Caribbean Feeder About Us

Caribbean Feeder Services, LTD. Hamilton, Bermuda

How did we get started and where are we today?

For centuries, shipping companies today called Global Carriers, provided connections between world ports into the Caribbean and its rim countries. They serviced a number of ports along their trade routes, however, only at their convenience. Their main emphasis was the connection from the Far East, Europe, South America, and North America to specific countries in the Caribbean. Little consideration was given to the fact that there was trade and transport needed from one regional port and country to the next.

This situation became further exasperated when the vessels of these Global Carriers became larger and they began to cancel port calls, discharging their containers various Caribbean and Central American hubs to be transshipped to their final destinations. Needless to say this caused many disruptions in various markets thus creating the need for regional carrier support.

Those events became the catalysts for the creation of Caribbean Feeder Services as follows:

In 1999 there was a specific and acute need for maritime transport between Kingston, Jamaica and Port of Spain, Trinidad. Not one carrier with large enough volumes could arrange its own transport economically causing local Jamaican customers to complain to their government.

Harren & Partners made available the MV Pampero to a select group of carriers and established weekly voyages between the two ports.

The Caribbean “Ship Driver” concept was born and subsequently offered this specialized, professional service to any interested global and regional carrier.

The concept was simple:

Be totally neutral.

Do not own any shipping containers.

Do not compete with our customers.

Sell slots under FIOS terms.

Do not get involved in any cargo handling.

Offer new trade routes to any carrier who was interested in joining in.

In 2004, Harpa Shipping & Chartering, part of the Harren & partner group, assumed a major role in CFS, and the company was incorporated in Hamilton, Bermuda.In our first full year of operation our company carried 50,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units). In 2002, we carried 130,000 TEU. In 2004, we carried 294,000 TEU, and in 2006, 2007, and 2008 the total volume handled was approximately 300,000 TEU per year. With the recession having set in, CFS expects volumes of 250,000-275,000 TEU per annum.

The CFS development was strictly organic with new vessels being put into service only when customers and volumes made it necessary. This also posed a challenging task for Harren & Partner Group which ultimately led to the construction of new buildings to facilitate CFS’ trade and growing demand, and the group has taken on the responsibility to make sure that sufficient tonnage is available to offer reliable service to the Global Carriers. Today CFS only employs vessels provided by Harren.

Dialog with CFS’ customers is always conducted on a very professional basis, and negotiations are always extremely transparent. This is a relationship where the customer’s level of knowledge is at least as high as that of CFS if not higher; but what makes CFS and its people stand out is our specific knowledge of the Caribbean region.

Caribbean Feeder Services, as part of the Harren & Partners group, is looking forward to interesting and challenging developments in the region. Many carriers have merged, alliances are being forged and vessel sharing agreements have been reorganized. The CFS feeder vessels will always gravitate to the hubs where the carrier’s mainliner makes its call. CFS believes that its concept of total neutrality will carry it through and will make sure that we are always an important contributing part of the ever growing maritime transportation picture within the region.

MV Pafilia