Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co. KG
Operator · HQ Germany · est. 1921
German dry bulk operator based in Lübeck, one of the world's largest operators of bulk carriers.
Since its establishment in 1921, Oldendorff Carriers has grown into one of the world’s leading dry bulk owners and operators. Today we celebrate 105 years of one-stop shipping, assuring the service quality and responsiveness that your bulk transportation needs.
Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co. KG is a Germany shipping operator founded in 1921. The company operating a fleet of 700 vessels, across dry bulk.
- Fleet size
- 700
- Seafarer count
- —
- Vessel types
- dry bulk
- Website
- oldendorff.com
Fleet indicators
- Vessels tracked
- 8
- Average age
- 18 years
- Average DWT
- 94,250
- Average GT
- 53,164
- Top vessel types
- bulker (8)
Aggregated from the vessels tracked in our /ships directory; not a complete fleet census.
Vessels
Owned
- Oldendorff Giant · IMO 9415366
- Oldendorff Hamburg · IMO 9486024
- Oldendorff Brilliant · IMO 9395434
- Oldendorff Canopus · IMO 9348551
Managed
- Oldendorff Giant · IMO 9415366
- Oldendorff Hamburg · IMO 9486024
- Oldendorff Brilliant · IMO 9395434
- Oldendorff Canopus · IMO 9348551
Recruitment red flags — know before you sign
These are warning signs of fraudulent or non-compliant recruitment. They are not accusations against any specific company.
- ⚠Upfront placement fees demanded from you — illegal under MLC 2006 A1.4(5)(b).
- ⚠Payment requested for "visa processing" or "medical" — these costs must be borne by the employer or agency, not the seafarer (MLC A1.4(5)(b)).
- ⚠Pressure to transfer money to a personal or private bank account.
- ⚠Vague vessel details — no IMO number, no flag state, no agent address given before joining.
- ⚠No SEA (Seafarer Employment Agreement) / contract shown before you join or before travel.
- ⚠No official-domain email — "official" communications come from gmail.com, outlook.com, or similar free providers instead of a company domain.
- ⚠No agency licence number visible or verifiable with the issuing authority.
- ⚠Salary offer that seems "too good to be true" compared to published TCC / ITF industry wage surveys for your rank and vessel type.
These are warning signs, not accusations against any specific company. If you suspect a scam, report to the manning-agency licensing authority of the country claiming to issue the agency's licence.
Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co. KG: FAQ
- Does Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co. KG hire seafarers?
- Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co. KG is listed in our directory as operator with around 700 vessels. German dry bulk operator based in Lübeck, one of the world's largest operators of bulk carriers. Beware of any agent who requests payment for a job offer — that is a red flag for a recruitment scam.
- Where is Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co. KG based and what flags do they operate?
- Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co. KG is headquartered in Germany, founded 1921. Operating flags are not always published — check the vessel-specific flag on our /ships pages for crewing decisions. The HQ country may differ from the flag of registry (open registries like Liberia, Panama, Marshall Islands are common for non-cabotage operators).
- What vessel types does Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co. KG operate?
- dry bulk. Vessel type drives day-to-day work content, watch schedule, and pay scale — bulk carrier crews see different routines than container-ship or tanker crews. See /vessel-types for the crew-perspective profile of each.
- How do I file a complaint against Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co. KG?
- Complaints can be lodged with the flag administration of the vessel, the port-state authority at the next port of call (under MLC 2006), the ITF, and any seafarer welfare organisation (Mission to Seafarers, Stella Maris, Sailors' Society). Keep contract, wage records, and seaman's book ready. For wage theft or abandonment, ITF inspector intervention in port is the fastest practical route.
- Is Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co. KG MLC-compliant?
- MLC compliance applies vessel-by-vessel based on flag of registry. Most vessels flying flags that have ratified MLC 2006 are required by law to be MLC-compliant. Verify by checking the vessel's MLC certificate (posted on board) when joining. Operators that own ships under non-MLC-ratified flags may still apply MLC standards voluntarily, but the convention-based complaint route is weaker.
Editorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.