PAN on way to securing five major base customers

<p>PAN Australia Shipping says it has now secured the non time-critical container cargo of two major rail forwarders on its east-west shipping service and is in negotiations to add three significant players.</p> <p>Managing director Paull van Oost said contracts had been signed for the business of K&#38S Transport and Paccon Logistics and he was hopeful that within a few days, deals would also be signed with Linfox, FCL and BCR Freight.</p> <p>Mr van Oost was reluctant to provide actual details of the contracts, citing confidentiality reasons, but <em>Lloyd’s List DCN</em> understands that volumes from Paccon could be as much as 160-180 teu a week. </p> <p>BCR is understood to move about 150 teu a week, while the others may be significantly more.</p> <p>Should all five contracts be attained, then it would mean that the shipping line had secured very significant long-term base cargoes for the service, which will soon be operated by three ships.</p> <p>K&#38S and FCL have good volumes of non time-critical cargo flowing in both directions, while Linfox, BCR and Paccon cargoes would predominantly be flowing in a westerly direction.</p> <p>Mr van Oost was yesterday (Wednesday, April 26) meeting representatives of the three maritime unions with a view to establishing a firm basis for crewing the ships with Australians.</p> <p>Currently, the manning crisis in the industry locally means the company may be forced to supplement its Australian seafarers with foreign crew members and <em>Lloyd’s List DCN</em> understands that New Zealanders will be the first choice.</p> <p>Mr van Oost said he had discussed with the unions a proposal to alleviate the manning shortage by introducing a training scheme that would see four trainees placed on each vessel.</p> <p>He said the unions and the manager of the vessels, ASP Ship Management, were prepared to financially support the move and he would be asking the Federal Department of Transport &#38 Regional Services to also back the proposal.</p> <p>Mr van Oost said he was aware that the Australian Shipowners Association was considering a range of training initiatives.</p> <p>He said PAN was now a member of the ASA and he was currently evaluating the benefits of joining the other shipowners’ peak body, Shipping Australia.</p> <br />