SS Maui was built as a commercial passenger ship in 1916 for the Matson Navigation Company of San Francisco and served between the United States West Coast and Hawaii until acquired for World War I service by the United States Navy on 6 March 1918. The ship was commissioned USS Maui (ID-1514) serving as a troop transport from 1918 to 1919. The ship was returned to Matson for commercial service September 1919 and continued in commercial service until purchased by the United States Army in December 1941. USAT Maui was laid up by the Army in 1946 and scrapped in 1948.

Maui was built as the commercial passenger ship SS Maui in 1916 for the Matson Navigation Company of San Francisco by Union Iron Works at San Francisco, California, and launched on 23 December 1916 destined for the company's Hawaiian service. Under the Postal Subsidy Act of 1891 the ship was built as a second class auxiliary cruiser. At the time Maui was the largest passenger ship constructed on the Pacific Coast and the largest commercial installation of geared turbines.

The hull was all steel construction with a double bottom, large hatches and cargo booms capable of handling up to 50-ton loads and four cargo ports on each side of the vessel. A deep tank between #2 and #3 holds, extending to the lower deck, was provided for carriage of molasses or fuel oil with a dedicated pump for loading and unloading.

Propulsion was by two sets of single reduction type geared Westinghouse Parsons turbines of 5,000 shaft horsepower (3,700 kW) for each set, composed of two turbines of 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) each, for a total of 10,000 hp (7,500 kW) at full load that were provided with steam by eight oil-fired Babcock & Wilcox water tube boilers. Maui was the first large twin screw passenger ship with geared turbines with previous single screw installations being between 2,000 and 3,000 hp (1,500 and 2,200 kW) rating. Each main propulsion unit was composed of a high and low pressure turbine and astern turbines developing 60% of the ahead power and, combined, designed for a speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) at propeller speed of 125 rpm under reduced boiler pressure and 129.5 at full pressure. Total weight of propulsion machinery, located aft, was 146.32 tons.

There was some uncertainty concerning the turbine teeth and surfaces as the delivery of engines had been rushed so that full testing in the factory had not taken place. As a result, the lubricant for the first two voyages had been lard oil subsequently replaced with mineral oil with good performance until gear abrasion due to lubrication failure was determined after the eighth voyage in Honolulu. The gears were transposed in San Francisco so that astern and forward surfaces were reversed and good surfaces were used for ahead turbines and lard oil was again used. During the transit from San Francisco to New York after requisition by the government salt water entered the system due to an accident in an oil cooler causing the lard oil to go highly acidic requiring a complete overhaul in Baltimore where again abrasion to tooth surfaces was detected due to inferior oil and another failure of the oil cooling system; however, Maui made a round trip to Europe without gear trouble. Despite these early problems the propulsion plant for Maui was proven so successful in both early commercial service and under demanding service with the Navy that similar Westinghouse propulsion plants were specified in the design of Matson's postwar ships Manulani and Manukai.

Electric power was provided by two 30-kilowatt and one 50-kilowatt generators supplying 110-volt direct current. Three ten ton Brunswick Refrigeration Company compressors chilled galley and pantry units and a large cluster of separate chill rooms for various classes of stores in a special gallery of 85 feet (25.9 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m) served by a handling room and a larger space for refrigerated cargo.

Passenger accommodations were similar to the older Matsonia with a larger number of special staterooms with a capacity for 252 first class passengers in 64 three berth, 24 two berth and 12 single berth rooms.

Sea trials were conducted 3 April 1917 and the new Matson liner departed San Francisco on maiden voyage to Honolulu on 7 April. Maui became the flagship of the Matson fleet and, with Matsonia, accounted not only for passenger traffic between the mainland and Hawaii but 20,000 tons a month of cargo each way bringing goods from the mainland and returning with sugar and pineapples. The sugar industry and islands received a "shock" with news announced in early June 1917 of a cable from President Matson concerning the fact the government would take over Maui for wartime service when she reached San Francisco on a voyage already underway and Matsonia as soon as she returned from the round trip. Sugar stocks were already building up in the islands and loss of the two ships was of concern with hopes expressed that seized German ships might be put on the route.