$ question

Pushboat Captain

What's a good pushboat Captain worth? He's worth whatever reasonable amount the company can afford to pay. That will depend upon a lot of factors. Here are some: his/her level of experience, expertise and skill, the size of the boat, number of barges, difficulty of operating in the waters, ability to efficiently and effectively run a boat and crew; safety record, judgement and decision-making ability and history; ability to build tow and get from pickup to delivery within acceptable timeframes; dependability, loyalty and trustworthiness. A Captain who scores high in all these areas is going to be worth a lot more than one who doesn't. In addition, the number of qualified Captains available is also a factor. Fewer Captains and lots of work will drive up the pay. But, no matter how good a Captain is, the boat owner/operator can only pay what the revenue will support.

If you're dissatisfied with pay or working conditions, you should have a face to face discussion with whoever it is who can make a change. My partner and I are always ready to sit and talk with our crewmembers about whatever issues are relevant to their job satisfaction and/or the operation of the boat. There are times when we can make the changes being suggested, and times we can't, or won't. But nobody ever knows until they get brought up for discussion.

Your description of your sitiuation indicates that either the company has hired a bunch of very poorly skilled Captains, or it requires some special skills and ability to do what's required. Situations that require more, should pay more, unless they are still within the basic realm of what's considered to be expected of a Captain with standardly accepted qualifications.

Talk to other Captains. They know what's considered to be the "going rate" for specific situations. But be advised that some of them will also quote an unrealistic figure...the number they think a Captain SHOULD get...in their opinion. That may be more than owners/operators can or will pay. See what's available with other companies. Maybe someone can and will pay you more, and also treat you with the respect due a Captain and valued employee/team member.

But always remember, everything is eventually going to be decided by revenue. The owner/operator can't pay more than he needs to be able to pay all the salaries and operating expenses, set aside for maintenance and emergencies, and make some profit.

There are other considerations too. If the pay isn't what you think is adequate, are there other things that offset that? Is the owner/operator good to work with? Do they try to do whatever they can to ensure you always get what you need for what you have to do? Are they easy to talk to? Do they listen and respect your opinions and recommendations? Do they encourage them, and try to incorporate them when applicable? Do they help provide additional training and certification opportunities? Do they make it obvious to the crew that they trust and support you as the Master of the Vessel? Are they flexible when you need some time off or something that requires some special effort? Do they treat you the way they'd like to be treated? Do they show the same loyalty they expect from you? Those things aren't money, but they certainly have worth.

It's a two-way street. Each party gets some, and has to give some. The keys are fairness, doing what's appropriate for the situation, talking to each other, and being willing to be flexible when it's necessary and appropriate.

It's not always easy. But good Captains and good Owner/Operators are always willing to work at it. We try to operate as a team, and try to always do what we can to make things as safe, comfortable and beneficial as possible for our Captains and Crews. We can't, and don't, give them everything they'd like to have. It's not possible. But we talk with them about it, and explain what we can or can't do, and why. Usually, that's good enough for them. Sometimes someone wants or needs more, and he leaves to find it elsewhere. But we do our best to keep our best. Your company should be doing the same.

If you think they're not, and won't; and you have, or can get, a 500 Ton license, talk to us and see if we can do better.