ISO Certification

What is ISO 9001 certification?

The requirements for certification under the International Standards Organization (ISO) are both rigorous and highly respected. Among the requirements is a high quality program that includes a mechanism to document and measure compliance with operational goals and customer requirements. Certification also means that processes and procedures are consistent and management has acquired mastery of those procedures. ISO is a comprehensive and standardized measurement of an organization's commitment to the delivery of quality service and is the only universally recognized certification of a company's quality system. TOTE is certified by DNV for all processes concerning the ocean transport of cargo and equipment from initial customer contact through delivery under ISO's 9001:2000 standard.

Why is ISO 9001 certification valuable?

ISO's quality model ensures that TOTE has a documented process on how to accomplish quality service, which entails operating a system with low damage while maintaining timely delivery and unmatched customer service. Company wide understanding of the process of quality service and management involvement and support are also significant indications of the merits of ISO certification. Certification allows us an advantage over competition as we demonstrate our commitment to providing quality service, continuous improvement in the service, and increased efficiency of our operation. Additionally, many of TOTE's customers are ISO certified and expect the same from their freight providers.

What is TOTE's quality policy?

  • TOTE is committed to exceeding our customers' expectations
  • TOTE will identify clear objectives, measure and review our performance, and strive for continual improvement
  • TOTE's management is committed to supplying the resources necessary to provide quality service

What is our ISO goal?

Our goal at TOTE is not simply to meet customer satisfaction, but to exceed customer expectations. We do that by focusing on what is important to our customers, namely delivering cargo and equipment on time and damage free. We set service goals for those standards and continually measure our ability to meet those objectives. We regularly assemble employees and subcontractors in all major locations and work together toward improving our service.

If you ever have a suggestion that would help TOTE exceed your expectations, we encourage you to contact either our quality department at iso@totemocean.com or your sales representative.