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2hDecember 2004
hHighlights
House to House
News and essential information for TT Club Members and their brokers
China & Hong Kong prepare for closereconomic partnership.
China Rules 04
Wonderful Copenhagen 06
YIFFA 08
Logistics 10
02/03
Patricia Ng, of theClub’s Hong Kongoffice, reports onthe new trade agreementsbetween HongKong and thePeople’s Republicof China.On 27 August 2004, eight months after
the full implementation of the Closer
Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
between Hong Kong and China, the
Central People’s Government and the
government of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region signed a second
agreement in Beijing designed to
further liberalise trade in goods and
services between the two areas.
While much of the agreement relates to
the trade in goods, reducing tariff
barriers and so on, a substantial section
of the new agreement, known as CEPA
II, deals with the provision of services
and the mutual recognition of
qualifications. Under the new agreement,
the mainland government has agreed to
grant preferential treatment in eight
further service sectors, for example, the
provision of airport services using
information technology, patent and
trademark agency services, cultural and
entertainment services and with
employment intermediaries. It also
extends liberalisation in eleven other
service sectors which had already been
granted preferential treatment under the
original CEPA. These eleven sectors
include legal, financial and medical
services and also, more importantly for
members of the TT Club, logistics,
transport (both by land and sea),
distribution and freight forwarding
activities. Currently under the transport
services sector of CEPA, service
providers incorporated in Hong Kong,
such as container station and depot
operators are allowed to set up
wholly-owned enterprises in mainland
China to operate international ship
management services, storage and
warehousing for international maritime
freight, container station and depot
services and NVOC services. It has also
allowed the providers to set up
wholly-owned shipping companies in
mainland China to provide regular
business services for vessels that they
own or operate, such as; the issuance of
bills of lading, settlement of freight rates
and signing of service contracts.
In the logistics, transport and distribution
sectors, companies established in Hong
Kong may open up wholly-owned
companies in mainland China, providing
the same kind of services. Thus, a
warehouse and storage company may
set up a company to provide
warehousing and storage services in
China, while freight forwarders can open
up a freight forwarding company.
Logistics service providers in Hong Kong
can create a Chinese company to
provide a whole range of services
including road transport, storage and
warehousing, loading and unloading,
value added processing, packaging,
delivery, transport consultancy, agency
and management services as well as the
operation of logistics services through
computer networks.
The need for freight forwarding and
logistics services is increasing rapidly
after China’s acquisition of WTO
membership. Exports are expected to
rise by an additional 2.4% a year over
the first five years of accession, while the
effect on imports could be even higher.
According to the China Logistics
Information Centre, the logistics market in
China was worth US$ 350 billion in 2003.
The Hong Kong Trade Development
Council notes that many companies
have already formed joint ventures with
Chinese companies and it expects that
this trend will accelerate under CEPA.
It also believes that the two partnership
agreements will encourage further
investment by overseas companies eager
to take advantage of the benefits that
Hong Kong based enterprises now enjoy.
An information note on CEPA II is
available from the website of the HKSAR
Trade and Industry Department at
http://www.tid.gov.hk/english/cepa/cepa
2.html ; other details of both agreements
can be found on the Trade Development
Council’s website on
http://www.hktrader.net/200411/cepa/
cepa-index2003.htm
House to House December 2004
The grounding of JODI F MILLENIUM and
TAI PING within nine months of one another
at two New Zealand ports was
understandably high profile news,
especially in a country where such events
are few and far between. The New Zealand
government has reacted by proposing a
code of good conduct for regional councils,
port companies and others involved in port
operations. Considering the media
attention major incidents now receive and
the public demand for regulation, it would
not be a surprise to see other countries
follow suit.
According to the introduction of the draft
code, called the Port & Harbour Marine
Safety Code (PHMSC), one of the main
issues addressed is the “uncertainty as to
the precise legal duties and powers of the
various entities” that have resulted from an
“incomplete and fragmented statutory
regime”. Put simply it could be said that
the code is an attempt to set out and agree
‘who does what’ at ports and in harbours.
The code has its roots in the UK Port
Marine Safety Code and has a similar
purpose to the International Safety
Management (ISM) Code that is in force for
ship operators.
