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Gene Moore discusses hard times and Kirby's commitment to their employees.

As many of you are aware, another operator had a major oil spill in New Orleans during July of this year. The unfortunate result for our industry is that the wheelman who was piloting the vessel did not hold a valid license. In the wake of this spill the United States Coast Guard has developed a new program dubbed “Operation Big Tow”. This program is intended to check the mariner’s license to validate that the mariner operating the vessel does indeed hold a current valid license with all ...

The 2009 Calendar Contest winners are announced! Remember, you are able to purchase a calendar to send to friends and family! Read about our winners and how you can get your own 2009 Kirby Calendar!

Originally published before the holidays, it's good to keep the seven causes of accidents in mind all year. Read on for some good safety information!

What a busy, interesting, and challenging year 2008 proved to be! Between negative factors, Kirby had the best safety record ever, instituted a new recognition system, and began construction at our Training Center in order to accomodate the growth of the recent years! Look back at everything that happened in 2008 and be proud! At Kirby, we took care of our own!

On November 17, 2008, the latest Kirby boat, the M/V Jeff Montgomery, was christened in Channelview, TX.

Throughout the year we receive many opportunities for improvement. As you can see from the Favorable vs. Non-Favorable graph 57% of OFIs submitted are actually accepted or implemented. We encourage all of the vessel crews as well as shoreside personnel to take the opportunity to submit an idea that could benefit Kirby. The most submitted OFIs were related to safety. This shows our commitment to work Safer. OFIs can be submitted using e-form 21.1 or completing KIM form # AD-0003-XX which ...

Retirement Statements have been mailed to Kirby Pension Plan participants' homes.

Kirby WIN/KLM WIN Programs are off and running. Thank you to everyone who is participating and we encourage everyone who has not participated yet to do so! We are excited to see our success so far! If you have questions about how to award points, please visit my blog at www.kirbyinlandmarine.kirbycorp.com or call me at 713-435-1642. Any program feedback can be submitted to Kenny Shaver at 713-435-1833 or at kenny.shaver@kirbycorp.com.

Meet the latest Kirby Mate (Pilot) Graduate Roberto Barerra

As many of you are aware, another operator had a major oil spill in New Orleans during July of this year. The unfortunate result for our industry is that the wheelman who was piloting the vessel did not hold a valid license. In the wake of this spill the United States Coast Guard has developed a new program dubbed "Operation Big Tow". This program is intended to check the mariner’s license to validate that the mariner operating the vessel does indeed hold a current valid license with all ...

Good News everybody! We are streamlining the Kirby identification card renewal process by being proactive and mailing your ID card prior to its expiration. No more will you will be required to come to Channelview or Baton Rouge at renewal time if we have your picture on file. Some other improvements are: • All renewals will have a 2 years minimum before expiration. • All KIM cards will be mailed to your Vessel or your home • All KLM cards will be distributed by your supervisor • ...

Robert Goolsby would like to address Houston Fleeting concerns and open up dialogue between Facility Operations and our vessel crews. To facilitate this effort and get it started I suggest if you have operated in the Houston Fleet in the last 90 days that you consider these questions and send you answers to Bob and Todd at Bob.Austin@KirbyCorp.com or Todd.Miksch@KirbyCorp.com or you can contact them by phone at 713-435-1806 (Bob) or 713-435-1822 (Todd).

Kirby Logistics Management shore tankermen require a wide range of experience and knowledge when operating the diverse fleet of Kirby barges. A strong training system employed by KLM ensures that shore tankermen understand the various types of barges, pumping systems, customer and cargo requirements required for each particular job. Hands on training assessments along with constant supervision and feedback given to the shore tankermen ensure the safest performance. There are four levels ...

The M/V Houma was delivered on June 12, 2008. This is the third boat to be delivered of 12 from Raymond & Associates, Bayou LaBatre, AL. The boat is identical to the Captain Bill English and Houston. The boat was named for the City of Houma in Louisiana. The next boat, the M/V Mobile, will be delivered around the end of August 2008 and Hull 422 (the M/V Jeff Montgomery) near the end of November 2008. The M/V Galveston is scheduled to be delivered in December of 2008. At least three named ...

On April 23, Kirby Logistics Management and Texas Petrochemicals received for the 2nd consecutive year the Chemical Transportation Safety Pinnacle Award from Union Pacific.

Workplace safety starts with commitment. Most experts would tell you that management commitment is the cornerstone for success. I agree that management commitment is critical, but I would also tell you that to succeed all workers have to be committed to workplace safety as the only way to do business. Each week the Peterkin and Baton Rouge office staffs gather to spend a few minutes talking about safety. The two offices are linked together via tele-conference so each group can hear as well ...

We experienced high water conditions during the second quarter. Water levels matched records as far back as 1993 in some areas. The areas of concern started out in early March on the Ohio, Upper, Missouri, and the Illinois Rivers gradually working its way down through the Lower Mississippi. River stages on the Arkansas, Ouachita, Atchafalaya, and the Red Rivers were also impacted by the extreme amount of rainfall during the second quarter. The Midwest flooding in Minnesota and Missouri ...

Kirby WIN – What’s Important Now – Recognition Program has been in place for about 2 full months and although it’s a new program, we are already receiving positive feedback. The good news is our own Kirby Captains are in charge of and managing the program. This point-based program allows Captains the flexibility to award their crew members for a job well done and other behaviors such as safety, quality of work, and cost-savings OFIs. Points are awarded on a discretionary, individual basis by ...

High water on the Mississippi River damaged tiers at the LMR 231, 225, 210 and 127 fleets. The tiers at the LMR 231 and 225 fleets were being repaired at the time of writing this article. The repairs for LMR 210 and 127 fleets will be made as soon as reasonably possible. We want to take this opportunity to thank all of our vessel crews for your cooperation during the high water on the river and during limited operations of our fleets. We continue to look for opportunities to improve the ...