Innovative Thinking Creates Capacity For Increased Container Movement

In ongoing efforts to reduce vessel stay, the Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 has increased their landside capacity for empty containers’ yard by more than four times.

This follows the terminal introducing changes to the free import storage rule eight months ago to ensure that all arriving import containers were collected immediately after offloading and stacking. The new rule was an enhancement from the historical process that required a vessel to fully complete the entire offloading before customers were notified to collect. Managing Executive at the Durban Terminals Earle Peters said, “Over the last eight months, stack occupancy has reduced from about 75% to 55% thanks to the new free import storage rule that notifies a customer immediately when their container is offloaded”. He added that the benefits included a fluid yard that was able to accommodate more equipment to make the operation efficient. The terminal has in this period observed improved truck turnaround time, ship working hour, stack occupancy and also met all its contractual agreements with customers.

In fact, previously – DCT Pier 2 made use of a straddle carrier to receive empty containers, and these containers could only be stacked two-high. With more space freed up, the terminal was then able to use empty container handlers which can stack containers six-high. Now with the injection of haulers, access to the vessel is direct. “We have not only created additional capacity, we have maximised the very capacity that we have created” said Peters. He added that the innovative thinking that was coming from the team was yielding results that would set the terminal up well in the short to long-term operationally.