Americas · United States

Ship Chandler Software for
Houston

Ship chandlers at Port of Houston use Tidal to turn RFQ emails into priced quotes in under 30 minutes, matched to their own catalogue and margin rules. Send us one real RFQ and we will quote it with you on a 30 minute call.

Built for ship chandlers and marine suppliers who quote vessels calling at Houston
One AI-native ERP for RFQs, quotes, purchase orders, invoices and stock, matched to your own catalogue and margin rules
You approve every line before the quote goes out. Live in about a week, no IT team needed

See how it works Is Tidal right for you?

Get a live demo on one of your own RFQs

Leave your work email and company. We reply within one business day to set up 30 minutes, then quote a real RFQ from Houston with you.

Looking for a ship chandler in Houston, or selling to us? Read this first.

Is this for you?

Software for the chandlers who supply Houston, not a chandler

Tidal is quoting software. Ship chandlers and marine suppliers use it to answer buyer RFQs faster. We do not supply vessels ourselves.

A good fit if you

Run a chandlery or marine supply business serving vessels at Houston
Retype buyer RFQs into spreadsheets or your ERP before you can price them
Lose orders because a faster supplier answered first
Want consistent prices and margins on every quote, whoever prepares it

Not the right page if you

Need provisions or stores delivered to a vessel. Tidal does not supply ships, please contact a local chandler or your ship agent.
Want to sell products or services to Tidal. The demo form is for chandlers and suppliers looking at the software.
Are looking for a job. Please see the Agility careers page.

How it works

From buyer RFQ to priced quote, on your own catalogue

What changes for a Houston chandler on the first day with Tidal.

1
RFQ arrives
By email, PDF, Excel or a portal export. Tidal reads every line, including vague descriptions and missing codes.
2
Lines matched
Each line is matched to your own catalogue and item codes, with unclear lines flagged for your team.
3
Priced your way
Your supplier prices, client tiers and margin rules are applied. You review and approve every line.
4
Quote goes out
Send the quote, turn it into a sales order, then check supplier invoices against it when they arrive.

See it working

A real quote, priced line by line

Quote Desk

Turns buyer RFQs into priced quotes and sales orders from your own catalogue and supplier prices.

See Quote Desk

Invoice Capture

Reads supplier invoices from a photo or PDF and checks them against the order before they reach your accounts.

See Invoice Capture

Meet us at IMPA Singapore

Stand SUZ 4, Suntec, 24 to 25 November 2026. Bring an RFQ and see it priced.

Plan your visit

Aerial view of the Houston Ship Channel — Photo: Carol M Highsmith (CC0)

Houston and its port

An energy port along a 50 mile ship channel lined with refineries and chemical plants

Houston lies about 50 miles inland, connected to the Gulf by the Houston Ship Channel, which opened in 1914. Along the channel stands the largest petrochemical complex in the United States, with refineries, chemical plants and liquid terminals. Port Houston and the private terminals along the channel together make it one of the busiest ports in the country, handling oil, chemicals, containers and project cargo.

For a ship supplier, Houston means tankers, chemical tankers and gas carriers at refinery terminals, container ships at Barbours Cut and Bayport, and offshore vessels supporting the energy industry. Ships move along a long channel with many terminals, so delivery planning is complex. Buyers expect fast, accurate quotes and reliable delivery to the right berth at the right time.

Time zone: Central Time, 6 hours behind UTC (5 hours in summer)
Business languages: English, with Spanish widely spoken
Working week: Monday to Friday
TEU a year: 3M+
vessel calls/year: 8,000+

Business culture

Business in Houston is direct and practical. English is the language of deals, and Spanish is widely spoken in the city. Buyers value relationships, but they expect quick answers and clear written quotes. Phone calls and email are both common, with text messages used for urgent updates. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Independence Day are the main holiday periods when offices slow down.

Port and maritime heritage

Houston was founded in 1836, and early trade moved along Buffalo Bayou. After the Spindletop oil strike in 1901, oil drew refineries to the area. The Houston Ship Channel opened in 1914, letting large ships reach the city. Refineries and chemical plants grew along its banks, Barbours Cut container terminal opened in the 1970s, and Bayport followed in 2007.

Local market

Tankers, chemical tankers and gas carriers dominate, alongside container ships, bulk carriers and offshore support vessels. Buyers expect suppliers to handle terminal security rules, deliver on schedule along a long channel, and supply correct documents for every order. Fast, accurate quotes and clear invoices matter, and US customs paperwork has to be right the first time.

Working with us from Houston

Working with us from Houston starts with a remote 30 minute demo on one of your own RFQs. Tidal is set up on your catalogue and margin rules with no IT team needed, and is usually live in about a week. India is 10 hours 30 minutes ahead in summer and 11 hours 30 minutes in winter, so the overlap is short: your early morning meets our evening.

FAQ

Common questions from Houston ship chandlers

How does Tidal help Houston ship chandlers serve tanker and chemical carrier traffic?

The Port of Houston moves more petroleum products than any other US port, and the tanker and chemical carrier traffic creates sustained, high value chandling demand. These vessels submit specialized RFQs covering deck stores, engine stores, safety equipment, and MARPOL compliant items. Tidal's your own catalogue matching engine handles all of these categories with 90%+ automatic match accuracy. Chemical carrier specific compliance rules can be set per item class, items requiring special handling are flagged for your team rather than auto substituted, preventing compliance errors from reaching the quote stage. The under-30 minute quote turnaround means Houston chandlers respond to tanker RFQs before the vessel berth window closes.

Can Tidal handle the LNG carrier provisioning market at Houston?

Yes. Sabine Pass and Freeport LNG terminals near Houston generate significant LNG carrier chandling demand, and these vessels submit complex provisioning RFQs that include specialized safety equipment, cryogenic system stores, and offshore grade provisions. Tidal processes these alongside standard commercial vessel orders through the same platform. LNG carrier specific item categories can be configured in your catalogue for automated matching. Client specific pricing tiers for LNG carrier operators ensure margin rules are applied consistently on every call, regardless of vessel class. The one week go live timeline applies to LNG carrier provisioning operations the same as all other vessel types.

How does Tidal fit into the Houston ship chandling market?

Houston's chandling market serves one of the most diverse vessel mixes in the world, from VLCC tankers and LNG carriers at the energy terminals to container ships at Barbours Cut and offshore supply vessels departing for deepwater Gulf operations. Tidal handles this variety through a single platform. Each vessel type and each client account has its own pricing tier and provision category configuration. When an RFQ arrives from a tanker operator, the right margin rules and matching logic apply automatically. When a container vessel RFQ comes in the same hour, the same speed and accuracy apply with different configuration. Houston chandlers using Tidal process more vessel types with less manual overhead than competitors running separate workflows per vessel category.

Ship Chandler Software forHouston