Tow Boat Pilot

It’s early morning and Shane Carman in the captain’s deck of the Freedom, TVA’s state-of-the-art towboat.

Carman, towboat pilot and River Services manager, leads a crew that delivers valuable materials up and down the Tennessee River.

“It’s all about trust. The plants trust the Freedom with their valuable components. The sleeping crew trusts the pilot and their fellow crewmembers. And we want the public’s trust — that they know there are qualified people on board,” Carman said.

A Day in the Life

Crew members work around the clock when the Freedom is underway. “They are truly family,” Carman said. “The crew takes care of each other in a way that not one else at TVA does.”

The crew can be on the water for weeks at a time. They share space, meals and chores.

And their office is the waters of the Tennessee River.

“It’s a whole different world here, and maybe the best kept secret at TVA. We get to enjoy beautiful scenery while working, and I’m honored when I have the privilege to be back on the Freedom,” Carman said.

As a manager for the group, Carman spends many days at a desk, ensuring the safety of all the crew and the Freedom itself.

Some of his other responsibilities include:

• Direct courses and speeds of boats, based on winds, weather, water depths and hazards.
• Keep the boat safe in possible unsafe operations.
• Consult maps, charts, weather reports or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.
• Steer and operate the towboat itself, using radios, radars, lights, buoys or lighthouses.

“It’s more than just moving cargo. It’s working together and setting ourselves up for success.” Carman said.

Becoming a Towboat Pilot

Carman explained, “Getting here wasn’t easy,” he said, “and the process to become a towboat pilot is even more strenuous now than it was 25 years ago. From deckhand to pilot takes about eight years now, so it’s certainly not for the faint of heart.”

The process begins with training and learning different skills.

Education includes vocational training, associate’s degree or on-the-job experience

Pilots may begin their careers as deckhands and progress through different jobs on board the boat

Some skills needed for this career include:

• Decision making
• Problem-solving
• Public safety and security
• Operating and maintaining machinery

Marine pilots earn a starting salary of $76,830. A Marine Pilot Head Foreman may earn a salary up to $120,735.