In the modern world of finance, public relations and management, many professions that have existed for more than one century are gradually disappearing into oblivion. This trend is especially relevant for highly specialized industries, which include shipping and related activities. However, if passenger transportation by water has become an absolutely archaic and unnecessary phenomenon, as they were supplanted by air travel, high-speed trains and affordable road connections, then the transportation of goods by sea and river is gaining more and more speed. One of the most important people in this business is the tallyman. This is the person who provides order in the port. You will learn about his work, duties, pros and cons of this profession from the article.
Port accountant
Everything that has nothing to do with the everyday life of a person from afar seems incredibly interesting. And the more foggy his ideas are about that “distant” one, the more we tend to ascribe to him. Here in our case, asking the layman: “What is a tallyman?”, We will hardly hear the correct answer to our question. First of all, it is not “what”, but “who”.
The tallyman is the person responsible for maintaining the freight account. This, so to speak, is the port storehouse. Each shelter of cargo ships has its own permanent staff of talmans. Upon the arrival of the ship from the voyage or before its departure, these people make up the so-called tally sheet - a special statement that records how much, what and where the ship is being taken.
What does a tallyman do?
The tallyman is a very responsible profession. In domestic ports, freight meters work on behalf of their employer. However, in international harbors there are even special tally commissions. They are better known as "sworn counters." The main objective of this commission is to facilitate claims as an independent expert in the event that a debate begins regarding the incorrect recording of goods.
A person who takes up such a position as a tallyman is not just a worker. To competently perform his duties, he needs to have specific knowledge:
- To be able to keep receipts and receipts documentation, the so-called tally sheet, draw up work orders for the work performed by him, commercial acts that are transferred to port customers.
- Understand the labeling of goods, types of containers, packaging, state standards related to its work.
- Have sufficient skill in determining the weight of the cargo based on the draft of the vessel, also use special tools - different weights, loaders, cranes, etc.
In addition, the job description of the tallyman directly indicates that the person holding this position should know everything about the goods - its properties, storage and transportation rules, features. To do this, you need to be aware of the structure of storage facilities on ships, methods and methods of cargo placement, their fastening and marking.
How does the workflow
A cargo ship, entering the port or before leaving, must go through the unloading / loading process. This action is impossible without proper control, and the tallyman is the person who provides it. He is the main guarantor of maintaining the integrity of the cargo and the integrity of the carrier.
A few decades ago, the tally sheet was really just a sheet attached to a cardboard tablet. The documentation was carried out according to the generally accepted model, the amount of cargo, as well as its properties, was noted in the report card. There were plenty of minuses in such work. It was necessary to fill out the statements on the street, often in the rain or snow, which introduced their inaccuracies in the accounting. In addition, the summary of documents was carried out only at the end of the working day, which impeded the handling of goods.
Now talmans use handheld computers for work - portable computers equipped with special software. They are able to withstand any weather conditions, have sufficient RAM and quickly transmit information to the port office.
Related profession
Understanding who the tallyman is, you should not confuse it with a docker. Both of them are engaged in cargo handling in ports, however, if the tallymen consider it, then dockers are directly involved in the process of loading and unloading goods.
The duties of port loaders are not only the delivery of containers to the compartment or their removal, but also the competent distribution of the storage facilities. Once, all the work was done manually, and sometimes the docker had to drag the bags on his shoulders. Now there is a special technique to help loaders, greatly facilitating their work.
