The bridge between shore and water
2 SEPTEMBER 2025 | #TEAM
He has been part of the crew for almost twenty years. She joined the team via Instagram while she was still studying.
Joost and Gabriela come from two different worlds, but their work revolves around the same thing: ensuring that everything on board runs smoothly. We spoke to the captain of the Jade and the Crewing Officer at the office about how their working days are connected and how that collaboration is still developing.
From part-time job to permanent fixture
Joost (36) started nineteen years ago as a deckhand at AMS Barging. Today, he is the captain of the MTS Jade. “I once came on board for an internship, because they were looking for someone to train. Igor and, at the time, his father have always given everyone a fair chance.”
Gabriela (23) joined AMS at the end of 2024. While scrolling through Instagram, she found a part-time job alongside her higher professional education in Social Work. “I was looking for something to do alongside my studies until the end of the school year, but it clicked so well that I now work full-time as Crewing Officer. I take care of crew planning, training and administration. It’s dynamic, varied and therefore a lot of fun.”
“AMS Barging believes in personal initiative. We give people freedom, trust our team and rely on everyone’s common sense.”
Strong communication
The collaboration and communication between the office and the barge sometimes requites a creative solution: mostly working remote, while both sides have their own agenda. According to both Joost and Gabriela, this has improved significantly over the years. “We use the team management tool Asana to share notifications and tasks with the office,” says Joost. “That means we don’t always have to call. Responses are quick, so we can handle things almost immediately.”
Gabriela also sees how important this contact is. “I personally prefer to send a text message rather than call, but that’s not always possible. Sometimes, something just needs to be arranged. Where possible, we try to have direct contact with each crew. member. That makes it personal and ensures that people feel heard.”
Barge visits are standardized more and more. “Not just when something is wrong,” says Gabriela, “but also when everything is going well. Just dropping by, showing your face. That strengthens the connection.” Joost responds: “Recently, someone on board had been working at AMS for five years, then Crewing came by with a cake. That’s really appreciated; it makes people feel very valued during moments like that. That’s something we should keep doing.”
Mutual understanding
Although the collaboration is going well, it sometimes requires mutual empathy. Joost: “We have a different schedule on board. The work here continues 24/7. That rhythm is different in the office, where everyone goes home at the end of the regular working day. Of course, there is still contact outside of office hours, but it is limited.”
Gabriela recognizes this: “Because we work during office hours, the crew doesn’t always see how busy it can be during that time. When a lot is happening at once, we have to switch gears and set priorities. It can happen that we have planned a barge visit and then have to cancel because of an urgent matter that comes up in the meantime.”
Both Joost and Gabriela confirm that communication is key. “Once you know who you’re working with and what you can expect from each other, everything actually runs quite smoothly,” says Joost. Gabriela adds: “And by keeping in contact regularly, it gets better and better.”
Trust and responsibility
AMS Barging is known among colleagues and crew members for the trust they have in their team, based on clear agreements. Joost: “There is a lot of trust. As long as you do your job well, it comes with freedom and responsibilities. The agreements and expectations are clear.”
Gabriela responds: “That’s right. Within the team, we rely on common sense. Of course, we keep an eye on things and explain how things work, but we believe in personal initiative. If something isn’t right or possible, we simply discuss it and make adjustments.”
There are also clear expectations on board, especially for the captain. “As captain, you are responsible for the atmosphere, structure and supervision/training of the crew,” explains Joost. “We make clear agreements about this from the outset. From hygiene to safety and cooperation. Sometimes there are cultural differences in our international crew, but you can work those out. That’s what makes it interesting.”
Keep on growing
AMS Barging is always looking for ways to grow further. “We used to do everything ourselves,” says Joost. Now we have Technical Superintendents, a Crewing department and support via Asana. That makes the work much better organized.”
Gabriela adds: “And yet we want to improve communication even further. More concrete, faster and more personal. As Crewing Officers, we want to be present on the barges more often. Not only for functional reasons, but also to see how everyone’s doing.”
She continues: “You can tell that everyone feels involved in the company. Recently, we were short of a crew member on one of the Ecotankers. The rest of the team immediately started thinking along and made suggestions about who we could call to help out. On board, people show initiative to help and contribute ideas.”
Moving forward together
According to Gabriela and Joost, the strength of AMS Barging lies in its people. Whether you’re standing in the wheelhouse or working behind a desk, it’s all about working together and growing together. The connection between shore and water is getting stronger through good contact, clear communication and mutual trust. “AMS Barging started out as a family business,” explains Joost. “It’s important to maintain that feeling.”
By staying involved, listening to each other and giving room for development, we are building an organization together in which everyone feels at home and takes responsibility.
