment with the fact that our company is fully insured with an A+ rated carrier for every type of work that we undertake. Add additional training/certification specific to the Towing and Salvage industry and you can hire TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale with complete confidence!”