Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Inc. (TOTE),  operates a Roll-On/Roll-Off (RO/RO) cargo steamship service to Alaska between the ports of Anchorage and Tacoma, WA. For more information, please visit their site.

Jeff Childs adds, "TOTE and Sealand are competitors.  Both have three ships that ply back and forth from tacoma/seattle to Anchorage.  TOTE's ships are RO/RO (Roll On/Roll Off) vessels that carry trailers, while Sealand's are actual container ships.  TOTE has rigs and drivers to drive the trailers off and back on their ships using long ramps, while Sealand uses huge container cranes to unload the containers and place them on chassis so they become trailers that are then driven away.  Both operations are fast and furious and resemble an intricate ballet.  Typically, both Sealand and TOTE will have ships in the Port of Anchorage at the same time and it almost seems they are racing to see who can get their loads swapped first - a good time to NOT be driving around the port looking for train action!  The blue TOTE trailer is a new style, using a ribbed trailer instead of a smooth side trailer like the older white ones." [11/19/98]

Curt Fortenberry adds, "The blue TOTEM boxes are containers.  I think at the present these are the only containers they are operating up here (from what I've seen).  The rest are trailers/reefers, etc, which is why they have that typical container corrugated side." [10/16/00]
 

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