David Sinclair provided a fact filled presentation which demonstrated his depth of knowledge concerning freight movement by sea and logistics.
He joined the company Sea Road about about six years ago and the company has made steady growth over his time looking after the business which is mainly involved with moving freight to and from Melbourne and Tasmania.
Approximately 95% of freight is moved by seas to and from Tasmania and there are three main firms competing for the business. All types of freight is moved via Tasmanian ports in Devonport, Hobart, Bell Bay and King Island. David advised that international shipping lines tend to avoid Tasmania due to the size of their ships and freight size considerations.
Sea Road has one large ship and one smaller ship docking at dedicated berths and a large fleet of trucks. There are around 360 employees working under two awards.
David provided some eye raising statistics about salaries of maritime employees and working conditions and a history lesson about changes that have occurred over the past 30 years in the shipping industry.
David concluded that the industry is challenging with many variables and opportunities to improve efficiency.
Thanks David for joining us and enlightening many members on the very interesting topic of freight and logistics.