The clarification of roles and responsibilities
should assist all parties involved and enable
ports to demonstrate having achieved a
standard level of risk management by
compliance with the code. Compliance
with the code might therefore, assist in
defending legal action. If all parties strive
to achieve and exceed the standard,
hopefully the number of incidents and the
level of litigation between parties will be
reduced. The concern is that the code
could actually have the reverse effect by
increasing the amount of litigation.
The earlier reference to the ISM Code is
relevant as a case history has now begun
to develop that enables predictions to be
made as to what effect the PHMSC may
have. There was an initial fear at the time
of the introduction of the ISM Code that it
would result in cargo owners being able to
work around defences and limitations in
international conventions, such as the
Hague-Visby Rules and CLC. Could codes
such as PHMSC prevent port companies
and other operators relying upon exclusions
and limitations of liability? So far this has
not been the case but the ISM Code has
enabled claimants to obtain better clarity of
the events that occurred in the lead up to
and during an incident. This has assisted
claimants in making arguments that the
ship did not react properly or did not have
adequate plans in place. Where a
shipowner could in the past deny a claim
with fairly scant evidence it now has to
produce the paper chain that is part of ISM
compliance.
This point was demonstrated in the case of
EURASIAN DREAM, a claim by cargo
interests for loss of cargo by fire. The crew
failed to quench the fire in its early stages.
The claimant was able to show the
‘designated person’, as defined under the
ISM Code, had failed to provide sufficient
documentation and procedures to the
Master and crew with respect to fire
fighting. The absence of adequate
documentation to demonstrate that the
ship owner had taken reasonable measures
probably contributed to the weakening of
the due diligence argument. The issue of
due diligence impacts upon whether the
ship operator can rely upon standard
exclusions or limits of liablity.
The PHMSC includes a requirement that
the port nominates a designated person
(DP) “responsible for conducting a port risk
assessment and ensuring...the
management system is operating”. The
DP “must have direct access to the Board
of Directors”. A “catch 22” situation could
develop for the owners because if the DP
does not report issues to the board then
the port’s safety management system will
have failed, but if the relevant issue has
been reported the board will need to show
it has acted. Despite the fact that the DP
will not necessarily be a senior employee,
the DP’s actions or failure to act could
enable prosecutors and claimants to
pursue the company where it has not been
possible in the past. The DP’s knowledge
of an act, or his state of mind with regard
to something which was done or not done
might be attributed to the company and
could result in a liability for the company.
This will be dependent upon the relevant
Acts and the rules of the port company.
For a number of reasons it is in ports’
interests to comply with the PHMSC and
from an insurance perspective an improved
safety management system should reduce
the number of losses. The effect of this
reduction would be an improvement in the
port’s loss record. Further to this a port
that is not compliant with the code is likely
to meet with a reluctance from insurers to
provide cover at renewal. At the extreme a
port might not be able to find cover at all or
could expect to pay an increased level of
premium. Members should note that it is a
requirement of cover that they comply with
regulations relating to safety. This is an
understandable approach because it would
not be reasonable for the premium of a
member that has made the effort to comply
with the safety code to support the claims
of a member that is not compliant.
As with previous codes of this type, those
companies that are already operating
responsibly will probably comply with the
code fairly easily. Those companies not
operating within the code need to realise
they are likely to face increased liabilities
enforced by the judiciary in an effort to
reduce incidents through better safety
management systems.
A New Code for NZ Ports
The question of entitlement to delivery
under a “straight” (non-negotiable) bill of
lading (that is, one addressed to a named
consignee, rather than “to order”)
continues to occupy the attentions of
courts around the world.
On the one hand there is what might
crudely be called the US position: that
the named consignee is – in the absence
of evident fraud - entitled to demand
delivery even though he does not have
an original bill of lading in his possession.
On the other hand, many jurisdictions
take the view that a bill of
lading is always a
document of title, no matter how it is
made out, and that the consignee – even
if specifically named in the address box
– cannot demand delivery unless he
produces an original bill to the carrier’s
agent. These opposing views clearly
create lots of difficulties for shippers
who may believe that, if they are still
holding the bill of lading, they are
protected against non-payment, only to
find out that the consignee has
nevertheless taken delivery without
having to surrender an original bill.
