Our History

TOTE Services has been known by several names in its lifetime – Interocean Management Corporation, Interocean Ugland Management Corporation, Interocean American Shipping and now TOTE Services, continuing its proud history of providing operation and management services for third-party ship owners of both foreign and U.S. flag vessels owned by affiliated companies.

The original predecessor of TOTE Services was part of a company founded in 1974 as IOT Corporation. IOT Corporation was located in Philadelphia, PA as a result of a merger of three long-standing maritime firms: Interstate Oil Transport (from Phila.), International Ocean Transport Corp. (from NY, NY), and Grand Bassa Tankers, Inc. (from Liberia).

International Ocean Transport was formed from the maritime assets of Cities Service Oil Company. In 1982 the original owners sold IOT Corporation splitting the assets of Interstate Oil Transport and International Ocean Transport into two separate companies. International Oil Transport became Interocean Management (IOM) which is TOTE Services today.

1975

Our Beginning

1975 – 1980

Interocean Management Corporation (IOM), operated a diverse fleet including Totem Ocean Trailer Express’ vessels in Alaska, and full operation of a very large and diverse fleet of both product and crude oil tankers.

1981

1981 – 1985

In 1984 IOM commenced managing vessels on behalf of the US Maritime Administration (MARAD). The first contracts were for three SL-7s which were in Reduced Operational Status (ROS) in Philadelphia.

1986

1986 – 1990

In March 1989 IOM was sold by the three owners, VADM George Steele, Bob Bassett and Bill Lockwood, to Totem Resources, Inc. – the predecessor to Saltchuk.

1995

1995 – 2000

IOM managed a fleet of tankers for Hvide Marine, which included the Petrochem, Dynachem and HMI Defender, along with the five new-build 46,000 DWT Lightship Tankers delivered during that period.

2001

2001 – 2005

Interocean activated several MARAD vessels and MARAD-owned school ships to assist in relief operations in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Between 2003 - 2009, provided ISM & Crewing for MSC charter during Iraqi Freedom.

2006

2006 – 2010

IAS also managed numerous shipyard repair and overhaul periods throughout the world, including yards in Poland, Germany, Spain, Dubai, Bahrain and Canada.

2010

2010 – 2015

On October 1, 2012 the company’s name, Interocean American Shipping, was changed to TOTE Services, Inc. The name change came nearly a year after the parent organization, TOTE, Inc., changed its name from American Shipping Group. TOTE Services is one of the operating companies in TOTE Group today.

2016

2016 – 2019

In January 2016, TOTE Services oversaw the first fueling of an LNG containership, TOTE Maritime’s Isla Bella. TOTE Services delivered in 2018, Clean Jacksonville, the first LNG bunker barge built in North America.

2019

2019 – 2023

In 2019, TOTE Services was awarded the Vessel Construction Management (VCM) Contract to start soliciting shipyards to see which was best suited to build the ships and then ultimately oversee construction ahead of those awards. In 2020, NSMV I & II were under contract. NSMV III and IV were then signed in 2021 and finally NSMV V was awarded to the shipyard in 2022. These were the awards to build the ships that were passed from MARAD through TOTE Services to the Philly Shipyard (PSI).

2023

2023 – Present

Completed world's first Diesel Electric Dual Fuel (LNG) conversion program for TOTE Maritime Alaska.
TOTE Services delivers TS EMPIRE STATE VII to the Maritime Administration September 08, 2023. This is the first of five new purpose-built, modern training vessels for America’s state maritime academies. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) new vessel program – known as National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs) – was designed to provide world-class training for America’s future mariners and to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in times of need. The EMPIRE STATE will serve SUNY Maritime College.