Sabine Transportation Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Maritime shipping |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Fate | Merged with Chromalloy American Corp. in 1967; acquired by Kirby Corporation in 1992; purchased by Stickle Enterprise in 1998; fleet decommissioned by 2005 |
| Headquarters | Cedar Rapids , United States |
Area served | International, including Mississippi River, Missouri River, Gulf of Mexico, Afghanistan, India, North Korea, Russia, Africa |
| Products | Tanker and dry bulk cargo transportation; tugboat and barge operations |
Number of employees | Approx. 25 per ship crew (historical) |
Sabine Transportation Company (STC), based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was an international maritime shipping enterprise focusing on tanker and dry bulk cargo transportation. Its vessels facilitated humanitarian aid deliveries to regions such as Afghanistan, India, North Korea, Russia, and Africa, mainly carrying gasoline and MTBE. The company’s operations spanned the Mississippi River, Missouri River, and the Gulf of Mexico, with each ship staffed by an average crew of 25 personnel. STC also oversaw tugboat and barge operations along various U.S. inland waterways.
In 1967, STC merged with Chromalloy American Corp., which later became part of Sequa Corp. in 1982. The company was acquired by Kirby Corporation in 1992, and subsequently purchased by Stickle Enterprise in 1998, who retained the Sabine brand. By 2005, the fleet had become outdated and was fully decommissioned, leading Stickle Enterprises to withdraw from the shipping industry.
History
Established in 1908 in Port Arthur, Texas, Sabine Transportation Company specialized in tanker and dry bulk vessel operations. It secured contracts with the United States Agency for International Development to support logistical efforts on behalf of the U.S. government.
Ships
STC’s fleet comprised several Type T2 tanker ships obtained between 1944 and 1979, including:
- Trinity (acquired 1958)
- Concho (acquired 1979)
- R. P. Smith (acquired 1947)
- Neches (acquired 1947)
- Red River (acquired 1978)
- San Jacinto (acquired 1975)
- Brazos (acquired 1955)
- Henry M. Dawes (acquired 1948)
- Colorado (acquired 1966)
- Llano (acquired 1978)
The company also operated Liberty ships such as the Walther Du Mont.
World War II
During World War II, Sabine Transportation Company managed a fleet exceeding 20 tankers, including multiple Type T2 tanker vessels, on behalf of the War Shipping Administration. Alongside Sabine, Keystone Shipping Company also operated T2 and other tanker types. Typical merchant marine crews aboard Sabine vessels consisted of approximately nine officers and thirty-nine crew members.