This unsatisfactory position also creates
many problems for carriers, whether
shipowners or NVOCs, since it is unclear
which of the
two competing parties has the better
“right” to delivery. For this reason the
Club has consistently advised members
to proceed with the greatest of caution
when agreeing release of cargo carried
in accordance with a “straight” bill.
The position in the People’s Republic of
China has been even more confused,
with some courts agreeing that the
consignee had a right to demand
delivery, while others took the opposite
view. Even a ruling of the Supreme Court
did not help: its judgment stating that “a
straight bill of lading is not a document
of title”, resulted in much argument as to
whether delivery under a straight bill
could still be made without it being
surrendered. In the absence of clear
law about the rights of the
various parties, these
arguments left
carriers and
China rules on non-negotiable bills of lading
04/05
House to House December 2004
Cape size vessel the "SA Fortius' called at Port
Kembla partly laden with coal from Newcastle
NSW bound for Rotterdam. Whilst swinging
prior to berthing in the inner harbour, it struck
the coal loader. The coal loader was heavily
Eilanda Lui the face of Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore 2005 Calendar.
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
TT E
VE
NTS
JA
N -
JU
NE
20
05
20 BIFA Freight Service AwardsLondonwww.bifa.org
24 Chamber of Shipping DinnerLondonwww.british-shipping.org
15-16 Port State Control ConferenceLondonwww.lloydslistevents.com
20-22 ITM Conference & ExhibitionHoustonwww.itm-events.com
20-22 IRPT Annual ConventionNew Orleanswww.irpt.net
2-3 Trans Atlantic MaritimeJersey Citywww.joc.com/conferences
21-27 IAPH BiennialShanghaiwww.iaphworldports.org
16-17 TOC EuropeAntwerpwww.toc-events.com
22 IFW AwardsLondonwww.ifw-net.com
28-29 3PL Summit - AmericasChicagowww.eyefortransport.com
cargo-owners in the unenviable
position of having to cross a legal
minefield with their eyes blindfolded.
The problem has been recognised
by Chinese maritime and commercial
lawyers, who agreed that a firm rule
was necessary. The Shanghai law
firm of Wang Jing & Co has told us
that a recent meeting of China’s main
legislative body, the Commission of
Legislative Affairs of the National
People’s Congress discussed the
problem and reached consensus
that, in all future cases where the
Maritime Code of the PRC is
applicable, cargo delivery may only
be made against the surrender of an
original bill of lading, regardless of
whether it is a “straight” bill or an
“order” bill. In other words, the
Chinese courts have lined up with
the second group of countries.
This is a welcome clarification of the
position in the People’s Republic of
China. This consensus has now
removed the uncertainty and
confirmed that surrender of a
non-negotiable bill of lading is
necessary under the Chinese
maritime code before the consignee
can demand delivery.
Further details are available from
Wang Jing & Co’s website on
http://www.wjnco.com/download/wjc
ircular0401.pdf
This is an expanded version of an
article that appeared recently in the
TT Club’s free electronic newsletter,
TT Talk. Published around 15 times a
year, TT Talk brings news of
developments in maritime, insurance
and legal matters. If you would like to
receive TT Talk regularly and are not
yet on the mailing list, please send
an email with your name and your
company name to [email protected]
with the subject line “subscribe”.
06/07
Even when a business is well
known and has a high degree of
brand recognition it cannot afford
to rest on its laurels and wait for
new business to walk through the
door, whether to replace business
lost or develop pastures anew.
This is the position in which the TT
Club, after 36 years, with a truly
enviable client list finds itself.
Alan Wilkins TT Club (left) and Klaus Eberlin from EIA.
Neils Aaskov TT Club (left) and John Dinesen Larsen fromMaersk Insurance.
Paul Neagle (Chief Executive of TT Club), Knud Pontoppidan (Executive Vice President of A. P. Møller-Maersk A/S) (right)and Bernd Menzinger (Deputy Chairman of TT Club Board) (left).
George Eddings from Holman Fenwick and Willan.
“Wonderful Copenhagen!”
Kjell Torseth from Wilhelmsen Insurance Services (left) andFrank Friel TT Club.
Frank Friel TT Club (left), Mads Poulsen from Kromann Reumert (right) and Kjell Torseth from Wilhelmsen Insurance Services.
