Once onboard the vessel, a crewmember will lead the Pilot up to the wheelhouse or "bridge" of the ship. The bridge is located at the uppermost deck of the ship, which can be up to ten stories from the main deck. Once the Pilot enters the bridge he begins his piloting duties. The first thing the Pilot will do will be to carefully explain to the Captain of the ship or the duty officer what his intended routing is for the transit. If the ship is already under way, as is the case when a vessel is inbound from sea, the Pilot will first set the vessel on its appropriate course before exchanging information with the bridge crew.

The Pilot utilizes all of the technological aids at his disposal on the bridge including the gyro compass, radar, VHF radio, ARPA, GPS, DGPS, ECDIS, etc. The reliability of the equipment varies from one vessel to another and Pilots have learned to use the technology with discretion.

The Pilot's duties on the bridge include giving orders to the helmsman on what course to steer and giving engine orders to the officer of the watch to regulate the speed of the vessel. The Pilot also communicates with Vessel Traffic Services to inform them of the vessel's routing and contacts other traffic in the area to make passing or overtaking arrangements.