No, the gross tonnage of a vessel is not a measure of its deadweight carrying capacity. The gross and net tonnages are based on the internal volume of the hull and superstructure, in cubic meters, less exempted or excluded spaces.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonnage
In older tonnage systems, 1 gross ton = 100 cubic feet of internal volume, and there were many different kinds of spaces excluded from the internal volume of the vessel. It was possible, especially with smaller vessels, to design them according to the national tonnage rules such that two vessels would have completely different gross tonnages, although the exterior dimensions of the vessels (length, breadth, and depth) were very similar.
Most barges have light ship weights which fall into a narrow range, given the arrangement of the hull. Hopper barges which ply the Mississippi River have light drafts of about 1.5 feet in fresh water. Barges which are not arranged as open hopper barges, like deck barges, for instance, will have similar, but maybe not the same, light drafts.