What to Include in a Company Profile for Shipping Agencies and Port Service Providers
A shipping agency or port service provider’s company profile should state which ports you cover, which services you perform, how you respond around the clock, and who stands behind the work. Open with coverage and services, then add credentials, team and references. Principals appoint agents they can trust to act on their behalf, so credibility has to be visible on the first page.
Shipowners, operators and charterers often appoint an agent in a port they have never visited. They rely on a short list from colleagues, associations or search, and the profile is what they read before sending a port call enquiry. A profile that is specific about ports and services gets shortlisted; a generic one does not.
Lead with ports and coverage
List the ports and terminals where you act, and say whether you cover them with your own offices or through correspondents. Be honest about the difference. Principals value clarity about who will actually attend the vessel.
Add the vessel and cargo types you handle: containers, bulk, tankers, ro-ro, project cargo, cruise or offshore support. If you specialise, say so. "We handle everything" is less convincing than a defined focus.
Spell out the services
Group services in the way your clients buy them. Typical headings include port agency and husbandry, husbandry disbursements, customs and clearance liaison, crew changes and logistics, bunkering and supply coordination, cargo operations supervision, protecting agency, and husbandry for owners’ representatives. List only services you actually deliver.
A short description of how a port call runs with you, from pre-arrival information through departure documents and final disbursement account, helps new clients picture the process.
Show availability and communication
Shipping is a 24/7 business. State your operating hours, your emergency contact arrangements and the languages you work in. Mention how quickly you typically issue pro forma disbursement accounts and final accounts, but only if you can support the claim. Concrete commitments are persuasive; vague promises are not.
Credentials, memberships and compliance
Include relevant memberships of national or international agents’ associations, your quality or management-system certifications where genuinely held, and your approach to anti-corruption and sanctions compliance. Principals increasingly ask about these in due diligence, so a clear statement saves them a round of questions. Do not list affiliations you cannot document.
Team, references and financial reliability
Name the managing director and operations leads, with their relevant experience. Cite principals you have served only with permission, or describe them by type (liner operators, tanker owners, project forwarders). If you can speak to the length of time you have operated in your ports, that is useful context.
Payment terms and your approach to funding arrangements matter to principals. You need not publish rates in a profile, but you can state how disbursement funding generally works.
How Compaino helps
Compaino reads your website and generates a company profile in one pass, with layout and content together. Sections where it has no information stay blank instead of being filled with invented detail, so you add your port list, memberships and references. You can edit each section, preview before paying, and export PDF or PowerPoint. Without a website, the questionnaire builds the profile from your answers. Compaino is not a verification service, so confirm every certification and membership claim yourself.
Related reading: logistics and freight companies and how to write a company profile.
FAQ
Should a shipping agency publish its rates in its profile?
Generally no. Rates vary by port call and vessel. State how you quote and fund, and provide pro forma accounts on request.
How do I show coverage if I use correspondents?
Say so clearly, naming which ports are covered by your own team and which by trusted partners. Transparency builds trust.
What format works best for principals?
A concise PDF that can be attached to an email, plus the same content on your site.
Key Takeaways
- Lead with ports covered and the services you actually perform.
- Be explicit about own offices versus correspondents.
- State 24/7 availability and how you communicate.
- Include only memberships and certifications you can document.
- Keep the profile current as ports, contacts and credentials change.
When you are ready, generate your company profile from your website and add your port details.