Why Smaller can be Better

As experts in the shipping industry, we are acutely aware of the trends which affect both our clients and our business. We’ve certainly noticed in recent times, a swing towards using smaller, more focussed shipping companies and away from the larger ‘names’ – and we asked ourselves why this was.

A few years ago, as the recession started to bite, it seemed that everyone was trying to save on cost, which was understandable. It would seem that in some cases, this was at the expense of two key elements though; the speed of transit and level of service. In some cases, we’ve heard that opting for lower-cost options ended up costing clients’ more in the long run. With the economy now picking up, quality of service is once more top of the list of considerations, which is often where the smaller company can excel.

Obviously, being a smaller company ourselves, T Ward Shipping prides itself on offering bespoke shipping services and in fact, we also aim to go over and above what you might expect from a bigger company, just because we can!

We think that customers are starting to see the advantages of the small company approach; smaller businesses might not have the buying power of a larger firm but when we do win your business we are always appreciative; it’s a competitive market. As a result, it’s possible that smaller shipping companies try that little bit harder to hold on to their valued customers, by  offering an above average customer experience.

In a way, it’s easier for smaller firms to do this, as the sheer volume of clientele isn’t there in the same way it could be for a multi-national firm. Instead of having to farm calls out to a call centre or a customer service department, when you speak to a smaller company they probably only have a few people dealing with the calls on a regular basis, which gives you a chance to build up a relationship and not have to go over everything again each time you speak to a new ‘customer services adviser’.

It also means that if something does go wrong, a smaller company is more invested in making sure that it gets put right quickly. A larger company might have a whole list of complaints and issues to deal with – with a smaller firm the focus is on keeping the client happy and retaining business. Reputation is a major issue for small firms, who don’t have the budget for large marketing campaigns so rely on word of mouth and reputation for their business.

It’s almost like having a transport department of your own!

One major advantage we also identified for smaller shipping companies is that they have the freedom to offer a variety of services instead of being restricted just to their own. This opens up a wider choice for customers and gives them much more flexibility to accommodate specific requirements.

It seems that using smaller forwarder takes away all the hassle of transporting and shipping your items. Smaller firms such as T Ward Shipping can offer a tailored service, tailored to your requirements and all with a personal touch!

The shipping industry inspires imagination!

We can certainly tell a tale or two here at t.ward shipping, but although we have always thought that the shipping industry is fascinating, it’s not the sort of industry that we imagined being a setting for a suspense novel! All that has changed since we found out about the latest novel by Matthew McCleery, though.

Matthew, who knows his subject extremely well as he is also president of Marine Money International, which publishes Marine Money magazine and other ship finance publications, has written the exciting sounding Viking Raid: A Robert Fairchild Novel. The book tells the tale of ex-hedge fund manager Robert Fairchild and a Norwegian shipping tycoon as they attempt a $500 million initial public offering "but end up wedged between an American shale gas wildcatter and the energy-hungry People's Republic of China."

If that – ahem – floats your boat, then you’ll also be pleased to hear that Viking Raid isn’t McCleery’s first shipping industry themed novel. His first foray into the world of shipping fiction was called ‘The Shipping Man’ and this story explored the complex and potentially problematic connections between Wall Street and the maritime world. It did well; Forbes gave the book a good review and it garnered praise from some influential shipping industry executives. Both books are available through Amazon.

Matthew McCleery isn’t the only fiction writer who has gained inspiration from the world of shipping, either. Back in 2012, CNBC.com Managing Editor Allen R. Wastler, who covered the maritime industry for The Journal of Commerce for many years, self-published a novel called “Cargo Kills.”

The novel, which is available for download on Amazon.com sounds intriguing, that’s for sure; "Dark docks, gritty shipyards, diesel-stained trains and trucks ... cargo is a dirty business ... and a deadly business. When ocean liners mysteriously sink and a dead body floats up under a cargo pier, a young reporter finds the story of his life. Problem is, can he keep his life long enough to tell it?"

Perhaps we’re looking at a completely new genre here? You read it here first…

Clean Energy for Scotland

There’s more good news for Scotland and its renewable energy sector; it’s recently been reported that a tidal energy scheme in the Pentland Firth has the potential to provide enough power to cover almost half of Scotland's electricity needs.

Engineers from Cambridge and Oxford universities have discovered that the firth, between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, has some of the UK’s fastest tidal currents, and estimate that if turbines were placed in the water there it could generate up to 1.9GW (gigawatts) of clean energy; equal to 43 per cent of Scotland’s average electricity consumption needs.

Turbines would need to be located across the entire width of the channel to fully exploit it, something that we at t ward shipping are glad to hear, as our work with the wind turbine industry puts us in the ideal position to be able to get involved with exciting offshore projects like this.

The team who conducted the study have already identified some of the best locations for the turbines, both in terms of their energy producing potential and their impact on the environment – so the project is looking very promising.

