Already the operator of the largest fleet of inland tank barges on US inland waters, Kirby Marine Transportation has recently added twelve more push boats to its fleet. The twelfth in a series of sister vessels was delivered from Raymond and Associates of Bayou LaBatre, Alabama in late July 2010.
All twelve of the 1,270kW boats are 23 by 11 metres in length. Each boat is powered by a pair of Tier 2 compliant Cummins K38-M diesels rated for 635kW each at 1,800rpm. The engines turn big five-blade props through Twin Disc TD MT540 gears with relatively large ratios of 7:1.