Commitment to customers, safety and the future of Newfoundland

For more than a century, Oceanex has connected Newfoundland to the rest of North America with more reliable, greener and safer transportation solutions.

Originating from humble beginnings in 1909 with a service to Corner Brook, the company expanded into St. John’s in 1949. Through the merger of Atlantic Container Express from Montreal and Atlantic Searoute Ltd. of Halifax in 1990, Oceanex was formed. The following year, a marine terminal operator in Newfoundland merged its operations with Oceanex, creating a major integrated transportation infrastructure provider in Atlantic Canada.

Since 1991, Oceanex has grown significantly. Having operated as an income trust until 2007, the company was privatized under new ownership, led by executive chairman, Captain Sid Hynes, who has since focused on building Oceanex into one of the most successful transportation companies in Eastern Canada.

More recently, the addition of the Oceanex Connaigra, the largest Canadian-flagged ConRo (combination container and roll-on/roll-off) ship in the country, was a substantial addition to its fleet.

“One of the most environmentally friendly ships in the world, the Oceanex Connaigra was custom designed to provide continuous, year-round efficient service to the province, operating on a fixed weekly schedule,” explained Deron O’Reilley, vice-president of sales and marketing for Oceanex.

Today, Oceanex imports nearly half of all goods and more than 90 per cent of new automobiles to Newfoundland and Labrador through its two weekly sailings from Montreal and weekly sailing from Halifax. As a leading provider of transportation solutions to and from the province, Oceanex offers door-to-door and pier-to-pier services for its customers, with three terminal locations in Montreal, Halifax and St. John’s.

“Our customers and the industries we serve span all sectors of the economy, including retail, grocery, food services, industrial and new and used automobiles, to name a few,” said O’Reilley.

Oceanex’s range of services includes full load transportation for large quantities of cargo and less-than-truckload for smaller shipments. The company also provides movement of new automobiles, oversized and heavy equipment, temperature-controlled goods, all while partnering with major steamship liner services, offering seamless end-to-end transportation solutions to connect global markets to Newfoundland and Labrador.

“The relationship with Oceanex spans more than a decade. At Coca Cola Canada Bottling Ltd., we have appreciated the collaborative efforts consistently made by Oceanex to service our business needs.”

David Keenan, director of transportation, Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Ltd.

Living by its core values

Customer satisfaction, safety and continuous improvement aren’t just words, they are the values Oceanex lives by.

With over 97 per cent per cent on-time performance, Oceanex doesn’t just claim to be best-in-class; it delivers on its promise.

“It’s a true distinguishing factor between us and our competition,” said O’Reilley. “Our customers rely on us for our quality service and on-time performance. Measuring and exceeding those on-time delivery commitments allow us to be proactive with our customer communication.”

“The Oceanex team provides reliable service to support our stores and customers. Their willingness to work together and offer resilient solutions to our supply chain gives us the necessary service and consistency. Frequent communications and updates ensure we know what is happening with our products while working collaboratively to plan for the long term.“

Mark Price, assistant vice-president transportation, domestic operations, Canadian Tire Retail

With these kinds of numbers, many companies would become complacent, but not Oceanex. Continued progress is always at the forefront, looking for and identifying issues or service breakdowns, knowing there’s always room for improvement.

“Our Quality Management system involves regular data collection and analysis, customer feedback, and performance benchmarking,” said O’Reilley. “By proactively monitoring processes across our business and seeking areas for enhancement, we can ensure that our services remain efficient, reliable and aligned with customer expectations.”

“As a long-term business partner of Toyota Canada, we appreciate Oceanex’s alignment to core Toyota values including kaizen (continuous improvement), effective communication and respect for the environment. Oceanex works hard to provide its customers with proactive updates with regards to any challenges encountered through the course of business. In addition, their focus on environmental initiatives and sizeable investment in vessel upgrades, sets them up well for success in the future. TCI is proud to partner with Oceanex in support of our Newfoundland Toyota dealers.”

Jonathon Recchia, manager, transportation and operations, vehicle logistics department, Toyota Canada

Through all its success, one core value Oceanex refuses to ignore is safety. To ensure its employees are provided with a safe and healthy workplace, Oceanex has implemented several initiatives, including regular toolbox talks to address specific safety concerns, review protocols and promote awareness. Safety inspections across their network are regularly conducted to identify potential hazards and ensure compliance and employees are required to report any incident or near-miss so an investigation can be done to determine the cause and prevent similar occurrences.

“Our commitment to a safe working environment has resulted in a strong safety culture within Oceanex. This dedication is reflected in our health & safety statistics, which consistently demonstrate a positive safety performance,” said O’Reilley. “By prioritizing safety, we create a workplace where employees feel valued, protected and motivated to contribute to a safe and productive environment.”

Green machine

Green transportation solutions are important to Oceanex, which is evident in the company’s fleet and land-based measures that reflect its environmental stewardship.

In addition to reducing sulfur emissions from its fleet of vessels, which included the introduction of the Oceanex Connaigra and moving its other vessels to cleaner fuel sources, –– the company has achieved several environmental milestones. Oceanex is certified by Green Marine, operates under the “just in time” arrival principle to reduce GHG emissions, has a truck fleet that is “certified clean idle” and ensures its marine partner carriers are equally responsible to the environment.

Oceanex is also collaborating with the Port of Montreal and QSL to create a domestic green shipping corridor aimed at eliminating carbon emissions on a shipping route between Montreal and Newfoundland.

For the best transportation solutions to Newfoundland and Labrador from anywhere in North America, visit oceanex.com and get your shipment to its destination on time.