OFA 159 – Robert R. (Rob) Spencer is the Team Leader of Arnold and Arnold’s Bend, Oregon office. He is Arnold and Arnold’s senior marine operations expert, a hull and cargo surveyor and P&I adjuster. He handles cargo, marine, aircraft and CGL claims in the California and the Northwestern United States and Pacific areas.

In addition to claims handling, Rob provides complete marine operations expert services, both in analysis and testimony. He has a broad background with remarkable qualifications in many areas relevant to our firm’s operations. Rob graduated from Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 1979. Prior to graduation he crewed on harbor tugs, fishing vessels and worked as a teamster in the moving Industry.

Since graduation, he has worked in the marine transportation industry predominately on offshore ships. Between offshore assignments he has worked near shore as a San Francisco Bay tug operator / tankerman, stevedore superintendent, rigger and expert witness. Rob’s offshore experience includes sailing on tankers, break bulk vessels, Ro-Ro / Lo-Lo Vessels, heavy lift vessels, and deep sea tugs. From 1987, prior to joining our firm, Rob worked for American President Lines, started sailing master during Desert Storm in 1991, has since been APL’s then ASM’s West Coast Sea Trial and Delivery Master for US Government owned vessels. Rob retired from deep sea after 24 years as an officer in the US Merchant Marine. His last several years were as master on the “APL Korea” a 65,000 GT container ship in the Asia / Transpac trade.

Rob has attended multiple recurrent training schools during his maritime career. He has attended five different Marine firefighting schools, multiple ship handling simulators, medical courses (offshore medicine, EMT certified), ISM and ISO 9002 training, He is familiar with DNV and ABS ISM audits, as well as cargo gear quadrennial inspections. During the course of his marine career Rob averaged over a month a year in recurrent training in the maritime industry and related disciplines.

Rob is an active private pilot, owning and operating a Cessna 172. He comes from a multi generational aviation-oriented family starting in WWI and is continuing that tradition. Rob retired from deep sea with his 5th issue of his USCG license: Master of Steam or Motor Vessels of Any Gross Tons upon Oceans; Master of Towing Vessels upon Oceans and Western Rivers. He was authorized to serve as First Class Pilot on Vessels of Any Gross Tons upon the waters of San Francisco Bay, including all tributaries therein, and First Class Pilot of Vessels upon Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors. He also was STCW certification for Master Unlimited, an FCC-issued GMDSS marine radio license, and is an FAA private pilot with Instrument rating. Rob is currently the President of the Organization of Flying Adjusters, as well as having been the Treasurer and Secretary of that group. During his off time, Rob has volunteered on the Nordic SAR team in Lake Tahoe Area, skis, hikes, and fishes throughout the Pacific Northwest. Rob joined Arnold and Arnold in 2003.

Arnold and Arnold, Inc. is a small firm that has been in business over 40 years with an emphasis on quality, results, and costs. With thirty-seven operating locations nationwide, they are licensed adjusters, surveyors and investigators. Arnold and Arnold currently has fifty-one employees consisting of forty-nine adjuster/investigators/surveyors and seven secretarial and support staff

Our aviation department handles many different categories of losses; light and medium helicopter accidents, the full range of general aviation claims, air carrier and agricultural chemical application claims, as well as other specialized areas, including manned and unmanned surveillance platforms, high performance and military type aircraft.
Our loss prevention and evaluation department does underwriting evaluations and auditing of Aviation, Marine and CGL risks and claims handling, as well as investigating and assessing E&O claims. We provide operational evaluations of all categories of risks with special emphasis on aviation and marine operators. We have several active safety programs for small tug and barge operators. We teach classes, perform safety audits and assistance visits for many aircraft operators and organizations, including remote airline operators.