The Waterways Journal Captain Profiles: Captain Tom Hanes, Upper River Services
For inland towboat captains, probably the most basic difference in working conditions is between long-haul and harbor captains. Capt. Tom Hanes, long-time harbor captain for Upper River Services, has no doubts about which he prefers. “I like going home at night,” he told The Waterways Journal.
Hanes, a native of Linwood, Minn., a town of about 1,200 people near St. Paul, began decking at age 18. “My wife’s friend’s husband worked at Dakota Barge,” he said. It was the year Hanes’ first son was born, and he was looking for a job with a future. He joined Upper River Services four years later.
