CARGO SUPERINTENDENCE:

Our proprietor, Capt. Herman, is an expert cargo superintendent, with experience in planning, loading and discharging a wide variety of cargoes in East & South East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. In addition to having thirteen years experience working full-time as a port captain or cargo superintendent for major international shipping companies, Capt. Herman has also carried out numerous cargo superintendence assignments while working as an independent consultant/surveyor.

A cargo superintendent (often referred to somewhat incorrectly, as a “supercargo”) is employed by a ship owner or charterer to plan and supervise the port and cargo operations of his vessel. This includes expediting berthing, planning and supervising loading and discharging, optimizing stowage and securing of cargo, ensuring safe working practices, liaising with customers and ship’s staff, and acting as a general “trouble-shooter”, and many other duties. He works in close cooperation with the ship’s staff, agents, stevedores, surveyors, tallymen, port officials and shippers/consignees.. He will normally attend at each port a day or two ahead of the vessel’s arrival to arrange berthing, brief the stevedores, and check for potential problems. He will then remain throughout the vessel’s stay in port. He will work both on board the vessel and ashore, supervising the loading and discharging operations on board the ship but also monitoring other aspects of cargo operations such as wharf operations, trucking, warehousing, agency, etc. He will make regular progress reports to Owners/Charterers.

Any type of cargo operation can benefit from supervision by a cargo superintendent, but the use of a cargo superintendent is particuarly valuable when operating chartered vessels, when loading and discharging project cargoes, heavy lifts and other difficult cargoes, and when loading and discharging in small ports in “third-world” countries, or in ports where agents are unreliable.

When selecting a cargo superintendent to represent your company, it is essential that, in addition to being competent, he should also be a trustworthy person of high integrity.

One reason is that much of his work will be carried out beyond your effective control, so you need somebody who is a self-starter, and is capable of looking after your intrests with minimal supervision. The more autonomy you can entrust him with, the more effective he can be.

A second reason is that, as your person in the front line, he is the person by whom your company will be judged by customers, ship’s staff, agents, port officials and so on. If your cargo superintendent is dishonest, your company will also be assumed to be dishonest, and if he is cheating you it will encourage others to do so. On the other hand, if he is honest, diligent and conscientious, he will motivate others, such as agents, stevedores and ship’s staff to be the same.

Thirdly, to enable him to look after your interests effectively, he needs access to confidential information, such as charter parties, contracts, disbursement accounts, despatch agreements etc. If he is not trustworthy, you can not allow him access to such information, but if he is not given sufficient information, or if you set too many limits on his involvement, you will be hindering his ability to look after your interests, and you will not be using him to his full potential.