Bethlehem Transportation Corporation
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping, Maritime transport |
| Predecessor | Bethlehem Steamship Company (1924–1927) |
| Founded | 1924 |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio , United States |
Key people | Herbert K. Oakes (Director) |
| Parent | Bethlehem Steel Company |
Bethlehem Transportation Corporation, based in Cleveland, Ohio, operated as a shipping division under the Bethlehem Steel Company. Established in 1924 initially as the Bethlehem Steamship Company and rebranded in 1927, it oversaw a fleet of lake freighters. The company was directed by Herbert K. Oakes, a seasoned lawyer turned shipping executive with fleet management expertise dating back to 1906. Bethlehem Steel integrated these vessels into its operations to enhance control over the transportation of essential raw materials through vertical integration.
- Principal bulk carriers serving the steel industry included:
- SS B. F. Berry (1908), originally owned by Berry Brothers
- SS Leonard C. Hanna (1905)
- SS Edwin L. Booth (1901)
- SS E. J. Earling (1906)
- SS Edward Y. Townsend (1906)
- SS Emory L. Ford (1916)
- SS Fred G. Hartwell (1923)
- SS Herbert K. Oakes (1907)
- SS Daniel J. Morrell (1906)
- SS E. H. Utley (1910)
- SS Western Star (1903)
- SS William H. Donner (1914)
- SS Powell Stackhouse (1905)
- SS Saucon (1906)
- SS Lackawanna (1908), named after the Lackawanna Steel Company
- SS Midvale (1917)
- SS Edward J. Berwind (1924)
- SS Steelton (1943), classified as type L6-S-B1
- SS Lehigh (1943), type L6-S-B1
- SS Sparrows Point (1952), constructed at Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard
- SS Frank Purnell (1943), type L6-S-B1
- SS Johnstown (1952), built at Sparrows Point Shipyard
- SS Arthur B. Homer (1960), produced by Great Lakes Engineering Works
These ships were central to Bethlehem Steel’s Great Lakes maritime operations, granting the company a strategic edge by ensuring dependable logistics for transporting raw materials vital to steel manufacturing. This fleet supported Bethlehem Steel’s integrated business framework and helped maintain its market leadership within the steel sector.