Jacobsen Pilots Biggest Ships in the World
"Ready to handle even the biggest ships" is the credo of Jacobsen Pilot Service, the only ISO 9001-certified pilot company in the US. Over three generations, Jacobsen has developed a tried-and-true protocol for bringing large vessels into the Long Beach harbor safely—even when it to comes to the most massive super tankers in the world.
When a ship arrives from East Asia at the port of Long Beach, it has been a long journey for the crew. Fortunately, Jacobsen Pilot is there to guide them through the very last step of the way. A ship—which can be more than three football fields long—is met outside the harbor, where a Jacobsen pilot comes aboard to take control. This captain, who has been extensively trained as a pilot, gives commands to the ship's captain and tugboats to bring the ship in safely. With nearly 90 years of experience, Jacobsen's sterling reputation for safety has made them an invaluable asset to the Port.
"Big ships can't afford any delays; they need reliability. They need to arrive on time and be moved safely every time, which is exactly what we do," says Tom Jacobsen, President of Jacobsen Pilot.
