Terminal Shipping’s Herb grows ship agency from Baltimore roots

Robert A. “Rob” Herb, president and owner of Baltimore-based Terminal Shipping Co. Inc., may jokingly call himself a native “Baltimoron,” but he’s no dummy when it comes to knowing the advantages of Maryland port facilities and serving the needs of a diverse array of shippers. In his 25 years with Terminal Shipping – a steamship agent firm with roots going back two centuries – Herb has helped shippers benefit from the Port of Baltimore’s inland location while also extending his company’s reach to encompass offices in Eddystone, Pa., serving the ports of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Del.; Norfolk, Va.; Wilmington, N.C.; the Charleston suburb of Mount Pleasant, S.C.; and Savannah, Ga. In an interview with the American Journal of Transportation, Herb discusses his hometown port, involvement with North America’s largest mariners’ service agency and penchant for – what else for a Marylander? – crabbing. While Terminal Shipping has grown over the years to encompass offices in several other major ports, the company’s home remains in Baltimore, so can you please fill us in on what makes Baltimore so special for your firm and for the shipping industry? Baltimore is a diverse port, with opportunities in many sectors, including ro-ro [roll-on/roll-off cargo], containers, car ships, coal business, salt and many, many other bulk materials. We’re involved with a little bit of all of that. We’re fortunate to have different clients in various sectors of commodities handled in Baltimore, particularly the breakbulk and the bulk, with quite a bit of activity at Rukert Terminals’ private facility. It’s not part of the MPA [Maryland Port Administration], but they handle a lot of the cargos that we’re handling for our clients that are noncontainerized. With its deep berth capabilities and inland position and intermodal connections, what do you see as the future for the Port of Baltimore? I believe the Port of Baltimore is very competitive, noting that draft is a big issue with the next generation of vessels. With our MPA facilities and our private facilities with over 40 feet of water at most, it’s an advantage, considering also that Baltimore has proximity to a lot of the markets inland. The [short] distance to mid-America is an advantage. It’s not just with double-stack container trains but also cargos like steel, especially in the wintertime, when the [Great] Lakes are closed, for which it’s also an advantage for mid-Atlantic ports. What are you at Terminal Shipping doing to ensure the company capitalizes upon these opportunities? Our company actually is over 200 years old, with roots in Baltimore. We probably are the oldest steamship agency in the region. We’re able to guide our overseas clients with our experience at the Port of Baltimore for their various needs. Again, with the diversification of the port, there’s quite an advantage and opportunity for all types of cargos, and, with the proximity to the Midwest, it’s a large advantage for the region. I take it you are a native of Baltimore? Guilty. Baltimoron. I went to Dulaney High School in Baltimore County, then graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md. So why have you stayed so close to home? Well, I’ve got to be careful with that, because I’ve got offices in a lot of other ports. I’m sure my friends in Philadelphia, where we’ve got quite a bit of business, are going to be jumping up and down that I’m touting Baltimore, but it’s pure geography. It’s where I’m from. I did live and work in Philadelphia for 15 years, and I still go to that office two days a week. I spend a lot of time in the whole mid-Atlantic. They call me the I-95 Ghost from all the time I spend on I-95. What is your involvement with the Seamen’s Church Institute and why is this cause important to you? We’re on the front line. We’re onboard every vessel, and we see the trials and tribulations and the difficulties for crew members to actually get ashore and do things that they want. Since 9-11, the government rules have changed, and it’s really made it more difficult for crewmembers to have access to get ashore and go to church or go to shops or whatever. We really feel for the men who are away from their homes in a foreign place, and we try to help. A big help is the various seamen’s churches up and down the coast. We try to support them in any way we can. I’m actually on the board of directors of the Seamen’s Church for Philadelphia, and I support all the seamen’s churches in all our ports. It’s humanity-oriented. Whether it’s faith-based or just support or a friendly ride to the mall, it’s huge. The first thing the captains and the crewmembers ask us when we go aboard is about the Seamen’s Church and when and if they’re coming by. They rely on their service, and it’s greatly appreciated. What other interests outside your work occupy your spare time, assuming you occasionally get a break from work? I’m happily married, two kids, three grandchildren. I serve on my university alumni board, again am a board member of the Seamen’s Church and am a board member and secretary of the [Philadelphia-based] Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay. I try to play golf and tennis. And, of course, in my industry, I enjoy boating, too. So you have the headache of your own boat? Yep. The best boat is somebody else’s, right? Well I’m that guy. We go fishing and crabbing. You’ve got to crab if you’re from Maryland.