Who we are

LA Carriers is more than just a marine towing company—it’s a family legacy born on the waters of the Gulf. Founded in 1987 by Captain Russell and Charlene Plaisance, LA Carriers started as a small management firm for barges and tugboats. With a vision rooted in hands-on care and a passion for the maritime world, they decided to buy their own tugs and steer their own course.

Over the decades, what began as a modest operation grew into a trusted name in Gulf towing. We didn’t just buy tugs—we built some of our own, adding a little Cajun grit and a whole lot of Gulf know-how into every vessel.

Today, we’re proud to be your trusted marine partner, delivering safe and reliable marine towing services with that same family spirit and commitment to excellence.


  • With decades of experience navigating Gulf waters, Captain Russell and Charlene Plaisance founded LA Carriers, LLC. Operating from Charlene’s beauty-shop office, Russell and his team hit the ground running. Through grit, skill, and unwavering commitment, Russell and Charlene built a steady foundation from the ground up—one vessel, one client, and one safe transit at a time.

  • Now ready to start expanding their business, Russell and Charlene decide to purchase an office in Cut Off, Louisiana, where they would operate for the next 23 years.

    They chose Cut Off for its strategic location between Bayou Lafourche and the Gulf Coast, giving them access to local clients and regional suppliers. The office was modest but well-situated on a busy stretch of road, with space for a reception area, a couple of offices, and a workshop for equipment maintenance. Owning the property provided stability and a visible presence in the community—important for building trust with customers in the close-knit coastal towns they served.

  • Russell and Charlene partnered with R&S Fabricators in Lockport, Louisiana to build the M/V Kaitlin Olivia — a tug designed to bridge capability and agility. The vessel is powerful enough to handle larger tows yet compact enough to navigate areas inaccessible to larger tugs.

  • Russell and Charlene partnered with R&S Fabricators of Lockport, Louisiana to build the M/V Lady Loren. Powered with larger engines, the Lady Loren was purpose-built to expand LA Carriers’ capabilities into the larger barge-towing market while retaining the draft and handling characteristics needed to operate safely and efficiently.

  • Russell and Charlene partnered with R&S Fabricators of Lockport, Louisiana to build the M/V Karen Koby. The new, larger vessel enables LA Carriers to remain diversified and to attract clients requiring larger tows, expanding the company’s capacity and market reach.

  • Russell and Charlene partnered with R&S Fabricators of Lockport, Louisiana to build the M/V Mon Ta. Named in honor of Russell’s mother, the M/V Mon Ta enabled LA Carriers to further diversify its assets and confidently enter the push-boat market.

  • Russell and Charlene decide to build a new office in Larose, Louisiana. Centrally located between Morgan City and New Orleans on the Intracoastal Waterway with over 1,000+ feet of dock space, this property continues to give LA Carriers the room it needs to grow.

    The new Larose facility serves as a strategic hub for our Gulf Coast operations, improving access to key waterways and streamlining logistics between major ports. Thoughtful site design includes modern office space for operations and administration, secure outdoor storage, and improved vehicle and equipment staging areas to support increasing freight volumes.

    This investment underscores LA Carriers’ commitment to long-term growth and service reliability. By situating the office at the heart of regional maritime activity, we strengthen our ability to respond to customer needs, expand service offerings, and support the community with new jobs and infrastructure improvements.

  • LA Carriers completes the acquisition of United Tugs assets, adding four, well-maintained vessels to our operational fleet. This strategic expansion strengthened our towing and anchor-handling capabilities and broadened the geographic coverage we can support across coastal and inland waterways.

    With these additions we increased fleet capacity and operational redundancy, enabling faster response times and barge towing services.

  • LA Carriers honors the people, crews, and clients whose hard work, trust, and partnership have shaped our journey. From the earliest days when a small team took on big challenges to the present moment of steady growth and reliability, every milestone has been earned together. Our history is long and proud, built on the skill of our crews, the dedication of our staff, and the lasting relationships we’ve formed with clients who have become like family. That family spirit—rooted in mutual respect, shared responsibility, and a commitment to one another—remains at the heart of how we operate. We carry forward the lessons of our past, the craftsmanship of those who came before us, and the loyalty of the people who continue to trust us, pledging to preserve that legacy while meeting the needs of tomorrow.