GOLDING BARGE LINE RELIES ON CAT ENGINES AND PUCKETT POWER SYSTEMS TO MAXIMIZE UPTIME

On any given day, Golding Barge Line’s 26 towboats might be scattered across multiple waterways anywhere from Louisville, Kentucky, to Brownsville, Texas, in support of the petro-chemical industry. Keeping that fleet up and running, no matter where a vessel is working, requires reliable propulsion and power systems and dependable service and a committed partner — and Golding Barge Line has found both in Cat® dealer Puckett Power Systems.

“The team at Puckett Power Systems has a direct line of communications with our company, and they’ve always done whatever it takes to keep our fleet running,” says Rusty Moore, vice president of operations for Golding Barge Line. “By maintaining inventory and being willing to provide service to our boats 24/7, they help us keep downtime to a minimum.”

Service that goes above and beyond

Most of Golding Barge Line’s towboats are powered by Cat engines, including 3500s— which Moore describes as the best in their horsepower class. When those engines need service, the company can handle many issues in-house but turns to the Cat dealer network for bigger repairs.

“Puckett is always our first call when our vessels need service within their geographic area,” Moore says. “One of our boats in Mississippi recently had a fuel problem, and they were able to pull inventory out of their main location in Flowood and run the parts to the mechanic three hours away in Pascagoula — getting the vessel back in service without an interruption to our customer.”

Golding Barge Line also relies on Cat dealers for engine overhauls.

“Downtime in our industry is expensive, so we use Puckett Power Systems for speed of completion and warranty,” Moore says. “Cat dealers offer a consistent, quality service  wherever we operate our vessels”

“With decades of experience and innovation, Caterpillar Marine continues to offer customers reliable performance when they need it through the support of our unparalled global dealer network. Thanks to the dedication from dealers like Puckett we are able to service customers and assist with their equipment and maintenance needs for years to come,” says Gary Sarrat, Inland Waterways Segment Manager.

­Tools to maximize uptime and minimize failures

Beyond repairs and overhauls, Golding Barge Line also takes advantage of several other dealer services. The company works with Puckett to maintain an inventory of Cat Reman parts, which offer very cost efficient like-new quality parts for common repairs. The Cat Certified Rebuild Center in Flowood, Mississippi, is near Golding Barge Line’s headquarters and has proven vital to the company’s success.

“They will open the doors 24/7 to keep our boats running,” Moore says. “Reman helps ensure our spare engines are ready to go at a moment’s notice.”

It’s a combination of services and support that adds up to more uptime — keeping Golding Barge Line’s fleet of towboats delivering dependable service for customers.

“DOWNTIME IN OUR INDUSTRY IS EXPENSIVE, SO WE USE PUCKETT POWER SYSTEMS FOR SPEED OF COMPLETION AND WARRANTY.”