Commercial Vessel Design Experts

Our Core Purpose is to create

Welcome to the Shearer Group, Inc.

The Shearer Group, Inc., the global leader for design of inland towboats and barges. We have a rich history of providing naval architecture and marine engineering services to the marine industry, with a focus on the inland sector. Inland barges built to our designs number in the thousands, along with a myriad of towboat, dry dock and other specialty designs. Further, we are proud to be one of the only naval architecture and marine engineering members of The American Waterways Operators, Inc.

The “Shearer” name is synonymous with the inland marine industry, from Mr. Shearer’s contributions to the field of naval architecture, to the multigenerational family owned barge line before him. O. F. Shearer & Sons barge line moved coal on the rivers from the 1920’s until 1973 when it was bought out by one of its largest customers. Ed’s dad, Capt. Bert, was well known and well respected on the rivers, and Ed spent much of his childhood working with, and learning from, his dad. As such, The Shearer Group, Inc. remains dedicated to the vessels that ply the inland waterways, and we hope to continue in the tradition of our namesake.

The Shearer Group, Inc. technical team includes University of Michigan and University of New Orleans trained naval architects, several with Master’s degrees in addition to their Bachelor’s degrees in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, and two with Professional Engineering Licenses. Other members of the technical team include designers and marine surveyors with many accreditations for inspecting and auditing, including NAMS members, Certified Welding Inspectors and American Waterways Operators’ certified Responsible Carrier Program auditors.

The core purpose of our company is to create. This purpose, combined with a passion for workboats, drive our naval architects to innovate and operate on the cutting edge of emerging technologies.

PBL 3421 Underway

Ed Shearer, Principal Naval Architect with The Shearer Group, Inc., announces the delivery of the “PBL 3421” by Raymond & Associates, LLC, Bayou La Batre, AL, to Progressive Barge Line, Inc., New Orleans. This is the first of two barges, both 297’- 6” X 54’ X 12’ inland service double skin tank barges each having a cargo capacity of about 4700 short tons at 11’- 6” draft.

Our Work

Towboats

The Shearer Group, Inc. has completed many towboat designs for both conventional and z-drive towboats for use on the inland waterways. Most notably, The Shearer Group, Inc. recently designed several revolutionary z-drive towboats for Southern Towing Company, ranging in power from 3,200 HP to 2,400 HP.

Liquid Cargo Barges

Liquid cargo barges are used to transport liquid products such as regular oils, gasoline, and acids; pressurized products such as butane and propane; heated products such as molten sulfur and asphalt; and refrigerated products such as anhydrous ammonia.

Crane Barges

The Shearer Group, Inc. naval architects are intimately familiar with U.S. Coast Guard, OSHA and American Bureau of Shipping requirements for crane barges, so please contact us with your cargo handling problem, and let us help develop an efficient and practical solution for your specific situation.