Houston pilots maneuver vessels safely and efficiently to and from docks via the narrow and congested Houston Ship Channel. We are a team of expert ship handlers commissioned by the State of Texas, supported by administrative and operational professionals to protect Houston's waterway, including its people, ports, and industry. We operate 24-hours per day, 365 days per year, in continuously varying weather and port conditions.
Fast Facts
21,000
commercial vessels transit the Houston Ship Channel each year
247+ million
tons of cargo transported annually
52 Miles
safely navigated each day by State commissioned Houston Pilots
$802 Billion
of US economic value, 3.2 million jobs, and $38 billion tax revenue
20.6%
of Texas GDP; more than 1.35 million jobs statewide, nearly $5.7 billion Texas state and local tax revenue