Hey ladies and gents,
Ive been trying to dig up some recent information on working with PT as a 3/m… They often have openings on their job board, so is there a high turnover rate?
When I was in school, it was known to be the “best place to work”, is it still?
Any idea of the pay for a 3/m? Assuming 60 on 60 off. Good ships/good crew? Id imagine that its pretty cut throat since everyone wants the job.
Any info would be great!
Thanks
Last I knew they had a massive preference for new grads so they can train them their way.
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I got a polite email saying that I was overqualified for the 3a/e position because I had a 2a/e license when I applied. I then received regular emails from them for steward department and unlicensed deck/engine positions. I know one guy who went over there after sailing elsewhere for years, but he had a family connection within the company.
Sure, get the shit kicked out of you in Alaska. Or, just call OSG and make pretty close to the same money and work in the GoM instead.
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I applied for an AB position with them a few years ago, was pretty confident I wouldnt get it… But I must say that I really do like that they email rejection letters, opposed to you wondering for ever.
Whats the pay difference between OSG and PT? Any big difference in the benefits?
Maybe stupid for saying this, but I like a challenge and I think Alaska would fit that bill quite well.
GoM is pretty great though…
I don’t know, but full 3/M pay at OSG is somewhere around $120k. Not too bad.
The look like nice ships. I’ve always heard it’s a great job.
Good ships, great people, great pay and benefits.
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Polar is a great place to work. Officers are in a an in house union, no halls or anything essentially just for bargaining for contracts. But the company invests alot in its employees so the union isn’t exactly needed really in a traditional sense. After a 2 year (if I remember correctly) probationary period your pay as a 3m or 3ae is about 125k + 6%401k match +VCIP bonus, approx 6-12%of your annual salary + pension + HSA match + a few more small things. Usually brings it to about 150k. But it’s not without its downsides. Slow turnover usually, alot of unsatisfied employees, intense saftey standards that making sailing not as fun as it could be.As a few Polar guys would call themselves ‘seagoing employees of Conocophillips’ not sailors. No shore time, 2 months on 2 months off… Sometimes. Many supervisors are a bit… Useless… Not all by any means but alot hhahah. But as with all non union jobs it can disappear in an instant, you never know truly. The ships are fantastic and well maintained. Is it a good place to work, yes. Is it the only good place, no. Can you make more money elsewhere, yes. It all depends on what your looking for I guess.
They absolutely without a doubt put a huge preference on hiring former cadets or family members, so you will not likely get in. I wouldn’t take it personal though, just how they do business. I know for a fact they’ve tuned down 1st AEs and Chiefs as 3aes because they figured they had too much experience elsewhere for there programs and policies, Legitimately they are concerned about that. Polar Tankers is top notch, for the right person.
Good luck!
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Also, they leave the jobs opening open year round to accept applications, and hire as needed they have a quota of employees they need obviously. Recently they’ve been hiring former cadets as Utility’s and then promoting them to 3 AEs or 3ms as the positions become available. So apply for it and keep plugging away. Don’t hold out for them. You never know when or what they will hire.
Wow, thanks for the great info guys!
Application is in, waiting game now. I think I would take it, if offered to me, im not dead set on only going out with Polar.
Plenty of other fish in the sea
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I work with a guy who worked there. After 10 years he made it to 2AE. 5 years at MEBA he made it to chief and made more. Just what I’ve heard
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Apply to OSG online, also non-union. Pay is great (actually better than Polar until you get 365 days of sea time with Polar as 3M), ships are great and super simple. Love it here. Heck, you can come be my relief in February/March.
But in all seriousness I think you’re gonna find out that you don’t get to select what Third Mate job you want, you’ll be extremely lucky just to be offered one. There’s waaaaaaay more licensed 3M’s than there are available 3M jobs. Polar hired my close friend from school only because he cadet shipped with them and his GPA was 4.0 flat. We’ve discussed at length the differences between Polar and OSG; ships, pay, benefits, retirement plans, management, routes, cargo, etc. and I would choose OSG over Polar in the unlikely event that Polar offered me a job. Not to discourage you or promote my employer over another, but spread that resume and application far and wide to companies like Chevron, ATC, Polar and OSG and hope you land a job. US Shipping, Seabulk and Crowley managed tankers are all crewed through AMO so no use “applying” there although it wouldn’t hurt to research and call some people if you know them. If you go on MARAD’s website and dig around you’ll find the most current fleet of US Flagged Jones Act vessels over whatever gross tonnage and some simple math will show you there’s more tanker 3M jobs then the rest of the fleet combined due to the simple fact that most tankers have 2 watch standing 3M’s and a dayworking CM who does not stand watch. Best of luck to you.
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Don’t bother with ATC. They’ve already laid up one ship and will be laying up the rest in the near future.
Is OSG actually doing any hiring of mates?
They were when I was at SUNY, but the guy they sent to the job fairs each time was/is a total prick. A lot of us got used to just passing the OSG table by each time.
thanks, I looked them up last night, all tankers. I don’t have tanker man-PIC anymore since I’ve been working DP vessels, I couldn’t renew it.
All the time.
thanks. Any idea if they’ll hire someone with years of tanker experience but not in the last 5 years? Wondering how to get the required cargo transfers to get my PIC out of continuity. Do any of the tanker companies go for mates in that situation? Or do they only hire as AB and then keep you as AB forever?
I don’t think they would even get you as an AB. At my company they’re AB tankermen unless you have tankerman assist or what it’s called.