Columbia River Pilots is an association of independent pilots, a unique organization that uses a network of pilots and independent boats to manage a long stretch of river in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Capt. Jeremy Nielsen serves as President, Columbia River Pilots, and in addressing the challenges his organization faces, leading the list are the maritime megatrend that sees vessel size outpacing infrastructure along the river, from bridge clearance to dockage; as well as the maritime industry's legislated drive for decarbonization, specifically the role of new maritime fuels and the potential for unintended consequences, including mechanical failure.
When Captain Jeremy Nielsen says the Columbia River Pilots have “one of the longer routes out there,” it’s an understatement. The Columbia-Snake River system stretches hundreds of miles inland, from the Pacific Ocean through Oregon and Washington to the Idaho border. It’s an artery of commerce, and a testing ground for the men and women who guide massive ships through narrow, shifting, and sometimes unpredictable channels. But for Nielsen, who today serves as president of the Columbia River Pilots, the path to the wheelhouse was anything but direct.
From Montana to Maritime
“I didn’t know mine was going to be a career in maritime,” Nielsen says with a laugh. “I was born and raised in landlocked Montana. Maritime found me; I didn’t find maritime.”
After receiving congressional nominations to both the Air Force and Naval Academies, Nielsen was surprised when the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy called with an offer. “They said, ‘We don’t get many people from Montana.’ It sounded adventurous.”
That phone call led to a life at sea. From cadet to steamship agent, tugboat captain, and eventually a Columbia River pilot, Nielsen’s career has spanned nearly every facet of maritime operations. “The first ship I ever saw,” he recalls, “was the first ship I climbed aboard during cadet training.”
The Columbia River Pilots
Today, the Columbia River Pilots Association counts about 45 members handling approximately 1,500 ship arrivals each year—translating to nearly 4,700 pilot assignments. Most of those are bulk grain exports, but the mix also includes containers, steel, fertilizer, and automobiles.
Their core route spans roughly 100 miles, though pilots can travel as far as Lewiston, Idaho—435 miles inland, for specialized cargo or yacht transits. Unlike some other U.S. pilot organizations, the Columbia River Pilots operate as independent contractors licensed by both the federal government and the State of Oregon.
“We don’t own our own fleet of pilot boats,” Nielsen explains. “Private launch companies handle that, and while there are occasional challenges, it works well for us. It’s one less layer of infrastructure to maintain.”
“Vessel size is outpacing infrastructure size. Our channel was designed in the 1960s and ’70s for ships that were 600 feet long and 85 feet wide. Now we’re bringing in 1,200-foot container ships, 165-foot beam, and tremendous tonnage.”
-Capt. Jeremy Nielsen, President, Columbia River Pilots
When Ships Outgrow the River
If there’s one topic that has the ability to keep Nielsen up at night, it’s ship size. “Vessel size is outpacing infrastructure size,” he says bluntly. “Our channel was designed in the 1960s and ’70s for ships that were 600 feet long and 85 feet wide. Now we’re bringing in 1,200-foot container ships, 165-foot beam, and tremendous tonnage.”
That growth brings risks. Many docks and mooring structures were never designed to accommodate such loads. Bollards, fenders, and mooring bits face stresses far beyond original specifications. Overhead power lines and bridge clearances—once afterthoughts—are now tight enough to demand engineering-level precision.
“Within the last five years, we’ve had ships pass within three to five feet of bridge structures,” Nielsen says. “And unlike ports influenced solely by tides, our river levels also vary with precipitation and dam discharges. It’s a much more dynamic system.”
Those conditions, combined with constant current and wind … the “environmentals” … make nearly every job on the Columbia an exercise in judgment, timing, and technology.
Then There’s Tech, too
Technology is reshaping how pilots work, but Nielsen stresses that it can never replace them. “As proud as we are of our capabilities, technology is what allows us to continue operating efficiently with ships this large,” he says. “But we need to be cautious not to over-rely on it.”
He cites recent close calls: “In just the last two weeks, we’ve had two gyro compass failures—one on a 1,000-foot container ship at night, in fog, in a 600-foot-wide channel. Without a pilot on board, that would’ve been a grounding.”
The Columbia River averages about two such mechanical or electronic failures every month. “Automation is great,” Nielsen says, “but you can’t remove the pilot’s eye. Human input is still what saves the day.”
Image credit Anthony Roberts
Megatrends and Maritime Realities
Among the major industry trends, Nielsen points to alternative fuels, automation, and workforce replenishment as critical concerns.
On fuels, his caution is rooted in experience: “When IMO’s low-sulfur fuel mandate came in 2020, we had multiple groundings because fuel pumps seized from lack of lubricity. Cleaner fuels are important, but if we get it wrong, we create more incidents.”
On automation, he fears the industry’s messaging is deterring the next generation. “It’s hard to convince young people to join when they hear, ‘You’ll be replaced by computers.’ Maritime has been an incredible career for me, but workforce replenishment is a real problem.”
For the Columbia River Pilots, the work is about more than navigation. It’s about stewardship of a vital trade corridor, a fragile ecosystem, and a tradition that connects sea and shore.
Watch the full interview with Capt. Jeremy Nielsen, President, Columbia River Pilots, on Maritime Reporter TV:
