New cargo carrier has sights set on Hawaii market

Move over, Matson and Pasha.

A new entrant into Hawaii’s cargo shipping industry stepped forward Thursday, promising exceptional service and a return to three-way competition that has been absent in the market since Horizon Lines bowed out two years ago.

TOTE Inc., a sister company to interisland cargo carrier Young Brothers Ltd., said it has tentative plans to start hauling containers to the state from the mainland with the first of four ships, which is already under construction.

TOTE has signed a letter of intent to buy the four ships from a shipyard in Philadelphia. The company also said it began discussions with state officials this week about renting space at Honolulu Harbor for cargo delivery and handling operations.

If realized, TOTE’s service would give local businesses and consumers another option for shipping, starting in 2020 when two initial ships are slated to be finished followed by two more ships in 2021.

“TOTE is excited to bring our best-in-class service to the people of Hawaii,” Anthony Chiarello, company president and CEO, said in a statement. “TOTE’s presence on the islands will provide market stability and introduce new environmentally advanced vessels that will greatly benefit the islands.”

The four ships are to be built by Philly Shipyard Inc., which announced in June that it had started building the first ship for a then-unidentified prospective customer.

TOTE is a subsidiary of Saltchuk, a Seattle-based company with a collection of subsidiaries that includes Young Brothers, Aloha Air Cargo, Hawaii Petroleum, Ohana Fuels, Minit Stop and tug boat operator Foss Maritime. TOTE, which was once known as Totem Ocean Trailer Express, operates ocean cargo service in Alaska and Puerto Rico using two ships in each market.

Besides a tentative ship purchase order, another factor critical to TOTE’s plan is obtaining container terminal space at Honolulu Harbor.

Tim Sakahara, a state Department of Transportation spokesman, said discussions are in an early stage and that the department will review opportunities that could benefit the state.

TOTE said a commitment for terminal space in Honolulu is needed to move the venture forward.

Matson Inc. and Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines have had a duopoly on delivering ocean cargo to the state from the mainland over the past two years after an exit by Horizon Lines.

It appears now that TOTE’s move might be a response at least in part to Pasha and its aging fleet.

Pasha, which began Hawaii service in 2005, bought four ships and other equipment from Horizon in 2015 for $141.5 million. Pasha at that time had two of its own ships.

Pasha’s four former Horizon ships are 36 years old and can’t continue operating as they are after 2020 because of federal pollution control regulations.

In November, Pasha announced it was finalizing a contract for two new ships with an option for two more. But then in May, Pasha said it was ordering only two ships and that they would be smaller than the ones it talked about ordering in November.

The two new Pasha ships, projected for delivery in 2020, will have a capacity of 2,525 TEUs, or the equivalent of 2,525 20-foot containers. The prior expected order was for ships with a capacity of 3,400 TEUs. Pasha’s four former Horizon ships have capacities of 2,300 to 2,400 TEUs.

TOTE said its venture, with ships based on designs for 3,600-TEU capacities, will “maintain trade capacity” in the face of the 2020 deadline to comply with stricter environmental regulations.

Pasha representatives could not be reached for comment Thursday, but in June the company issued a short statement in response to the Philly Shipyard announcement: “Our number one focus is on our customers and continuing to do our best to serve them and ensure their ocean transportation needs are met.”

Matson has 11 ships in its Hawaii service, and plans to replace three older ships that are near the end of their useful lives. Two new ships were ordered in 2013 for a combined $418 million and are slated for delivery in 2018 and 2019. Matson ordered another pair of ships last year for a combined $511 million and expects to receive them in 2019 and 2020.

Matson said in a written response that it has served Hawaii for 135 years and expects to remain the market leader for many years to come.

“We continue actively investing in our service, including nearly $1 billion in new ships and terminal improvements coming online over the next three years, and remain committed to our mission — to move freight better than anyone,” Matson said.