4
To fully grasp the significance of Crowley's
role in the Puerto Rican economy and
its commitment to the commonwealth's
community, let's dive into the company's
rich history.
The Early Days
Before Crowley became a household
name on the island, Puerto Ricans trusted
TMT Trailer Ferry, an early pioneer of
intermodal transportation that launched
the first U.S.- flag ocean Roll On / Roll
Off (Ro/Ro) barge service between
South Atlantic ports and Puerto Rico in
1954. TMT began transporting cargo in
20-foot containers loaded onto a Puerto
Rico-bound barge, but quickly shifted to
converted war surplus landing ship tanks
(LSTs) and seatrucks that better served the
shipping industry.
"These LSTs were built for amphibious
landings, such as Normandy," recalls
Crowley Vice President Jay Brickman.
"TMT bought the craft, took the engines
and propellers out, and towed them. They
had a capacity of 37 trailers plus autos."
Crowley made the decision to enter the
Puerto Rico trade out of Miami in 1971.
The new service, which was named Caribe
Hydro-Trailer, used Crowley's 400-foot
single-deck barges and Invader Class tugs
to carry 90 trailers per voyage.
"Crowley was committed to enter the
Puerto Rican market and to grow the
business," Brickman says.
But before the Puerto Rico Port Authority
would grant Crowley space in San Juan,
the company had to agree to also run
freight service to the island from the U.S.
Gulf. Unsure of the viability of such a
service, Crowley reluctantly acceded and
founded another new company in 1971,
Puerto Rico Marine Lines (PRML). This
company provided service to San Juan
from Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas, and
from Lake Charles, Louisiana. It operated
with three large warehouse barges
capable of carrying 380,000 cubic feet of
cargo. Palletized cargos were loaded
and unloaded by means of forklifts onto
the vessels.
Above: 1957 TMT Carib Queen Trailer Ferry
Ship Bottom: A 20-foot trailer shown aboard
a converted war surplus landing ship.
WATCH A HISToRIC vIdeo AboUT
TRAnSPoRTIng CARgo To THe
CARIbbeAn AboARd oveRSIzed bARgeS.
crowley.com/bigonbarges
crowley.com/tmt
WATCH A vIdeo on THe HISToRy oF TMT.