Prof Alistair Borthwick from the University of Edinburgh, said that the recent research built on earlier studies, and had analysed interactions between turbines and the tides more closely to come up with the figures. He explained;

"This is a more accurate approach than was used in the early days of tidal stream power assessment, and should be useful in calculating how much power might realistically be recoverable from the Pentland Firth."

The news was welcomed by WWF Scotland, who said that the sooner wind turbines could be deployed, the greater chance Scotland would have to become a world leader in developing the kind of technology needed to turn tidal power into clean, green electricity.

The project will be the first commercial deployment of tidal turbines in Scottish waters. MeyGen, who were given permission to develop the project in September last year,  said the phased project could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 42,000 homes, and that a second phase could see up to 400 submerged turbines at the site.

Watch this space for more updates on this interesting project; we’ll be taking a great interest in it ourselves.

Clean Energy for Scotland

There’s more good news for Scotland and its renewable energy sector; it’s recently been reported that a tidal energy scheme in the Pentland Firth has the potential to provide enough power to cover almost half of Scotland's electricity needs.

Engineers from Cambridge and Oxford universities have discovered that the firth, between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, has some of the UK’s fastest tidal currents, and estimate that if turbines were placed in the water there it could generate up to 1.9GW (gigawatts) of clean energy; equal to 43 per cent of Scotland’s average electricity consumption needs.

Turbines would need to be located across the entire width of the channel to fully exploit it, something that we at t ward shipping are glad to hear, as our work with the wind turbine industry puts us in the ideal position to be able to get involved with exciting offshore projects like this.

The team who conducted the study have already identified some of the best locations for the turbines, both in terms of their energy producing potential and their impact on the environment â€" so the project is looking very promising.

Prof Alistair Borthwick from the University of Edinburgh, said that the recent research built on earlier studies, and had analysed interactions between turbines and the tides more closely to come up with the figures. He explained;

"This is a more accurate approach than was used in the early days of tidal stream power assessment, and should be useful in calculating how much power might realistically be recoverable from the Pentland Firth."

The news was welcomed by WWF Scotland, who said that the sooner wind turbines could be deployed, the greater chance Scotland would have to become a world leader in developing the kind of technology needed to turn tidal power into clean, green electricity.

The project will be the first commercial deployment of tidal turbines in Scottish waters. MeyGen, who were given permission to develop the project in September last year, said the phased project could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 42,000 homes, and that a second phase could see up to 400 submerged turbines at the site.

Watch this space for more updates on this interesting project; we’ll be taking a great interest in it ourselves.

Why Smaller can be Better

As experts in the shipping industry, we are acutely aware of the trends which affect both our clients and our business. We’ve certainly noticed in recent times, a swing towards using smaller, more focussed shipping companies and away from the larger ‘names’ â€" and we asked ourselves why this was.

A few years ago, as the recession started to bite, it seemed that everyone was trying to save on cost, which was understandable. It would seem that in some cases, this was at the expense of two key elements though; the speed of transit and level of service. In some cases, we’ve heard that opting for lower-cost options ended up costing clients’ more in the long run. With the economy now picking up, quality of service is once more top of the list of considerations, which is often where the smaller company can excel.

Obviously, being a smaller company ourselves, T Ward Shipping prides itself on offering bespoke shipping services and in fact, we also aim to go over and above what you might expect from a bigger company, just because we can!
We think that customers are starting to see the advantages of the small company approach; smaller businesses might not have the buying power of a larger firm but when we do win your business we are always appreciative; it’s a competitive market. As a result, it’s possible that smaller shipping companies try that little bit harder to hold on to their valued customers, by offering an above average customer experience.

In a way, it’s easier for smaller firms to do this, as the sheer volume of clientele isn’t there in the same way it could be for a multi-national firm. Instead of having to farm calls out to a call centre or a customer service department, when you speak to a smaller company they probably only have a few people dealing with the calls on a regular basis, which gives you a chance to build up a relationship and not have to go over everything again each time you speak to a new ‘customer services adviser’.

It also means that if something does go wrong, a smaller company is more invested in making sure that it gets put right quickly. A larger company might have a whole list of complaints and issues to deal with â€" with a smaller firm the focus is on keeping the client happy and retaining business. Reputation is a major issue for small firms, who don’t have the budget for large marketing campaigns so rely on word of mouth and reputation for their business.
It’s almost like having a transport department of your own!

One major advantage we also identified for smaller shipping companies is that they have the freedom to offer a variety of services instead of being restricted just to their own. This opens up a wider choice for customers and gives them much more flexibility to accommodate specific requirements.

It seems that using smaller forwarder takes away all the hassle of transporting and shipping your items. Smaller firms such as T Ward Shipping can offer a tailored service, tailored to your requirements and all with a personal touch!