Posts Categorized: Domestic Shipping
TOTE Announces Plans to Establish New U.S. Mainland to Hawai’i Shipping Service
August 17, 2017
Terminal space in Honolulu key to TOTE’s plans to bring new environmentally advanced containerships to Hawai’i trade in 2020
Honolulu, HI – TOTE announced today its intention to establish a new domestic shipping service to Hawai’i. The company is working with Philly Shipyard to construct four new environmentally advanced containerships, custom built for the trade. This week began conversations to secure the new deep water Kapalama Container Terminal (KCT) in Honolulu for TOTE, a critical step in making the new service a reality.
For more than 40 years, TOTE and its operating companies have provided dedicated service to Alaska and Puerto Rico. As part of its commitment and stewardship of the communities it serves, the company has invested more than $600 million to convert its ships to run on natural gas, making its fleet the most environmentally friendly in the U.S.
“TOTE is excited to bring our best-in-class service to the people of Hawai’i,” noted Anthony Chiarello, President and CEO of TOTE. “TOTE’s presence on the islands will provide market stability and introduce new environmentally advanced vessels that will greatly benefit the islands.”
Timing is critical for construction of new ships for Hawai’i and a commitment for terminal space in Honolulu is needed to move the new venture forward. New environmental regulations taking effect in 2020 necessitate replacement of aged ships currently operating in the trade. As planned, the new vessels from Philly Shipyard will enter service in early 2020 and 2021, just in time to meet the deadline and maintain trade capacity.
“TOTE’s commitment is to provide superior service for our customers as well as the communities we serve, ensuring that goods arrive on time week in and week out,” noted Chiarello. “TOTE will bring the same commitment to our Hawai’i operations to ensure maritime transportation is industry leading.”
About TOTE
TOTE is a leading transportation and logistics company, overseeing some of the most trusted companies in the U.S. domestic trade. TOTE Maritime Alaska and TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico bring a focus on reliability and service to their respective markets. TOTE Services offers crewing and technical services to meet the needs of commercial, privately owned and U.S. Government vessels. TOTE owns and operates the most environmentally friendly cargo fleet in U.S., including the world’s first LNG powered containerships that serve the Puerto Rico trade.
TOTE Maritime Alaska was recently voted the Top Ocean Carrier in the 2017 Quest for Quality Awards while both TOTE Maritime Alaska and TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico tied for first place in the customer service category.
TOTE is part of the Saltchuk family of companies. Saltchuk transportation and distribution companies operate throughout North America and have served the communities of Hawaii for more than 18 years. Saltchuk companies serving Hawaii include Aloha Air Cargo, Aloha Tech Ops, Foss Maritime, Young Brothers, Hawaii Petroleum, Minit Stop and Ohana Fuels.
For more information on TOTE please visit www.toteinc.com.
For more information on the Saltchuk family of companies please visit www.saltchuk.com.
Foss Maritime Center provides 24/7 service, enhancing safety and shoreside services to Saltchuk companies’ maritime fleets
June 7, 2016
Foss expands services to Foss Maritime Center in Portland
Portland, OR. – Foss Maritime has expanded services offered at its Portland terminal and dispatch center, now called the Foss Maritime Center (FMC), to include a 24/7 call center with fleet monitoring and weather service capabilities.
On June 1, the FMC opened to support Foss’ international fleet of tugs and marine assets as well as the maritime fleets of sister companies TOTE Services and Tropical Shipping.
The expansion, the result of a collaboration of Saltchuk companies served by the FMC, included a renovation of Foss’ Portland offices located on the shores of the Columbia River and the addition of staff trained to enhance safety and situational awareness of maritime fleets operating around the globe.
While a vessels’ master remains the final authority on all operational decisions, the FMC Staff are specially trained to use multiple information sources to keep Mariners and those who support them well ahead of potential hazards and provide actionable information to support decision making. Emergency calls to the Call Center will be forwarded to designated points of contact within the companies’ shoreside operations.
“The Foss Maritime Center allows us to standardize and enhance support for the Saltchuk family of companies,” said Foss Maritime President & CEO Paul Stevens. “We’re taking state of the art technology and pairing it with our own experienced and dedicated staff – this is a natural extension on Foss’ promise of ‘Always Safe, Always Ready.’”
Features of the Foss Maritime Center include:
- 24/7 Watch Stander – Call Center staffed by professional mariners. The call center will have the ability to immediately see the vessels location, its route, and the prevailing weather conditions.
- Fleet Monitoring to collect information through automated situational alerting and Watch Stander observation.
- Weather Monitoring will be provided by enhanced weather tools for information, monitoring and rerouting support.
TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico Successfully Performs First LNG Bunkering at Jacksonville Port
January 12, 2016
First LNG bunkering at Jacksonville Port a success
Jacksonville, FL. – On Saturday, January 9, 2016, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico successfully loaded LNG bunkers aboard the world’s first LNG powered containership, MV Isla Bella. Approximately 100,000 LNG gallons transported by 12 TOTE-owned LNG ISO containers were loaded on schedule. The bunkering was conducted under strict US Coast Guard oversight while Isla Bella was also undergoing cargo operations.
The LNG was transferred from the ISO tank containers using a specially developed transfer skid developed by TOTE’s partner Applied Cryogenics Technologies (ACT) of Houston, Texas. The transfer skid is designed to allow four ISO tanks to be transferred to Isla Bella at once, dramatically reducing transfer time.
