Heavy Marine Transportation, Float Freight & Break Bulk
Moving oversized cargo over water is one of DLS's core specialties. When a load exceeds conventional highway limits, DLS moves it by water — with crane barges, deck barges, tugboats and engineered transport solutions, operating from our 35-acre yard at the Port of West St. Mary on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
What we move
- Launch hardware
- Aerospace components
- Industrial modules
- Pressure vessels
- Structural steel
- Fabricated assemblies
- Transformers
- Power generation components
- Heavy equipment
- Manufacturing equipment
- Break bulk cargo
- Super loads
If it's mission-critical and oversized, we've likely moved something like it.
How a move works
Our team manages every phase of transportation: engineering support, load securement, marine logistics planning, permitting assistance, and coordinated deliveries. Break bulk terminal and port support is available at both ends of the move — cargo transfer, heavy-lift loading and unloading, material staging and marshaling at our yard or your facility.
Equipment we bring
Crane barges Big Thunder, Big Ort, Splash and Little Lightening; seven tugboats; deck and material barges; and rigging and lifting equipment — all based at the Port of West St. Mary and detailed on the Equipment page.
Recent Work
Recent moves include multiple pressure vessels transported by deck barge with coordinated crane load-out and delivery.
Safety on every move
Every transport runs under engineered load plans, qualified operators and riggers, and DLS's behavior-based safety program — zero recordable incidents since 2018 (see Safety).
FAQ
Can DLS move cargo that exceeds highway limits?
Yes. DLS specializes in float freight — moving oversized and overweight cargo by water when it exceeds conventional highway transportation limits — using its own crane barges, deck barges and tugboats based at the Port of West St. Mary, with engineered load plans for every move.
What waterways can DLS transport cargo on?
DLS transports cargo on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, the Mississippi River, the Atchafalaya Basin and connecting Gulf Coast inland waterways, with offshore support available — reaching terminals, plants and job sites across Louisiana, Texas and the wider Gulf Coast.
Does DLS handle the transport engineering?
Yes. DLS manages every phase of a heavy marine move — engineering support, load securement, marine logistics planning, permitting assistance and coordinated delivery — so one contractor is accountable from load-out to final set.
Ready to scope your next project?
Call (337) 924-7444 or send us the details — we'll come back with equipment, crew and a timeline.
Safety Record
- 0.0TRIR (2021–2023)
- ZeroRecordables since 2018
- Stop WorkAuthority for every employee
