The barge itself has no self-propelled capacity and needs to be towed by tug or pusher. It is characterized by simple equipment, shallow draft and large cargo capacity. Barges are generally non-motorized ships, which form a fleet of barges with tugs or pushers. They can sail in narrow waterways and shallow waterways, and can be grouped at any time according to the requirements of cargo transportation. They are suitable for cargo transportation between inland ports. A few barges with additional propulsion devices are called motor barges. The motorized barge has certain self-propelled capacity.

The split mud barge is composed of two symmetrical half-hulls hinged at the head and tail ends. It can automatically turn around the longitudinal axis to unload mud according to the relative position of the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy. It has the advantages of simple structure and large tank capacity. Self-propelled mud barges are mostly open-bottomed cargo ships with high freeboard and strong wind resistance, and common mud barges with self-propelled power. The mud barge is classified according to the volume of the mud tank.