Profession inland water transport general manager

Inland water transport general managers coordinate the administrative and dispatching activities that occur in the context of inland water transport. They check availability, liaise with clients, manage budgets, and oversee operations from an economic point of view.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Conventional

Knowledge

• Inland waterway police regulations

  Understand waterway rules, legal requirements, and relevant police regulations. Handle and maintain buoys, marking systems, and day and night signs.

• Financial capability

  Financial operations such as calculations, cost estimations, budget management taking relevant commercial and statistical data into account such as data for materials, supplies and manpower.

• Environmental aspects of inland waterway transportation

  Consider ecological aspects of the operation of ships in order to use vessels in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Understand environmental aspects when navigating inland waterways.

• European classification of inland waterways

  Understand the European CEMT classification of inland waterways; use modern information systems to compare the dimensions of the waterway to those of the vessel.

Skills

• Prepare audit schemes for ships

  Plan and prepare defined period audit schemes for vessels. Envision the requirements and procedures to be undertaken, and translate these into necessary activities and actions.

• Manage safety standards for inland water transport

  Manage and maintain safety standards and procedures in the field of inland water transport. Ensure that before dispatching any vessel, all regulations and standards are met. May also be required to act as a member of an Emergency Response Team.

• Track shipping sites

  Track the different shipping sites where packages arrive in order to maintain an efficient distribution system and on-time tracking systems for customers.

• Plan daily ship operations

  Plan the day-to-day activities on board ships, including tasks related to navigational safety, cargo, ballast, tank cleaning and tank inspections.

• Track shipments

  Track and trace all shipment movements on a daily basis by utilising information from tracking systems and proactively notifying customers about the location of their shipments.

• Oversee shipment routing

  Organise the distribution of the cargo, also known as 'forwarding'. Take into account the instructions of the client and determine where regular routing or various routings may be required.

• Read ship operational data

  Analyse and utilise vessel data in order to prevent potential problems.

• Handle shipment paperwork

  Handle paperwork containing information on shipments and attached to goods about to be shipped. Ensure that identification information is complete, visible, and in compliance with all regulations. Check labels showing product counts, final destination, and model numbers.

• Manage vessel fleet

  Manage a vessel fleet owned by a company; know the exact fleet capacity, maintenance requirements and official licenses required/held.

• Optimise fleet usability

  Optimise fleet utilisation, visibility, efficiency and profitability through the use of special ship management software.

• Avoid unplanned ship maintenance

  Continuously check the state of vessels in order to ensure satisfactory performance, regulatory compliance, and yearly revisions.

• Communicate vessel requirements

  Provide advice to ship and fleet management on cargo requirements, cleaning of the tank, stability and stress, and how to continue to meet all statutory requirements for the vessel in this field.

• Monitor the validity of ship certificates

  Control and monitor validity of the ship’s certificate and other official documents to be carried on board. Knowledge and ability to ensure the validity of certificates and other documents which must be carried on board.

• Review ship documentation

  Review ship documentation related to cargo shipping permits, public health information, crew members and activities, and other compliance regulation.

• Plan transport operations

  Plan mobility and transport for different departments in order to obtain the best possible movement of equipment and materials. Negotiate the best possible delivery rates. Compare different bids and select the most reliable and cost-effective bid.

• Conduct analysis of ship data

  Collect information from a vessel's management software and cross reference it to analyse the data from different points of view. Analyse data and apply judgement to inform decision-making.

• Distinguish various types of ships

  Recognise and name various types of vessels common in European maritime transport; understand the different characteristics, construction details, and tonnage capacities of different vessels.

• Support development of annual budget

  Support the development of the annual budget by producing base data as defined by the operations budget process.

• Link data between all inland business units

  Link data between all divisions and inland business units - such as harbour docking, ship assist and barge shifting - to inland barge transportation, towing, and launch services.

• Carry out ship-to-shore operations

  Operate ship-to-shore radios and perform processes to exchange information required for vessel operations.

• Have access to shipping rates

  Have the ability to access information about shipping rates and compare the information across providers. Use this information to prepare bids for clients.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB