The CrewChange Blog
What’s happening on the river, what the work pays, what changed with your license, and what nobody tells you before your first hitch. Free, sourced, dated, and written from the deck’s side of the house.
Latest
Why Your Deckhand Application Got Ignored (and What Gets You Called)
Entry-level deckhand jobs draw a lot of applicants, so companies screen hard: what gets an application tossed, and a 9-step fix list from TWIC to the follow-up call.
Your First Hitch on a Towboat: What Nobody Tells You
Most companies run a 2-for-1 schedule (20/10 or 28/14), and most deckhands stand a 12-hour call watch: what to pack, the crew change, the deck work, the safety basics and when you get paid.
Become a DeckhandThe whole path from land job to first hitch — TWIC, physical, application, and what the work is really like.
Deckhand to WheelhouseThe license ladder — sea time, the steersman exam, the TOAR, and a realistic timeline.
Day Rate CalculatorPick your rotation, set your rate, see what a hitch, a month, and a year really pay.
Rules of the Road TestFree practice for the inland Rules of the Road — see where you stand.
Ready to get on a boat, or onto a better one?
One free application puts you in front of the inland companies that are hiring. No fees, no recruiters, no runaround.
Start my application →