Hergen Tantzen from Lighthouse Logistics Consulting GmbH& OcKG (right) and Klaus Prebesen A.P. Møller-Maersk (left).
House to House December 2004
Neils Aaskov TT Club (left), Knud Pontoppidan (ExecutiveVice President of A.P. Møller-Maersk A/S) (middle) and CraigNeame from Holman Fenwick and Willan.
Darren Carr from Aon (left) and Michael Krogsgaard fromA.P. Møller-Maersk A/S.
For this reason we continue to actively
promote our high service standards and
industry leading product portfolio.
Throughout 2004 TT has actively
engaged in 26 events on a global basis,
the clear objective being to
communicate the considerable benefits
of being a Member of TT Club.
The November Intermodal Transport and
Logistics conference and exhibition held
at the Bella Centre in Copenhagen is just
such an opportunity, combining the
placement of our corporate exhibition
stand at an event that drew 2,500
transport industry visitors during three
days and provided a superb venue for the
TT to host a lively discussion relating to
the insurance of the logistics process.
Despite a busy schedule we co-ordinated
a cocktail reception hosted by Club
director Knud Pontoppidan on the
evening of November 3. Some 60
brokers and TT Members attended at the
Admiral Hotel, illustrated in the photos.
ITL Copenhagen 2004, Bella Centre
Peter Stockli TT Club (left) and Paul Wilkinson from MaerskLogistics.
08/09
Anita van Kooten - Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year 2004
The YoungInternational FreightForwarder of theYear Award 2004has been awardedto a young ladyfrom the Netherlands.Anita van Kootenwas the Candidatefrom FENEX (theNational ForwardingAssociation of theNetherlands) and isan employee ofMAT Transport inZwijndrecht.
All entrants wrote on the subject of three
potential customers that had contacted
them for assistance and guidance
relating to the transport of their
products. Each of these potential
customers was dealing with their first
overseas sale, but they each had little
knowledge of transport or the countries
to which the goods had been sold.
The goods themselves were not exactly
easy items to ship, they were:
Molybdenum Pentachloride to Ecuador,
Intel Pentium IV microprocessors from
the United States and Rolled Sheet
Steel going to Mongolia.
All candidates were asked to provide
good advice to each customer on the
actual shipment of each product,
irrespective of whether an import or an
export shipment, and to take into
account all possible methods of
shipment from air, through road, rail and
barge to sea carriage in order to asses
the most effective method, or combination
of methods, to suit the products and the
needs of the exporter or importer. Cost
effectiveness and appropriate timelines
would, naturally, need to be taken into
account.
Anita’s dissertation took all of these
aspects into account in respect of each
of the products and destinations and she
clearly indicted why she chose to
transport the goods in the way she
mentioned, what documents were
required, the things that need to be
arranged before the shipment could
actually take place and what the
customer has to take into consideration.
She treated each product as a real
shipment and asked many questions of
the shipper and the receiver and she
provided differing quotations in order to
assess the best method of shipment.
Our congratulations go to Anita for her
efforts and the Award Steering Group
has selected one of the Clubs’ Asia
Pacific offices as the venue for Anita’s
two week practical experience. In
addition she will also come to London
for one week’s course on An Insight into
Transport Insurance and Law and she
will have a one week course on Air
Cargo with IATA.
Anita’s paper can be viewed on the TT
Club website: www.ttclub.com
For 2005 the award is being changed so
that there will be four regional winners,
one from each of the following regions:
Africa/Middle East, Americas, Asia
Pacific and Europe. Each regional
winner will be invited to the FIATA World
Congress to receive their regional
trophy. The International winner will be
chosen from these four regional winners
during the World Congress.
(From left to right) John Nicholls (Chairman Award Steering Group), Issa Baluch (President FIATA), Anita van Kooten(winner), Han van Os (Director General FENEX).
House to House December 2004
Coals fromNewcastleCape size vessel SA Fortius called at
Port Kembla partly laden with coal from
Newcastle NSW bound for Rotterdam.
Whilst swinging prior to berthing in the
inner harbour, it struck the coal loader.
The coal loader was heavily damaged
and the coal terminal sought recovery
of the repair cost at over US$10million
from the ship owner. The ship owner
then claimed an indemnity for the
liability it faced from the Port Authority.
