Interested to hear mariners opinions on companies they’ve worked for.
American Maritime Transport, old District 1 outfit no longer in existence. Worst.
3PSC was pretty shitty.
OSG was pretty good, but that was a few years ago. Seems like things have changed since I left.
Centerline logistics! Biggest scumbags in the industry. Harley Franco was a saint compared to current management.
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I’ve worked for several companies in my career that each have had their issues but the one that sticks with me is Muchowich Offshore Oil Services.
Basically got scalped from another company being promised new boat, better pay, and consistent crew changes. I had just quit smoking and they placed me for my check ride on the ONLY vessel in their fleet that allowed smoking in their cabin top to bottom. Wheelhouse, galley, stateroom, you name it. The whole boat smelled like a worn out ash tray. Anyway, I asked shoreside nicely to get me off asap and assign me to another vessel for my checkride and they basically told to deal with it since that captain was the only one qualified to check ride. Back then uber wasn’t really a thing so I called my wife to come to Texas and pick me up from the dock.
I’ll greet people at Walmart before I put up with that kind of living conditions.
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Can the same company be both the best and the worst? A French name that starts with a B? Asking for a friend….
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As in the whiskey?
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Bouchard takes that title, by a long shot.
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I can’t say i’ve worked with some of the stellar examples above but I do think the crew makes or breaks your experience. a bad chief can certainly do it, esecially on month long trips! I usually figure you get out of it what you put into it. but again, one bad apple…. !
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I worked for Bouchard for a year, when they were on the West Coast in the late 90s. Great boat, newer barge. The crew was great, but the office was terrible. Then that contract ended, we brought the tug and barge down through the Panama Canal and started towing around the Gulf. They refused to pay my travel from the Gulf home to Washington state, so I left.
Bay Ship Management. MSO, Inc. Yeah, the early 90’s were “exciting”. 
Roger. What I put up with the oil field is similar. Seismic crewboats and streamer vessels, smoking in every space. On crew boats clouds of smoke. My wife needed stability so I stayed as a contract navigator, pre-GPS, with ONI Offshore Navigation Inc. ONI was a Great company to work for don’t get me wrong, but Western Geo, HGS Halliburton Geo, and the contract boat companies not so much. Had to threaten my roomie since we were in bunk bed 2 man rooms to stop chain smoking or I would choke him before his lungs gave out. Who knows the damage I did. Hopefully the shovelfulls of vitamins and extreme exercise later mitigated the damage.
Bouchard Brothers or BoTruc
Cheramie Bo-Truc I believe
Rainbow Navigation from the mid 80’s.
Hands down worst company TransAtlantic Lines, on the most F’d up vessel MV Baffin Strait (renamed MV Transatlantic). Best: 1.MSC & 2.ECO
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Well if one started out at the bottom of the barrel I guess MSC and ECO would look pretty good.
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Dutra
poor safety management and lack of ethics
told me a compartment was gas free when it wasnt
after testing with my O2 meter the PPM was 18
hole punched through the side of a barge that was on charter and not recorded at the time of On Hire. and denied it was them at the off charter
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Matson/APL - Best
Hornbeck Offshore- Worst
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I worked for Matson on the RJ Pfieffer and the Manulani like 15 years ago and those are two of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
HOS has always been looked at as a back pocket job in my opinion - I’d only work for them if I was desperate.
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