Great Lakes Fleet

Great Lakes Fleet is a United States shipping company headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota. Its business is focused on bulk transportation on the Great Lakes, using self-unloading vessels to move industrial commodities including iron ore, coal and limestone. The company operates in a specialized regional market in which ships transport cargo between Great Lakes ports serving mines, steelworks, power producers, construction-material suppliers and other heavy industries. The fleet was created on July 1, 1967, when United States Steel consolidated its Great Lakes shipping operations. The transaction combined the Pittsburgh Steamship Division with the related Bradley Transportation Company fleet, creating an organization initially known as USS Great Lakes Fleet. This origin gave the company a direct connection to the shipping infrastructure supporting U.S. Steel's ore and industrial supply chain. In 1981, Great Lakes Fleet was separated from the direct operating structure of U.S. Steel and became a subsidiary of Transtar, Inc., a U.S. Steel-owned transportation holding company. The fleet's historical development reflects the broader evolution of Great Lakes shipping: large steamships and motor vessels were adapted or built to carry bulk materials efficiently, while self-unloading equipment reduced the need for shore-based unloading infrastructure and shortened port turnaround times. The fleet associated with Great Lakes Fleet has included several notable Great Lakes vessels. These include the self-unloading bulk carriers Arthur M. Anderson, Cason J. Callaway, Phillip R. Clarke, John G. Munson, Roger Blough, Edwin H. Gott, Edgar B. Speer, Presque Isle and Great Republic. The Arthur M. Anderson is especially well known because it was the last vessel to communicate with the Edmund Fitzgerald before that ship sank in Lake Superior in 1975. The Phillip R. Clarke, Arthur M. Anderson and Cason J. Callaway are closely related ships of the AAA class and are often informally described as the Triplets because of their similar appearance and dimensions. Other vessels associated with the fleet over time include Calcite II, Myron C. Taylor, George A. Sloan and Irvin L. Clymer. The George A. Sloan was sold to Lower Lakes Towing Limited, renamed Mississagi and later scrapped in 2021. The fleet's vessels illustrate the progression from traditional Great Lakes ore carriers to larger, more powerful and more automated self-unloaders. Roger Blough was an early supercarrier on the lakes, while Edwin H. Gott was built with an exceptionally powerful propulsion system and was later repowered. Great Lakes Fleet is therefore best understood not as a consumer-facing product brand but as a specialized maritime operating brand. Its role is tied to the reliability of regional industrial logistics, long-term vessel utilization and the movement of high-volume cargo through a constrained freshwater shipping network. Public reference material identifies its Duluth headquarters, Great Lakes bulk-shipping operations and historical relationship with U.S. Steel and Transtar, but does not provide sufficiently current information to establish its present ownership, executive leadership, financial performance or corporate website.

Great Lakes Fleet was established on July 1, 1967, during a consolidation of United States Steel's Great Lakes marine assets. The new fleet brought together the Pittsburgh Steamship Division and the Bradley Transportation Company, a related fleet operating in the same industrial shipping environment. The resulting organization was initially called USS Great Lakes Fleet and was designed to support the movement of bulk commodities through the Great Lakes system. The company's formation took place in a region where lake shipping was central to the movement of iron ore and other raw materials. Great Lakes vessels could carry large quantities of cargo between mining and manufacturing ports, while self-unloading systems allowed ships to discharge cargo using onboard equipment. This operating model was particularly suited to the repetitive movement of ore, coal, limestone and other dry bulk materials used by steel, energy and construction industries. In 1981, Great Lakes Fleet was spun off into Transtar, Inc., a transportation subsidiary owned by U.S. Steel. The change placed the fleet within a broader transportation structure while preserving its role in Great Lakes shipping. Publicly documented historical material does not establish the company's subsequent ownership changes or provide a reliable current corporate structure, so those details remain unspecified here. The vessels associated with Great Lakes Fleet include both steamship-era and modern diesel-powered Great Lakes carriers. Arthur M. Anderson, Cason J. Callaway and Phillip R. Clarke form a closely related group of AAA-class ore carriers, commonly known as the Triplets. Arthur M. Anderson has particular historical significance because it was the final vessel to maintain contact with Edmund Fitzgerald before the latter sank in Lake Superior in 1975. The fleet also included vessels representing successive stages in Great Lakes ship design. Roger Blough was an early supercarrier whose keel was laid in 1968, before the later generation of 1,000-foot ships became common on the lakes. Edwin H. Gott was built with Enterprise DMRV-16-4 diesel engines and twin propellers, producing 19,500 brake horsepower as originally configured; it was repowered in 2011. Other named vessels include John G. Munson, Edgar B. Speer, Presque Isle and Great Republic. Former vessels associated with the fleet include Calcite II, Myron C. Taylor, George A. Sloan and Irvin L. Clymer. George A. Sloan was sold to Lower Lakes Towing Limited, entered the 2001 season under the name Mississagi and was ultimately scrapped in 2021. The documented history presents Great Lakes Fleet as an industrial shipping operator rather than a diversified logistics or consumer brand. Its identity is based on vessel operations, cargo capacity and integration with the Great Lakes industrial economy. The available reference material confirms its Duluth headquarters and its operation of nine self-unloading bulk carriers, but does not provide enough verified information to describe current management, current ownership, financial results or a current official website.

