Hows working for Mcallister Towing?

I cant find any updated info on pay, benefits, or what its like working for Mcallister Towing out of Philly… Can anyone give me any news on what its like working for them, and how much a Mate 1600ton averages in pay over there? Any info would be appreciated. Thanx!

I heard mates are around 300$ a day. Could be more or less.

They have different rates for every city and every tug. Tractor work is less the conventional, conventional tug not moving oil is less then conventional moving oil. I think it was $475 not moving oil and $520 moving oil. But u had to be made up to the oil barge to get the $520. When the barge is loading u get the $475.

They were paying $300 at various companies on the river years ago hope it’s gone up since. Can’t imagine it’s much more than $400 if at all. Philly is a low paying port for most companies. You can allegedly leave and go do whatever a lot of the time between jobs, most of the guys life local and shoot home when they have time.

I guess you got that email too eh? Shit boats, shit pay, shit schedule, great benefits. The fact that they’re mass emailing people and posting on FB in a time when plenty of people are looking for work should tell you something.

Great experience for a youngster though, or those always crying about not being able to get a job with only limited tractor experience.

Harley of NY is looking for wheelhouse personnel. NY Harbor experience is a requirement.

Those sounds like NY rates. The person was inquiring about philly.

Yeah, that doesn’t sound to attractive. I make 350 as a hand in GOM. Might look in to Crowley or Vane Bros. I’m just anxious to get some seatime on this license. Most of the older post I read about Mcallister was that they were more bottom of the barrel then the top. I don’t think I would leave for less than 450 per day. Trying to find up to date info on what towing companies are the best to work for and their day rates is like pulling teeth. Plus, with the current GOM situation, it’s an employers market right now so not to many people volunteer information to help you. So what can you guys tell me about Vane Bros or Crowley? Herd Crowley is SIU and I don’t know much about Unions but what I’ve researched about them, it seems MMP is the way to go.

Of course you can’t find that info. None of these companies are going to publish that stuff they want to keep it a secret how bad they’re going to screw you compared to any other company. You have to call them and then they’ll still be pretty cagey about telling the truth. You won’t really know until you get your first check.

No matter what, if it says McAllister, the first thing you do is check your lifejacket. Could be in the pillowcase on the bunk because the last guy was sleeping with it like maybe you should too. Leaky old hunks of junk they pawn off as a tugboat

You guys just dont know how to live dangerously.

That sounds like any random day during my 11 year run at Turdwater.

Honestly, I would have to say the equipment is much better than when I was running their single screw junk docking ships going back to the eighties and nineties.
No air conditioning, no A/C power, oil fired galley stoves, nine inch nylon ship lines and a lot of swinging stern line/make fast/stern line work. Three man crews (no mate, made those Delaware City jobs very long) on those old railroad tug hulls that had been repowered.
Oh, and 180 day as captain. LoL
For the OP, do you have any experience running ship assist tugs or petroleum barge transport work?

The boat business is like any ecosystem. There is a place for all creatures great and small.

The bottom end companies serve a vital function. They are the places where a new guy can get his foot in the door, get a job, gain experience, make his mistakes, and then move on to something bigger and better. They are places where there is a lot of opportunity to move up.

[QUOTE=Whitewater;165206]Yeah, that doesn’t sound to attractive. I make 350 as a hand in GOM. Might look in to Crowley or Vane Bros. I’m just anxious to get some seatime on this license. Most of the older post I read about Mcallister was that they were more bottom of the barrel then the top. I don’t think I would leave for less than 450 per day. Trying to find up to date info on what towing companies are the best to work for and their day rates is like pulling teeth. Plus, with the current GOM situation, it’s an employers market right now so not to many people volunteer information to help you. So what can you guys tell me about Vane Bros or Crowley? Herd Crowley is SIU and I don’t know much about Unions but what I’ve researched about them, it seems MMP is the way to go.[/QUOTE]

Are you currently on a tug? Do you have a Mate of Towing?

I think you would be damn lucky to find a tug mate position paying $450 for a new mate with no experience.

the towing industry doesn’t have and openings for guys like him.

So you are a deckhand with a slick Mate 1600 license working in the GOM and you want to switch to towing? If you have no endorsement and no experience your gonna have to eat a turd sandwich with Mac or Dann or some other bottom tier outfit for a while. And no they dont pay $450 a day for that.

Vane runs new equipment and have a line of Tangierman a mile long who were born on the deck of a deadrise. Crowley runs similar grade of equipment and they aint looking to hire daisies either.