SEATTLE, Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- OpenTug today announced a strategic collaboration with Blessey Marine Services, Inc., a leading provider of inland marine transportation solutions, to modernize voyage invoicing through BargeOS. By implementing BargeOS Invoice Intelligence, Blessey will connect operational and financial workflows to automate invoice processing, improve billing visibility, and enhance financial transparency across its customer network.
The initiative is designed to reduce the time required to generate customer invoices, accelerate voyage cost reconciliation, and create a faster, more efficient billing experience. By bringing voyage activity, operational data, vendor expenses, and financial records into a unified workflow, Blessey will improve both the speed and accuracy of voyage closeout.
Through the implementation, Blessey Marine will process voyage costs in near real time, incorporating vendor expenses, operational data, and voyage activity into a unified billing workflow. OpenTug's AI-powered Invoice Intelligence automates the capture, matching, validation, and reconciliation of vendor invoices against voyage activity, contracts, and operational records—reducing manual effort while improving financial accuracy and visibility.
As customer expectations increase and operational complexity grows, marine operators are looking for ways to shorten billing cycles while improving financial accuracy. The OpenTug and Blessey collaboration directly addresses these challenges through automation, AI-powered workflows, historical data analysis, contract management, and live operational data integration.
"Our goal is to continuously improve the way we serve our customers while creating efficiencies across our operations," said Chris Estep, Chief Operating Officer of Blessey Marine Services. "By partnering with OpenTug, we are investing in technology that will improve invoice accuracy, accelerate billing timelines, and provide greater transparency throughout the voyage lifecycle."
"Accurate, timely financial information starts with accurate operational information," said Jason Aristides, CEO and Co-Founder of OpenTug. "By connecting voyage activity, contracts, vendor invoices, and operational data in a single workflow, Blessey will reduce manual effort, accelerate billing, and give both its team and its customers greater confidence in every invoice."
The collaboration reflects a shared focus on improving the connection between voyage execution and financial closeout. As implementation continues, Blessey and OpenTug expect the partnership to further strengthen billing operations while creating a foundation for future innovation across Blessey's marine transportation operations.
About Blessey Marine Services
Blessey Marine Services, Inc. (Harahan, LA / Channelview, TX) is the leading provider of marine transportation solutions for liquid cargoes throughout the navigable inland waterways of the United States, including the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys, the Illinois River and Lake Michigan, and along the Gulf-Intracoastal Waterway from Brownsville, TX to Pensacola, FL. Blessey Marine currently operates a Jones Act fleet of 82 inland tugboats (1000hp to 3200hp) and 175 inland tank barges (heated/dirty, clean, pressure, bunker).
About OpenTug
OpenTug is the company behind BargeOS, an AI-native software platform for marine logistics. BargeOS helps customers improve productivity, increase visibility, and support better margin outcomes by connecting data, automating workflows, and streamlining decision-making across commercial planning, voyage management, invoice intelligence, and performance management. For more information, visit www.opentug.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
SOURCE OpenTug
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