What is PilotControl?
PilotControl is Tidalis’s dedicated pilot management platform, built specifically for marine pilot organisations, pilotage authorities, and port-employed pilot groups. It covers the complete operational and financial cycle of pilotage: from scheduling and dispatch through rest-hour compliance to instant invoicing upon assignment completion. Unlike generic port management systems adapted for pilotage,
PilotControl was designed from the ground up around the realities of pilot work — the personal liability, the timing pressure, the qualification complexity, and the administrative burden that consumes time that should be spent on the water. Tidalis has been building software for pilot organisations since 1985. That depth shows in every workflow.
TRUST
Purpose-built for pilotage since 1985 – 40 years of domain expertise
Fair, compliant scheduling – rest-hour rules enforced automatically
Mobile-first – pilots access schedules and data from any device, anywhere
Instant invoicing upon assignment completion
Trusted by Hamburg Harbour Pilots, Flinders Ports, and Townsville Pilots
Integrates with PortControl and MaritimeControl for a unified port picture
Key features & Capabilities
PilotControl is built around the three people who carry pilotage operations: the dispatcher, the pilot, and the finance team. Every feature exists to remove friction for one of them.
Compliant scheduling
Pilot assignments are planned automatically around each pilot’s qualifications, certifications, and mandatory rest-hour rules — without manual checks or spreadsheet workarounds. When a vessel schedule changes (and they always do), PilotControl adjusts available pilot assignments instantly, giving dispatchers a clear picture of who can take the next job without compliance risk.
Real-time dispatch visibility
Dispatchers see every pilot’s status, location, and availability in real time. Assignment changes, vessel schedule updates, and service confirmations are reflected immediately across the system — so dispatchers manage exceptions rather than chase information.
Mobile-first access for pilots
Pilots receive assignment details, vessel particulars, tidal data, and berth information directly on their mobile device — before they step onto the launch. They can report status, log observations, and confirm completion from any device, without calling into the office. PilotControl puts the right information in a pilot’s hands at the moment they need it, not after.
Instant and accurate invoicing
Invoices are generated automatically upon assignment completion, applying the correct tariffs, contractual discounts, and billing rules without manual reconciliation. Complex tariff structures, multi-currency billing, and port-specific rules are handled by the system, not by a finance team working from notes.
Safety Observation Tool
PilotControl includes a free-to-use web portal where pilots log safety observations after each assignment. From water conditions, navigational hazards, berth changes, or vessel behaviour all for the benefit of the next pilot on the same route. It builds institutional knowledge that stays in the organisation rather than walking out the door with each shift change.
Integration with PortControl and MaritimeControl
PilotControl connects directly to PortControl for live vessel schedule data and shared invoicing, and to MaritimeControl for real-time vessel tracking. Dispatchers work from the same operational picture as the harbour master and the VTS operator — so pilot planning reflects what is actually happening in the port, not what was planned two hours ago.
Who uses PilotControl?
Independent pilot associations
For self-governing pilot associations, PilotControl provides the operational structure to manage scheduling fairness, qualification compliance, and billing across a membership — without a port authority system behind it. The platform is configurable to association-specific rules, rotation policies, and tariff structures.
Port-employed pilot groups
Port authorities with in-house pilot services use PilotControl as an integrated module within the broader PortControl environment, connecting pilot planning directly to vessel scheduling, berth allocation, and port dues invoicing in one shared operational picture.
Pilotage authorities
Regulatory pilotage authorities use PilotControl to maintain oversight of licensing, certification status, rest-hour compliance records, and service delivery across the pilot organisations they govern — with the audit trail and reporting that regulatory accountability requires.
PilotControl vs. generic port management systems
Most port management systems treat pilotage as a sub-module, an afterthought added to cover a use case the system was not designed for. The result is scheduling tools that ignore rest-hour rules, billing that requires manual reconciliation, and no mobile capability for pilots in the field.
PilotControl is the only pilot management platform built from the ground up for pilotage organisations, not adapted from a broader port system. Forty years of Klein Systems Group’s specialisation in pilot planning and port billing created a depth of functionality, particularly in rest-hour compliance, qualification management, and pilot-specific billing which generic PMIS vendors treat as secondary features and newer SaaS entrants have not had time to build.
PilotControl: Purpose-built for pilotage · Rest-hour compliance by design · Mobile-first pilot access · Deep billing complexity handled natively
Generic PMIS with pilot module: Port-first design · Manual compliance checks · Limited mobile capability · Billing workarounds required
Proven deployments
Hamburg Harbour Pilots Association – Selected PilotControl in April 24 for scheduling, compliance, and dispatch management across one of Europe’s busiest and most operationally complex ports.
Flinders Ports – Adopted PilotControl’s Marine Pilot App across the full Flinders Ports operation, giving pilots the vessel information, tidal data, and assignment details they need before every boarding.
Townsville Pilots – Adopted PilotControl after direct experience of the system at Flinders Ports. A trusted reference driving organic adoption across the Australian pilotage community.
”"During my previous employment at Flinders Ports, we too used Tidalis's Marine Pilot App and when I learnt this pilot-friendly and time-saving tool could easily be incorporated into Townsville's PMIS too, I naturally wanted it for my pilots yesterday."
– Captain Timmy Pavri, Manager Pilotage Services, Port of Townsville
Frequently asked questions
FAQ
01 What is pilot dispatching software?
02 What are maritime pilot rest-hour rules and why do they matter?
03 Can PilotControl work for an independent pilot association without a port management system?
04 How does PilotControl handle complex pilot tariffs and billing?
05 What is the difference between PilotControl and PortControl?
06 Which pilot organizations use PilotControl?
Let’s talk about your pilot operation
Every pilotage organisation works differently. Different structure, different tariffs, different regulatory environment. Share how you currently manage dispatch, scheduling, and invoicing, and where the friction is. Our pilotage specialists will show you where PilotControl makes the most immediate difference.
