Engineer Profile: David Wiley, Parker Towing Company
For David Wiley, the dream to work on the river started as a boy watching his brother-in-law work as a “deckineer” on the Tennessee River.
“I lived right on the river, and I watched my brother-in-law ride the boats,” Wiley said. “I was coming up through grade school and high school, and I thought, when I get out of school, I want to ride the boats and I want to be an engineer. So that’s what I did.”
Wiley grew up with a love for mechanics, so the decision to work as an engineer on the river was an easy combination of two passions. He caught his first boat with Tennessee Valley Towing in the summer of 1988, five days after he turned 18. After nearly 40 years in his career, his love for the field hasn’t diminished.
“It’s given me the opportunity for all sorts of new experiences,” Wiley said. “Especially traveling shoreside and learning things and riding the boats. The atmosphere, the people. It’s just very rewarding.”
Wiley moved to Conti Carriers in 1995, working his way from the deck to the engineroom. He spent 10 years with Ingram Barge Company as chief engineer before taking the same position with ARTCo. In 2011, an old coworker reached out requesting his help on a vessel build for Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based Parker Towing Company. Wiley has been with the company ever since, now focusing on newbuilds on the shipyard side.
Wiley made sure to mention how much it’s meant to him to work with Parker Towing. He pointed out how grateful he is to be the company and spoke about how rewarding it’s been to work with his coworkers at Parker Towing.
“Everyone has treated me fairly and with respect,” Wiley said.
Several Parker Towing vessels have undergone construction under Wiley’s leadership, beginning with the mv. Megan Parker. His most recent project was the mv. Callaway Parker, a twin-screw towboat built by Verret Shipyard, Plaquemine, La., and outfitted with Cat C32A engines, rated at 2,000 hp. Wiley also worked on the mv. Olive Parker and the mv. Jared Phillips, both 2021 builds with Cat 3516 engines, Wiley’s favorite.
“I’ve worked with EMD’s most of my career, but here at Parker I got involved a lot with the Caterpillar 3516s,” Wiley said. “I’ve really liked those the more I’ve dealt with them. They’re easier to troubleshoot, and they’re not a bad engine to physically work on. They’re a good, reliable engine.”
After 37 years in the industry, Wiley has witnessed the changes that have taken place both inside and outside the engineroom. The industry has seen a growing push for more structure and regulation, and engineroom components have become increasingly electronically based.
“It’s a lot more sophisticated,” Wiley said. “In the 80s and 90s you hardly saw anything electronic in the engine room.”
Through all the changes, Wiley said passion and pride are two of the most important qualities he tries to instill in the young engineers he works with.
“If you’re going to do a job, do it with 100 percent of your ability because your name is on it,” Wiley said. “Try hard, and do the best you can do. A lot of effort will take you a long way.”
