The Pilot's Perspective: Insights from Trelleborg's SafePilot Masterclass in St. Augustine

Every day, maritime pilots guide the world’s largest vessels through its most challenging waterways, a job critical to global trade yet often invisible to the public. So, what happens when these seasoned experts step off the bridge and into a room with the experts designing their most essential tools? At Trelleborg’s recent SafePilot Masterclass in St. Augustine, this collaboration offered a powerful look at how frontline experience is shaping a safer, more efficient future for navigation.

 

The daily reality for a maritime pilot is one of immense responsibility, constant change, and decisions made in seconds. It’s a profession defined by unpredictability - a late-night dispatch call, a sudden change in weather, or a complex maneuver in a crowded channel. At Trelleborg, our philosophy is that navigating the future of this demanding field requires more than just advanced technology; it requires a deep partnership with the pilots themselves.
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For the past several years, the SafePilot Masterclass has become a key event for this collaboration. It is a collaborative forum where pilots from across the Americas meet with our product specialists to share insights, address challenges, and collectively shape the tools defining the next era of navigation.
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Understanding the Real-World Challenges
Effective solutions begin with a deep understanding of the environment in which they must perform. The pilots who attend our Masterclass provide an invaluable window into their daily operations.
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For Jason Ledet, a NOBRA Pilot on the Mississippi River, the greatest challenge is the unknown. "I don't know what I'm going to do until about three hours prior," he said. "That affects your sleep; it could be day or night, in all types of weather."

In Canada’s St. Lawrence Seaway, Marie-Claude Laurendeau describes her work as a precise, high-stakes maneuver. “The timing with the other ship is like a big, tango dance that we have to do every day,” she said.
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Meanwhile, on the Hudson River, Sam Zapadinsky often operates hours away from support. “Once you get away from the port of New York, you are sometimes eight to 10 hours minimum from any tug assistance,” he noted. “You're really on your own.”
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Navigating the Future with a Human Focus
Looking ahead, discussions at the Masterclass consistently highlight both opportunities and obstacles. Artificial intelligence is a frequent topic. “It's coming, and we need to help guide it in,” said Ledet. Veteran Maryland Pilot Beth Christman agreed, adding a crucial point about implementation. “As I've always said, these technologies make good pilots better and bad pilots worse,” she advised. “You really have to use the technology correctly.”
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This is where the format of the Masterclass becomes critical. It provides a space to learn not only from Trelleborg's engineers but from other pilots. "Learning from best practices and their use cases is also very beneficial," said Zapadinsky. "Getting that feedback and learning lessons from them and bringing that back to our team is very helpful."
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The ultimate goal is to channel this direct feedback into meaningful advancements within the SafePilot ecosystem. The insights gained from users allow us to refine our Portable Piloting Units (PPUs) – enhancing both the hardware and navigation software – and introduce new features that align our development with the real-world needs of those who depend on it. 

This close partnership is what drives progress. Ledet speaks of a long-term collaborative vision for the software’s potential. “I think this software can take us to the next level,” he said. “If we just maybe push it a little bit more... all the different tools and vision that we’ve had about it can come to fruition.”

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Hear Directly from the Pilots
The conversation with these expert pilots continues. You can watch the full interviews from our St.Augustine Masterclass below

Building Technology on a Foundation of Trust

The insights from St. Augustine serve as a powerful reminder that the most successful technology is not developed in a vacuum. It ensures that new features and improvements are not driven from sheer guesswork but from the lived experience on the bridge of a vessel in a narrow channel or a pilot navigating rough seas.
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By putting the pilot’s perspective at the center of our design process, we are not just building technology. We are building the trust and confidence required to help them navigate the complexities of tomorrow, safely and efficiently.

Join the Conversation
To stay informed about upcoming sessions as we plan to expand these valuable sessions to other regions in the future, we invite you to follow Trelleborg Marine and Infrastructure on LinkedIn.