pousseur

CONT: Le poussage [...] consiste à former un convoi composé d'un pousseur de forme rectangulaire et de plusieurs barges, étroitement liées entre elles, généralement deux par deux.
OBS: pousseur : désignation uniformisée par le Comité de normalisation de la terminologie navale.

CONT: When in transit, multiple barges are often lashed together into groups called a tow so that one tow boat (the self-propelled vessel that pushes the barges) can move numerous barges at once. Depending on river conditions and direction of travel, as many as 40 barges can be moved by a single tow boat in this fashion.
OBS: towboat; tow boat: Not to be confused with ""tugboat,"" which can also be referred to as a ""towboat.""