The case was heard by the Federal
Court in Sydney and ran for 8 weeks.
The judge awarded damages in favour
of the Coal Terminal for the repairs and
rejected the ship owner claim for an
indemnity against the port.
The judge found that there was no
contract between the shipowners and
the port authority. Pilotage is provided
by the port and taken up by visiting
vessels as part of a statutory
arrangement only. Because of this
conclusion the judge did not need to
consider whether section 74 of the
Trade Practices Act had any application.
Section 74 implies obligations of due
care and skill into contracts for
services.
The Port was not liable under section
52 of the Trade Practices Act for
engaging in ‘misleading and deceptive
conduct’ in trade or commerce.
Statutory pilotage is not conduct of a
type that is “in trade or commerce”.
The judge confirmed the interpretation
of section 410B of the Navigation Act,
which is similar to the equivalent
English statute, by the Australian High
Court, in the “Oceanic Crest” (this case
was subsequently approved by the
House of Lords). That vicarious liability
of the ship owner for the negligence of
a pilot precludes liability on the part of
the pilot’s general employer, the port
authority. The judge confirmed the
additional immunity granted by section
85 of the Ports Corporatisation and
Waterways Management Act to “pilotage
service providers” for the acts of
persons “acting as a pilot”. The judge
rejected the argument that one can only
be “acting as a pilot” when one is
licensed (having found that the pilot was
not licensed). The judge considered the
apportionment of responsibility between
the shipowner and the port, to cater for
the possibility of a successful appeal.
His ultimate finding was that
responsibility (if it becomes relevant)
should be apportioned on a 60/40 basis,
in the shipowners’ favour. That would
only be relevant if the statutory
immunities and section 410B of the
Navigation Act were overruled.
The case may be the subject of an
appeal by the shipowner.
On a per capita basis, Australia’s reliance
upon road transportation is the world’s highest
and the road freight volume is expected to
double within the next ten years. This is
principally due to two factors: a rather
disjointed rail network and the vast distances
separating major cities - up to 2000 miles.
The enormous distances travelled by road in
Australia mean that fatigue related accidents
represent a major cost to the industry. The
increased use of technology, with GPS
tracking & vehicle monitoring, have led to
improvements in accident rates, as has the
pressure applied by Unions & Governments
with the recently introduced Chain of
Responsibility (COR) legislation.
The ‘COR’ legislation aims to make all players
in the chain accountable for the results of
their influence in the transportation of goods.
No longer, for example, can the supermarket
chain simply ignore the implications of
unrealistic time deadlines. Such deadlines are
passed down through the freight forwarder,
the prime contractor, the sub contractors and
often then to an owner-driver operator.
Invariably, the operator at the end of the
chain receives the smallest cut of the freight
rate and yet is exposed to the greatest degree
of pressure to meet deadlines, sometimes
resulting in accidents.
The insurance premium pool for heavy road
transport in Australia is in excess of
A$500,000,000 per annum and the size of the
market allows an organization known as
Trucksure to select road freight operators that
are actively working to address the major risk
issues involved in this part of the
transportation process.
TT Club supports the Trucksure facility by
offering cover for material damage and third
party property to trucks and trailers for
Australian road transport operators. The units
insured, usually prime movers & articulated
trailers, can be valued at up to A$600,000
and, in more remote areas, are configured into
road trains with a single prime mover pulling
numerous (up to 5) trailers. Trucksure has an
office in the New South Wales State capital of
Sydney and another in the regional transport
hub of Wagga Wagga, which is located
mid-way between Sydney and Melbourne.
Looking to the future, driver availability is
becoming a major issue with fewer younger
people opting for a life on the road. The
transport industry and Government have
implemented training and formal qualifications
in the hope that offering a recognized career
path in transport will encourage more young
people to take over from a dwindling and
ageing driver pool.
The future of road transport in Australia
remains bright with all the stakeholders
working towards a safer, more efficient and
profitable environment. Trucksure and the TT
Club are committed to playing an important
role in this future.
Road transport/Trucksure
is therefore, one way to fill the void of
uncertainty between the loss or damage of
product as well as the livelihood of the
principal.
