Sitka Community Profile 2006-2007

Shipping

Alaska Marine Lines (AML) is a marine transportation company that ships all types of freight to and from Southeast Alaska and the Yukon Territory of Canada, employing a full range of inter-modal service options and door-to-door, fully insured freight management services: full-container, less-than-container, freeze and chill, rolling stock and general break-bulk. AML is a part of the Lynden family of companies whose major customers are mostly retail businesses such as grocery stores. They also provide special services to support industries such as fishing, mining and timber. They operate year-round, departing Seattle every Wednesday arriving in Sitka on the following Monday and departs Seattle every Friday arriving in Sitka on Wednesday.

Northland Services, Inc., provides common carrier and contract barge transportation services between Seattle, Washington and points in Alaska. They have weekly departures to various Southeast Alaska ports, year-round sailings to Anchorage and seasonal sailings to Western Alaska. They also serve ports in Japan and Russia on a contract or inducement basis. Principle commodities transported to Alaska includes supplies for the fishing industry, construction materials, equipment and general re-supply items such as groceries, hardware and vehicles.

Samson Tug and Barge began as a horse and cart operation, which delivered materials and goods to Alaska mining camps. Known as Baggen Transfer, George Baggen Sr. based the company in Juneau. In 1937, Baggen and his son George Jr. founded Samson Tug and Barge with a single tug providing freight hauling services throughout Southeast Alaska. Today the company has an extensive line of equipment. The company is headquartered in Sitka. Shipments leave Seattle/Sitka every other week in the winter months and weekly in the summer months.

United Parcel Service, Federal Express, Alaska Airlines, DHL Worldwide and United States Postal Service provide next day or two day service to and from Sitka. Because of its island location, ground transportation services in the usual sense for goods shipped by UPS are obviously not available. Alaska Airlines package service is to cities served only. United States Postal Service provides same day service to Anchorage and Seattle only. Federal Express provides next day service with a dedicated FedEx jet providing pick-up and delivery services.