Maritime: careers

In a port such as Le Havre, goods come and go aboard ships. To forward them to the port or to clients in France, inland waterways are more and more favored. In Le Havre, several operators are specialized in the […]

Working in perfect unison with global trade stakeholders, insurers and brokers are true specialists. As trusted partners they propose custom made insurance products for ever-evolving specific professions. The world of transport and logistics mobilizes impressive means and invests massive capital: […]

This term replaced the term ship broker when the latter saw their privilege disappear under European Law. Customs brokers are service providers representing the shipping agent. They stand in for foreign captains with authorities, especially Customs. The mission of Customs […]

The Napoleonic code established the corps of commissaires d’avarie (damage commissioners, surveyors). They were the first marine surveyors in known history and were in reality public administrators in charge of the coordination and the planning of sailing boats maintenance after […]

The term “transport organizer” relates to several professions: Consolidators group together goods coming from different shippers in order to fill containers or trucks as well as possible. Consolidators have a warehouse with platforms, handling equipment and staff. Charterers make the […]

As the name suggests, Customs clearance agents are in charge of the Customs clearance of goods (import and export). They act as intermediaries between the client’s transit and accounting departments and Customs authorities. They must be authorized by French Customs […]

The duty of import/export employees is to import and export goods on behalf of a client, to comply with contracts agreed, regulations and processes in force. Depending on the type of goods entrusted by the client they must search and […]

Roads, roundabouts, docks, dikes, warehouses, industrial parks, etc.: the port area gathers numerous activities and infrastructures coordinated by professionals specialized in port planning. Let’s focus on 3 of these professions ranging from upstream business start-up assistance to the execution of […]

The ship broker practices one of the most ancient professions in the sea industry and his status is duly regulated. Its origin dates back from the December 1657 edict written during the reign of Louis XIV and the November 14, […]

Ship chandlers are companies which provide ships with all the necessary goods they may need for daily life on board. Ordering these goods may be performed by the shipowner, his agent or the ship captain. In the latter case the […]

Shipowners possess, operate or charter (lease) ships and containers in their name. Their role is to transport goods by sea from point A to point B in due time and safely. They fit out the ship, which means that they […]

The ship master used to execute the tasks today performed by the shipping agent. The shipowner delegated his authority to him in order to organize stopovers, to receive freight and to write the necessary documents. Over time ship masters started […]

Shipplanners are responsible for the loading plan of the ship. Their role is very important: the safety of the crew, of the ship, and the profitability of the journey are key aspects of his trade. They indeed design the load […]

Classification societies were created to answer the information requests issued by insurers in order to determine the rate of insurance premiums for ships. The main companies are grouped within the IACS (International Association of Classification Societies) whose chief mission is […]

The charterer is the person or company who rents a ship for a given period of time (time charter) or for a specific journey (voyage charter). In the marine industry, charterers may also rent a ship without any crew. In […]

The International Chamber of Shipping enumerated 1.5 million sailors working on merchant ships throughout the world in 2011. About 40% of them are officers. Two thirds of these workers were born in developing countries. The region of origin most represented […]

Shipping clerks have the duty to meet the general needs of ships and crews while they are docking at the port. They ensure support on board and play the role of intermediary between stakeholders so that everything may be fine […]

Presentation of port services: Ship service: a quartet working 24/7 They are an intermediary between seafaring and docking. Without them, it would be impossible to stopover in proper safety conditions and with the efficiency necessary to the protection of ships, […]

Acting as an intermediary between all stakeholders, the harbor master’s office is, in a way, the conductor of ship movements in the port. It is their first contact when they arrive. From the lookout port officers are in relation with […]

Harbor pilots are often the first port ambassadors who meet the crew of a ship arriving in Le Havre. The pilot is called and reaches the ship on a launch or by helicopter (it all depends on weather conditions). He […]

Pilots can also count on towing men who, thanks to their modern and powerful boats, help in maneuvering the least easy to handle ships: in all types of weather, at sea, in port basins or during lock passage they manage […]

Boatmen are the last professionals involved in the arrival of a ship and make sure she is properly docked and consistently secured to the land throughout the stopover. For these much experienced and trained sailors each boat represents a new […]

Without dredgers the quality of the Le Havre port would not be the same. Acting as men behind the scenes, dredge operators continuously maintain seabeds allowing any ship, however big (some longer than the height of the Eiffel tower) to […]

NVOCC: Non Vessel Operating Common Carriers are marine transport operators without ships. In practice, NVOCC collect cargo (goods), consolidate and deconsolidate the goods of various clients within the same container. That’s why they are also called consolidators. In brief, they […]