“No matter how many places we posted in, no matter how many places we go to recruit from, there just aren’t people applying for tugboat jobs,” said Kimberly Cartagena at Centerline Logistics, a marine transportation company.
The 105-foot Millennium Star tractor tug services the petroleum and fishing industries. Like on many boats in the industry, crew members have been increasingly hard to come by.
Stories like Iszler’s are pretty typical in the transportation industry. But right now, the industry is having a tough time attracting applicants for those entry-level jobs. Iszler says they’ve had one opening for more than four months, and they’ve only had a few applicants. “No matter how many places we posted in, no matter how many places we go to recruit from, there just aren’t people applying for tugboat jobs,” she said.