Building the Prestige Brand of “Tan Cang Maritime Pilotage – National Defense Pilotage”

Over 15 years of construction, maturity, and expansion, the leadership, officers, and employees of the Company have constantly strived, overcome all difficulties, and brilliantly accomplished assigned missions, forging a proud tradition: “Regularity, Safety, Solidarity, and Efficiency”.

Tan Cang pilot boat guiding a container ship through narrow navigation channels – Photo: Quang Tien

Maritime pilotage is a highly specialized and rigorous profession. To attain the prestigious Senior Pilot qualification (First-Class / Special Class), pilots must undergo arduous training: possessing a First-Class Maritime Pilot Competency Certificate; completing a minimum of 300 safe pilotage missions in the capacity of First-Class Pilot or 200 safe missions over at least 36 months verified and certified by the regional Maritime Administration; completing 50 safe pilotage training runs on vessels exceeding 20,000 GT or overall length (LOA) over 175 meters; or completing 30 safe pilotage runs during a minimum 6-month Senior Pilot apprenticeship under direct supervision of certified Senior Maritime Pilots, formally assessed and endorsed by the Maritime Administration.

At inception, Tan Cang Pilot Company had only 3 pilots qualified for vessel maneuvering. Today, the Company boasts 72 pilots, including 43 Senior Pilots (accounting for nearly a quarter of all Senior Pilots nationwide). It is the only entity among 12 maritime pilotage organizations in Vietnam operating across two major compulsory pilotage zones (Zones 5 and 6), managing 7 pilotage routes for vessels berthing and unberthing at terminals operated by Saigon Newport Corporation across Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, and Cam Ranh – Khanh Hoa.

To establish such a formidable pilot team, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Anh Dung, Senior Pilot and Director of the Company, shared: “The Company has implemented synchronized solutions, from enacting progressive policies to attract top talent, to dispatching pilots for advanced overseas training combined with intensive in-house training programs. The Company has organized 14 delegations with 94 pilot visits to world-class maritime training centers in the US, Canada, and the Netherlands; collaborated with STC-Vietnam to conduct 5 Bridge Resource Management (BRM) and ship-handling simulation courses for Ba Son and Cai Mep turning basins; and fostered ship-maneuvering skill exchanges with peer pilot units and naval surface fleet units. Furthermore, the Company is partnering with STC-Vietnam and Tan Cang-STC to build dedicated simulation software for navigation channels in Cat Lai, Cai Mep, and Hiep Phuoc, alongside comprehensive theoretical and practical maneuvering courses for ultra-large vessels. We regularly invite leading professors from Vietnam Maritime University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport, and veteran senior pilots to impart valuable practical experience.”

Over the past 15 years, Tan Cang Pilot Company has consistently excelled in both military defense and commercial business operations. The pilot force has successfully guided over 800 military vessel calls from the Vietnam People’s Navy as well as modern international submarines, aircraft carriers, and warships visiting Vietnam for defense diplomacy; safely navigated hundreds of voyages transporting delegations from the Party, State, Ministry of National Defense, Navy Command, and provincial authorities to inspect Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago and DK1 offshore platforms; and steered vessels for inter-agency disaster relief, search and rescue operations. In the commercial sector, the company has provided safe pilotage for over 115,000 vessel calls, including latest-generation ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) and heavy-lift / out-of-gauge cargo ships up to 369 meters LOA and 160,000 DWT through narrow navigational channels and intricate turning basins under harsh hydrological conditions. Economic metrics have maintained steady double-digit growth: annual revenue has increased by an average of over 20%, and pre-tax profit has surged by over 23%. This confirms its leading market share and stellar service quality as the top maritime pilotage provider in Vietnam, earning the trust and appreciation of major international ocean carriers, shipping agents, and logistics partners, solidly establishing the prestigious brand “Tan Cang Pilotage – National Defense Pilotage”. This contribution enables Saigon Newport Corporation to maintain its position as Vietnam’s No. 1 container terminal operator and logistics provider, ranked 17th among the world’s top 20 container port clusters and TOP 5 reputable logistics enterprises in Vietnam.

In recognition of these stellar achievements, Tan Cang Pilot Company has been awarded one Second-Class Labor Order, two Third-Class Labor Orders by the President of Vietnam, along with numerous Certificates of Merit from various ministries, military, and civilian agencies.

Facing intense market competition, the Company has proactively driven innovations to enhance professionalism in command, operations, corporate governance, and workplace culture.

First and foremost, the Company focuses on administrative reforms aligned with business realities, upgrading port infrastructure, specialized marine craft, and modern technical equipment.

Significant investments have been channeled into maritime safety solutions, including: electronic navigational charts (ENC) deployed on iPads/iPhones to support night navigation in narrow channels; non-pushing tugboat maneuvering and docking techniques for submarines; two-tide navigation protocols; and full-mission ship-handling simulations for welcoming mega-vessels.

Information technology application is being accelerated across all departments, focusing on customer management, financial management, payroll systems, and progressing toward an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system ensuring high security and data integrity. We actively strengthen strategic partnerships with maritime authorities, the Vietnam Maritime Pilots Association, and peer pilot units, reinforcing solid trust with international shipping lines on service reliability.

Senior Colonel Nguyen Van Phuong, Party Secretary and Chairman of Tan Cang Pilot Company, stated: The future objective is to continue developing a pilot team characterized by “Diligence, Responsibility, and Compassion”, possessing superior technical expertise, political steadfastness, and immense professional passion; maintaining high corporate solidarity; and upholding the core values of Tan Cang Pilotage – National Defense Pilotage. The entire personnel are dedicated to making substantial contributions toward transforming Saigon Newport Corporation into Vietnam’s leading defense-economic maritime group and contributing to building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern Vietnam People’s Navy.