Why pre-voyage estimation is still where money is left on the table
Voyage estimation is vital to the profitability of the liner business. So why is it still done on spreadsheets, with manual lookups across multiple systems, or on tools so complex that comparing options takes longer than the decision window allows? Voyage Estimator exists to take that workflow — comparing the revenue against the total cost of the same voyage across different vessels — and collapse it onto a single screen.
The estimator minimises manual intervention to reduce error, and it pulls proforma detail — total moves, productivity, distance, speed, bunker type, canal crossing and pilotage — straight from the proforma schedules for the service. Multiple ports can be included in a single proforma. The vessel departure date is estimated from the arrival date using the proforma parameters.
What goes into the estimate
The accuracy of a voyage P&L is determined by how completely you can model the cost stack. The estimator brings each of the following into the same screen, drawn from the underlying database rather than re-keyed.
- Port expense costs — exact, per port
- Bunkering cost calculated from the current-year bunker rate
- Port and pilotage fees
- Charterer hire amount
- Canal crossing cost — including Panama and Suez transit times
- Insurance cost where applicable
- Demurrage (extending beyond agreed lay time) and despatch (releasing early) costs
Multiple vessels, multiple cargoes, one comparison
The estimator analyses any combination of vessels, cargoes, load and discharge operations — on a voyage basis or a Time Charter (TC) basis. It allows unlimited ports and cargoes per voyage and displays the key information on a single screen.
Total revenue is estimated from the cargo details supplied by cargo owners. Freight rate can be calculated against multiple charge bases — metric ton, kilos, pounds, lane meter (for the surface allocated on the ship), or revenue-per-ton (volume or weight whichever is higher in value). Shipment terms are selectable: Free In / Out, CY / CY and Stowage, Liner, Free In & FAS, Free In & Free Out, Liner In, Free Out, Free In & Liner Out.
Impacting the bottom line
Where the value lands: better planning, better chartering decisions, increased operator productivity, higher fleet utilisation, and automated invoicing that streamlines the process between chartering, operations and accounting. The voyage analyst can run multiple consecutive voyages and combinations and see the potential profit or loss before transportation is arranged. Once the estimate is built, the financial summary — voyage details, revenue, cargo handling cost, vessel cost, voyage result, and KPIs — is a click away for P&L analysis.