• 2021

  Former George A. Sloan scrapped

  [1]Great Lakes Fleeten.wikipedia.org

  The former George A. Sloan, then operating as Mississagi, was scrapped.

• 2011

  Edwin H. Gott repowered

  [1]Great Lakes Fleeten.wikipedia.org

  Edwin H. Gott underwent repowering after having originally been equipped with Enterprise DMRV-16-4 diesel engines and twin propellers.

• 2001

  George A. Sloan renamed Mississagi

  [1]Great Lakes Fleeten.wikipedia.org

  After its sale to Lower Lakes Towing Limited, George A. Sloan was renamed Mississagi for the 2001 shipping season.

• 1981

  Fleet transferred into Transtar

  [1]Great Lakes Fleeten.wikipedia.org

  Great Lakes Fleet was spun off into Transtar, Inc., a U.S. Steel-owned subsidiary.

• 1975

  Arthur M. Anderson's final contact with Edmund Fitzgerald

  [1]Great Lakes Fleeten.wikipedia.org

  Arthur M. Anderson was the last vessel to have contact with Edmund Fitzgerald before the latter sank in Lake Superior.

• 1968

  Roger Blough keel laid

  [1]Great Lakes Fleeten.wikipedia.org

  The keel of Roger Blough was laid, making it an early Great Lakes supercarrier and predating the later generation of 1,000-foot vessels.

• 1967

  Great Lakes Fleet formed

  [1]Great Lakes Fleeten.wikipedia.org

  United States Steel consolidated its Pittsburgh Steamship Division and Bradley Transportation Company fleet on July 1, creating USS Great Lakes Fleet.

A specialized Great Lakes maritime carrier serving heavy industry through self-unloading bulk vessels and regional dry-bulk logistics.

• Marine cargo vessels

  Self-unloading bulk carriers

  Great Lakes Fleet operates self-unloading bulk carriers designed to transport and discharge large quantities of dry bulk material. Their onboard unloading systems allow cargo to be moved from the holds to shore without relying entirely on fixed port unloading equipment, supporting repeated voyages between industrial ports.

• Great Lakes ore carriers

  AAA-class ore carriers

  The AAA-class group associated with the fleet includes Phillip R. Clarke, Arthur M. Anderson and Cason J. Callaway. The three vessels are closely matched in dimensions and appearance and are commonly known as the Triplets. Their role has centered on transporting bulk industrial cargo on the Great Lakes.

• Self-unloading bulk carrier

  Edwin H. Gott

  Edwin H. Gott was noted for its powerful propulsion arrangement. As built, it used Enterprise DMRV-16-4 diesel engines and twin propellers with a rating of 19,500 brake horsepower. The vessel was repowered in 2011.

1. 1Great Lakes Fleeten.wikipedia.org