Our Story
The river is a long game and ACBL is here to play it.
ACBL was founded in 1915, moving coal on the Kentucky River. We grew with the country across the Mississippi, the Ohio, and every major inland waterway. We have carried the materials that built America, the fuel that has powered it, and the grain that has fed the world from it. Today we are putting millions of dollars into the boats, barges, and people who will do the same work for the next hundred years.
History
From our founding in 1915 to the modern fleet operating today, our story runs alongside America’s.
ACBL began in 1915 as a coal-moving business on the Kentucky River. Over the following century, we expanded, growing into one of the largest marine transportation companies in the country.
1915
Coal on the Kentucky River.
1900s
Expansion across the Mississippi, the Ohio, and every major inland waterway.
Today
3,500+ barges and 130+ towboats across 7,200 miles of waterway.
Next 100
Millions of dollars into new boats, barges, and people.
Leadership
Our leaders are river operators, commercial leaders, and engineers who are accountable for what ACBL does next.
Our executive team has run rivers, run companies, and run toward the hard problems. They are accountable to our customers, our crews, and the next generation of people who will move freight on American water.
Peter Coxon serves as Chief Executive Officer of ACBL. He is a seasoned maritime and energy‑industry leader with four decades of experience spanning marine logistics, vessel construction, energy marketing, refining and marketing, and renewable fuels. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) in November 2024 after joining the company’s Board of Directors earlier that year. Prior to ACBL, Peter served as CEO of Rand Logistics, where he led a successful operational turnaround and delivered significant performance improvements following the acquisition of American Steamship Company. His career includes senior leadership roles at SEACOR Holdings, the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), Illinois Corn Processing, SEACOR Energy, and Par Petroleum (now Par Pacific), reflecting a rare blend of investment, operational, commercial, and customer‑side expertise. Peter also led the development of the turnaround plan for Connacher Oil & Gas Ltd., a Canadian SAGD producer, where he continues to serve on the Board of Directors. Before entering the private sector, he spent nine years as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and four years in the Coast Guard Reserve. He holds two master’s degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MBA from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Chris Garrand serves as Chief Financial Officer of ACBL, overseeing the company's finance organization and supporting its operational and strategic growth. With deep experience leading finance functions in transportation across both private and public company environments, he most recently served as CFO of Quality Carriers, a $1 billion liquid and bulk chemical transportation carrier and CSX subsidiary, where he guided the company through a period of private equity-backed growth culminating in its acquisition by CSX Transportation. Throughout his career, Chris has led major financial and information systems transformations, supported ten acquisitions, and strengthened financial discipline across office and field operations.
Captain Paul Joaquin serves as Chief Operating Officer of ACBL, with responsibility for optimizing the economic performance of the company's network. He brings more than 30 years of maritime industry experience, most recently as President of Grand River Navigation Company, a Rand Logistics subsidiary, where he built a metrics-driven operation designed to maximize performance during the Great Lakes' demanding sailing season. Paul began his career as a vessel captain and has served as Master of several vessels, including the M/V Calumet, M/V Maumee, M/V Manistee, and ITB Ashtabula. He holds a degree in Marine Technology from the Great Lakes Maritime Academy and a Master's in Operations Management from Kettering University.
Ricky Stover serves as Chief Commercial Officer of ACBL, leading the company's commercial strategy with a strong track record of driving revenue growth across the transportation industry. Prior to ACBL, he served as Assistant Vice President of Sales and Marketing – Intermodal at Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC), where he led a $1.8 billion business spanning domestic and international intermodal and automotive sectors. He previously served as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at C.R. England, where he built the company's corporate sales strategy and led a North American team generating over $1 billion in revenue. His career also includes commercial and analytical roles at BNSF Railway. He holds an MBA from Texas Christian University and a B.S. in Education from the University of North Texas.
Alex Pucheu serves as Senior Vice President of Fleets, Terminals, and Real Estate of ACBL, overseeing the company's fleet assets, infrastructure, terminal operations, and real estate portfolio. He brings over a decade of inland marine industry experience as a maritime executive with a focus on driving revenue growth and profitability and improving utilization of the company’s infrastructure assets. He also provides deep expertise in real estate transactions, maritime law, corporate transactions and mergers and acquisition within the maritime industry. He previously acted as General Counsel to ACBL. Prior to ACBL, he served as VP & Unit Leader for Savage Inland Marine and as Maritime Counsel supporting Savage's inland marine transportation business, terminal operations, and offshore business units. He previously served as General Counsel for Settoon Towing and as Special Counsel at Adams & Reese in Baton Rouge, where he focused on tax-exempt and corporate financial transactions. He holds a B.S. from Louisiana State University and a J.D. with a Certificate of Civil Law from Mississippi College School of Law.
Ben White serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of ACBL, leading the company's legal, corporate governance, risk management, and government affairs functions. He advises senior leadership and the Board of Directors on strategic business initiatives, financing matters, and enterprise risk management. With more than two decades of legal experience in both private practice and in-house leadership roles, Ben brings extensive expertise in commercial contracting, insurance and risk management, corporate governance, regulatory matters, and dispute resolution. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Louisville and earned his J.D. from the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law.
Patrick Sutton serves as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Planning of ACBL, guiding strategic efforts aligned with ACBL’s long-term vision. Since joining the company in 2005, Patrick has held several key leadership positions, including Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of the Liquid Cargo Division, and President of Jeffboat, LLC. He serves on the Executive Committee of The American Waterways (AWO) and was AWO Chairman for the 2025-2026 term. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Purdue University and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Work with the best · Our team is hand selected to lead
We offer the pay, training, equipment, and teammates that make a career on the water worth a lifetime.
Inland marine is one of the few trades in America where you can still walk on as a deckhand without a degree, work hard, and end up running a boat with a good income and full benefits. ACBL is one of the largest employers in the industry, with 2,000+ Team Members across the network, and we invest more in our people than almost anyone else in it. We offer modern equipment, training that prepares you for the work, and crews that look after each other on long hitches. The path goes from deck to wheelhouse or engine room if you want it, and into commercial or operations roles if you don’t. In 2024, more than 850 Team Members completed company-led training, and 479 of them graduated from the River Seamanship program.
team members across the network in 2024
team members completed company-led training in 2024
river seamanship program graduates in 2024
Our culture is guided by our impact values
I
Integrity
M
Mutual Care
P
Personal Responsibility
A
Agility
C
Customer Focus
T
Teamwork
Impact & Benefits
This is what the job gives back.
ACBL benefits are built to support people doing real work with real time away from home. We offer medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) matching, paid time off, wellness programs, and mental health resources. And we offer a culture that the longest-tenured Team Members say is the reason they stayed.
21
In 2024, 21 of our people marked between 30 and 45 years of service with the company.
We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
We offer paid time off and recognized service awards.
Our Mutual Care Fund is team-funded and team-supported.
We provide retirement planning and a 401(k) plan with company match.
We provide wellness programs and mental health resources.
We offer veteran-friendly hiring and transition support.
Development Programs
We run development programs including River Seamanship 1 and 2, Advanced Engineering Development, Tankerman Leadership, and the Impact Leadership program that supports deck-to-wheelhouse career paths.
Mutual Care Fund
$125,500
Our Mutual Care Fund is built by Team Members for Team Members in times of personal hardship. In 2024, the fund distributed $125,500 in grants to colleagues facing emergencies.
Open Positions
Find your place on the river through our open marine and corporate roles.
If you don’t see the job you want today, talk to us anyway. We hire year-round, and the right person rarely walks past.