From a sailor’s perspective, what are the most notable differences in the reputations and cultures of the major Great Lakes fleets? I’m specifically interested in Key Lakes, Interlake, and Rand Logistics subsidiaries.
From a boat watcher’s perspective:
-Interlake appears to take the greatest pride in its fleet and projects the image of a family run company.
-Key Lakes/CN projects the image of a modern logistics corporation, and appears to have made ongoing investments in modernizing the former US Steel fleet.
-Rand Logistics has the outward appearance of a private equity group betting on operational efficiency. They seem to acquire vessels late in their lifecycle, perform maintenance to meet regulatory minimums, then retire them as newer tonnage becomes available. They’ve also integrated repair capabilities at Ashtabula to cut costs and invested heavily in the ASC acquisition.
To the extent that these firms have distinct cultures, how does that impact life aboard ship?