Heartland Barge Brokerage services offers a great selection of reliable and quality used ABS barges for all your commercial needs. ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) classification allows the vessel to be ocean-going. This typically happens when the barge is first built. The owner will request that a vessel or structure be classed, the shipyard or designer will present drawings and calculations to ABS for a review for compliance with the classification rules. ABS engineers will review the plans to verify that the structural and mechanical details meet the specified requirements.