“The requirement for carriers to accept full
value cargo carriage can make negotiations
difficult unless due financial provision is made
for this in the tendering process and insurance
protection obtained.”
The provision and ready availability of
extended liability cover is now a commercial
requirement which any logistics insurance
product has to recognise. This development
has led to a blurring of where the traditional all
risk cargo and cargo liability cover begins or
ends. While it is not suggested that all risk
cargo insurance is fated to end in the
foreseeable future, the insurance industry has
to recognise that, as the supply chain industry
looks to eliminate separate profit silos, it
cannot stand aside from such developments
and offer separate policies for the transport
business.
The Club is therefore, focusing its
acknowledged expertise to provide a single
point of sale, working with market leaders, to
offer a comprehensive, long term solution to
the increasingly complex area of transport
insurance. With a phased introduction,
initially to existing Members only, commencing
from1st January 2005, the Club is to deliver a
logistics product that provides a balance
between exposure and commercial
acceptability structured in such a way as to
meet the varying requirements of its Members.
A key factor in this development is a fresh
approach to risk assessment. The Club never
previously presumed to question an operator’s
ability to meet contractual obligations,
however experience has led us to reconsider
our approach to information gathering and
service offering by introducing a benchmark by
which companies can measure their facilities,
management and operational capabilities.
For further information please contact Alan
Wilkins on [email protected] or +44 (0)20
7204 2655.
immune from the drive to eliminate
unnecessary costs, regardless of cargo type.
“As cargo producing companies increasingly
focus on core activities the percentage of
outsourced logistics continues to grow.”
Reference to the many trade journals and
papers serving the transport and logistics
industry provides detail of the ongoing
development of mergers and acquisitions that
continue without sign of any let up at present.
While this jockeying for position is inevitable
as companies look to provide the all embracing,
global ‘one-stop-shop’, the commercial
advantages of taking over traditional ‘in-house’
services and activities are not lost on either
party.
“The trend is however to reduce the number of
service providers to a single lead logistics
provider.”
The consequences for the smaller service
providers are, at best, a change in principal or,
at worst, the loss of that business. Either way
such developments have an impact on the
insurance industry as we begin to see the loss
of the smaller, non-specialist, operator in the
face of increased and increasing demands of
the new and larger service provider.
“The risks associated with the carriage and
warehousing of cargo have not changed but
the obligations on the service provider have.”
The risks of national and international carriage,
warehousing and distribution have not
changed with the development of logistics, but
the obligations undertaken by the logistics
service provider certainly have. The cargo
itself is still susceptible to the same loss and
damage – a contractual obligation that is
catered for and found in most standard freight
forwarding policies - however, the onerous
nature of a number of individual user contracts
is generally dictated by the principal who, in
outsourcing a number of former in-house
functions, is ceding an amount of self-control
as well as entrusting key commercial
relationships to a third party. If the service
provider fails to meet the service obligations
then both the principal and the customer suf-
fer as a consequence. Protection by contract
10/11
Perhaps imperceptible to some, others have
recognised new business opportunities in
transport that is evolving and quietly
revolutionising the industry. In this article Alan
Wilkins offers his view of some current trends
and developments taking place in the
transport industry and how they will impact on
insurers.
“The means to control cargo movement have
widened as shippers and cargo producers
increasingly outsource total responsibility to
logistic service providers.”
A factor in the development of logistics is not
so much the outsourcing of responsibility for
the carriage, warehousing and distribution of
products, a trend that forwarders have
witnessed and benefited from over the past 20
years or so, but how, because of enhanced IT
systems and technologies, this has been taken
to a higher level with the planning, design and
implementation of supply chain systems by
service providers. Service providers now
control the supply chain rather than the
shippers and cargo producers themselves.
Container shipping lines have not been slow to
realise the opportunity and most, if not all, of
the major container shipping companies have
now established their own logistics companies
to market their ability to manage and control
cross border logistics in addition to their well
recognised international freight services.
The obvious interest is to secure cargo for their
container fleets, for carriage on their vessels
and maximise their advantage in owning and
managing marine and inland terminal facilities.
The once traditional national warehouse and
distribution companies have progressively
expanded into international transport and
forwarding activities, principally through
acquisition, so making their logistics skills
more widely available.