The LNG was sourced by TOTE’s partner, JAX LNG, LLC, from AGL Resources’ LNG production facility in Macon, Georgia. Genox Transportation, a specialized LNG trucking partner of TOTE, transported the fuel to Jacksonville. Pivotal LNG, a subsidiary of AGL Resources, also provided transfer expertise to TOTE Maritime with its highly trained LNG experts, ensured the operation was conducted safely and in accordance with best industry practices.
Oversight of the operation both at shipside and on shore was provided by TOTE Services, Inc. (TSI), TOTE Maritime’s sister company that manages the vessels.
“We are very pleased with the results of this initial LNG bunker event and know that the use of LNG in our Marlin Class vessels will provide unprecedented environmental benefits both here in Jacksonville and in Puerto Rico,” said Tim Nolan, President of TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico. “We are indebted to USCG Sector Jacksonville for their diligent oversight and assistance that was invaluable and helped make this event a success. Our partners ACT, Pivotal LNG and Genox were also major components of our success. Our sister company, TSI, has developed significant expertise in LNG as a Maritime fuel and ensures that our vessels operate safely and efficiently using this environmentally superior fuel.”
Applied Cryo Technologies, Inc. (ACT) is the premier equipment supplier for cryogenics in North America. ACT is proud to be the first to market with this type of bunkering equipment for the marine industry. Leveraging ACT’s innovative style and unrivaled experience in LNG equipment is sure to bring success to any LNG fueling project.
Pivotal LNG brings liquefied natural gas to companies and industries throughout the United States through reliable, flexible and cost-effective solutions.
TOTE Maritime provides safe, reliable transportation at the fastest speed possible for the Puerto Rican and related Caribbean trades.
TOTE Maritime Alaska Names Michael Noone to President of TOTE Maritime Alaska
December 8, 2015
Michael Noone steps up in role of TOTE Maritime Alaska President
Federal Way, WA. – TOTE Maritime Alaska is pleased to announce that Michael Noone will assume the role of President, January 1, 2016.
Noone joined TOTE Maritime Alaska as Chief Operating Officer in August 2013, bringing 28 years of experience in the shipping and logistics field. As COO, he has been responsible for creating strategic and operating plans for sales, pricing and operations.
Noone received his bachelor’s degree from Wagner College and is certified by some of the nation’s top executive programs in Logistics, including the SMEAL College of Business Administration at Penn State University and the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University. He also earned certifications in Advance Management from INSEAD, in Strategic Planning and Implementation from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and is a past Steering Committee Member at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA).
Noone’s predecessor John Parrott, who has served as the company’s President since 2009, will join TOTE’s sister company, Foss Maritime as Chief Operating Officer, where he will be responsible for the oversight of Foss’s key operating divisions.
“We thank John Parrott for his many contributions, accomplishments and leadership for TOTE Maritime Alaska,” said TOTE President & CEO Anthony Chiarello. “We wish him well in his new role at Foss and look forward to TOTE’s continued success under Mike’s capable leadership.”
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About TOTE Maritime Alaska
Headquartered in Federal Way, WA, TOTE Maritime Alaska operates two custom-built cargo vessels between Tacoma and Anchorage with twice-weekly sailings year-round. TOTE Maritime Alaska, formerly Totem Ocean Trailer Express, is a TOTE company, part of the Saltchuk family of companies. For more information, visit www.totemaritime.com.
General Dynamics NASSCO delivers world’s first LNG-powered containership, the Isla Bella, to TOTE
October 16, 2015
Fueled by liquefied natural gas, the containership will be the cleanest cargo-carrying ship in world.
TOTE 1 at Sea Trials in August 2015
SAN DIEGO, CA. – Today, General Dynamics NASSCO delivered the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered containership, the Isla Bella, to TOTE Maritime. The ship was delivered nearly two months ahead of schedule. NASSCO is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
As part of a two-ship contract signed in December 2012 with TOTE, the 764-foot long Marlin Class containerships will be the largest dry cargo ships powered by LNG, making them the cleanest cargo-carrying ships anywhere in the world. This groundbreaking green ship technology will dramatically decrease emissions and increase fuel efficiency when compared to conventionally-powered ships, the equivalent of removing 15,700 automobiles from the road.
“Successfully building and delivering the world’s first LNG-powered containership here in the United States for coastwise service demonstrates that commercial shipbuilders, and owners and operators, are leading the world in the introduction of cutting-edge, green technology in support of the Jones Act,” said Kevin Graney, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics NASSCO.
The delivery of this historic ship, also demonstrates successful collaboration between industry and regulatory bodies. TOTE, NASSCO, the American Bureau of Shipping, and the U.S. Coast Guard worked hand-in-hand from the beginning of the project to the delivery of the Isla Bella. This included collaboration during the design approval, construction and commissioning the ship to safely and effectively operate on natural gas.
Emissions Reductions compared to Current vessels in the Puerto Rico Trade
The Jones Act-qualified ships will operate between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
As a complement to its government new construction business segment, NASSCO maintains an extensive history of commercial shipbuilding. In the past decade, NASSCO delivered eleven commercial ships and currently has ten commercial ships in its backlog, including the two Marlin Class containerships for TOTE.
For its commercial work, NASSCO partners with South Korean shipbuilding power, DSME, for access to state-of-the-art ship design and shipbuilding technologies.
NASSCO specializes in the design and construction of auxiliary and support ships for the U.S. Navy and oil tankers and dry cargo carriers for commercial markets. It is also a major provider of repair services for the Navy, with capabilities in San Diego, California; Norfolk, Virginia; Bremerton, Washington; and Mayport, Florida. Its San Diego location remains the only major shipyard on the West Coast of the United States conducting new construction and repair.
For more information, visit www.nassco.com.
More information about General Dynamics can be found at www.generaldynamics.com.