We’ve done it for over a quarter of a century, and nobody does it better.
From day one, the relentless pursuit of excellence has been the mission of Owner and CEO Dennis A. Pasentine. This keeps our customers confident that their cargoes are being transported in the safest, most efficient and environmentally friendly way possible. They know it because Dennis stands behind it.
Beginning his career as a deckhand right out of high school, Dennis worked his way up to tankerman, pilot, captain, port captain and operations manager. In 1993, he acquired his first fleet of towboats and barges, and the rest is history. Combining his skills and firsthand knowledge of the marine transportation industry, Dennis envisioned a legacy company that would be privately owned and family-run. A company built on safety and efficiency, on speed and precision. And, a company that would treat its people right.
Today, his vision has grown to include over 100 towboats, 250 tank barges, 350 dry barges, close to 1,000 employees — and one of the most stellar reputations in the industry. And despite how much Florida Marine has grown, Dennis continues to oversee every aspect of the business.
Last night, while most of you were sleeping, Florida Marine Transporters was wide awake and on the job, transporting America’s resources on America’s waterways.
Why We Win
At any given time, on any given day, you’ll find hundreds of our vessels and crew doing what they do best — moving cargo safely and efficiently throughout the inland waterways of the United States.
With FMT, This Is What You Get:
- One of the youngest fleets in the industry, equipped with the most technologically advanced safety and navigational equipment available, and with more than 98% total barge fleet utilization.
- Exemplary transit times, fuel-efficiency and environmental-attentiveness.
- A company-owned shipyard, ensuring faster repairs, lower costs and less stress on the environment.
- Vessels of superior construction, custom-built to meet our specific operating requirements and to ensure better durability under all kinds of conditions.
- Rigorous crew training that exceeds industry regulations, striving for a goal of zero incidents and zero accidents.
- Cameras installed on our vessels for added peace of mind for our customers and their cargoes.
- A relentless pursuit of excellence to quickly and efficiently meet the specific needs of each customer.
- Many vessels with the same design, so crews can move with confidence from boat to boat.
- Employees strategically located across the country who are available 24/7 to meet our customers’ needs.
- 24/7 dispatch available to provide the most flexible fleet servicing for all major service lines.
- Cost-efficient one-way transport.
- Fuel efficiency that routinely saves our customers 300 to 400 gallons in the canal and 500 to 1,000 gallons on the river.
- One of only two marine transport companies in the U.S. with a dedicated training facility that simulates weeks of life on the river to help determine who is qualified to be hired.
- Frequent retraining and performance reviews of vessel employees at every level.
- The longest-tenured captains in the industry.
- Close to 1,000 employees, many of whom are long-timers with decades of marine transport experience.
- Complete transparency of all operations, with an “open door” policy that welcomes customers to visit and inspect any aspect of our business at any time.
- The pride of knowing that 100% of your transportation dollars are staying within the U.S.