Ports too, are marketing themselves as
logistics providers rather than solely as port
operators or terminal facilities. The logic is
simple. Why move goods through one facility
to reach another when distribution can be
arranged directly from the point of arrival?
All elements of the supply chain are under the
spotlight of improved efficiency and the
interface between sea, air and land is not
‘A Quiet Revolution’ Logistics
House to House December 2004
Following the 2002, 2003 network
partners and correspondents
conferences in America and Europe, the
Club hosted its Asia Pacific network
partner conference in Hong Kong in early
November.
TT Club’s objective was to ensure all our
network partners were up to date with
any policy wordings changes, claims
systems improvement and customer
service such as ClaimsTrac. An
important aspect of the conference is
the relationship building of the
international network as increasingly
claims necessitate multiple offices’
handling and expertise. The information
exchanged at the event enhances the
importance of maintaining high service
levels to meet Member needs.
The TT Club Network.
ABOVE: Left to right: Y.S. Ng (TT Club). S.H. Han (Hyposung), K.M. Kin (Hyposung), Grace Nobel(TT Club), Thomas Yan (Spica) and Capt. Saroch Sansook (Spica).
Andrew Kemp presenting the Hallof Fame Award to ex-MalaysianPrime Minister, Dr Mahathir at theAsia Logistics Awards/FTB Asia,Kuala Lumpur, October, 2004.
MountbattenDianna Tingg and Nick Mogno are two of
the newer faces among TT Club’s London
office, having started in March and
September, respectively. Dianna and Nick
are with TT as part of the Mountbatten
Internship Programme, a year-long
internship for young American and British
graduates. Mountbatten promotes
educational and business links between the
USA and the UK, with dual programmes in
London for Americans, and New York City
for Brits. The 51 American interns currently
in London (as well as the 200 Brits in New
York) work in a number of different
companies and industries.
The internship combines a full-time work
placement with an education and training
course – the Mountbatten Certificate in
International Business practice, which
includes business studies through the
University of Cambridge.
Dianna, from Tacoma, Washington, studied
international politics and economics at the
University of Puget Sound and worked in a
Seattle law firm before coming to TT. At
TT, Dianna works on the development of
internal software and databases, as well
as with the international claims team.
Nick graduated this May from Colorado
College, where he studied business and
economics. He also studied at
Maastricht University, and originally hails
from Golden, Colorado. Nick works with
TT’s marketing team.
“Mountbatten is a flexible, user-friendly
program which provides high quality US
graduates, who bring a new dimension to
our diverse London office” says Bob
Grainger, Chief Operating Officer of Thomas
Miller & Co, managers of the TT Club. “Our
interns have proved very helpful in
progressing projects in a number of areas.”
Thomas Miller and the TT Club look forward
to hosting more interns in years to come.
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communication and accessibility of staff.
We have been pleased with the level of
interest shown by our Members and brokers
in this project and are grateful to everyone
who has taken part. The results have been
largely positive. In the last four phases of
interviews spanning 18 months, the average
score for “overall satisfaction” levels
expresses as a percentage was 85% taking
all factors into consideration. The sample
graph above illustrated improvements made
during the period of the survey.
Whilst the value of this project is evident we
will continue to monitor satisfaction levels in
2005 and beyond utilising a shorter, improved
process that focuses on the main areas of
importance identified by you our Members
and brokers.
To find out more about TT’s Customer
Satisfaction Survey please visit our website
on: www.ttclub.com
Customer Satisfaction SurveyOver the last two years we have
undertaken extensive research to assess
the level of customer satisfaction with
TT product and service. This has
involved phone interviews with Members
and brokers drawn from a random
sample of our database.
The aim of this project was twofold: to
obtain feedback which can be used as a
key performance indicator for the TT
Board, and to provide information which
can assist in helping to refine and
improve upon existing products and
services, while providing direction for
future development.
The interview questions addressed all
aspects of TT operation, including:
underwriting, claims, quality of advice,
cover, documentation, risk management,
administrative support, credit control,
visual identity and website service.
Questions were also asked about
The Directors and staff of the TT Club
hope that you have each found something
of value or good cheer during 2004.
As we approach another year we extend to
you all our warm greetings and friendship in
the wish that 2005 will be happy and
successful year.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!