Ordering/Administering the Pilotage Assignment
A pilotage assignment is ordered and planned at a pilotage order centre, which is co-located with a VTC/Vessel Traffic Centre. A process is ongoing to reduce the number of order centres as part of the effort to reduce the costs of pilotage operations. This was made possible by technological advances and the implementation of the Vessel Reporting System (VRS).
The ship’s master or his or her representative is required to provide information about e.g. the ship, the cargo and preliminary arrival time through the VRS (Vessel Reporting System). In conjunction, notice is provided as to whether the ship requires pilotage or not. The main rule is that the information must be provided to the VRS 24 hours prior to arrival, so the hope is that this will also improve resource utilisation.
When an order is communicated to the centre, the effort to allocate the assignment to the appropriate pilot and prepare for transport to and from the vessel begins immediately.