Container Transport
Page 19
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by David Lowe
Wine by the ton
CONTAINER cargoes of many differing types have been mentioned in CM recently and one of these is wine in bulk.
We have had reports of container manufacturers bringing out special tank containers to handle this type of cargo and now we are getting details of some of the shipments.
European Unit Routes Ltd. recently landed two 20ft ISO stainless steel tank containers each carrying more than 17 tons of Carafino red wine for wine merchants Gilbeys. Within two hours of landing the tanks were Customs cleared and en route to Gilbeys' Harlow premises.
The tanks, constructed by the French firm Ets. Bignier Schmid-Laurent, were of different design, one a single-compartment type with a capacity of 4,500gal, the other a threecompartment type each of 1 ,300gaI capacity. The triple-compartment tank was used to carry three separate brands of wine.
A spokesman for Gilbeys said: 'We are anxious to keep up with the times and because of this we are extremely interested in these trial consignments. I would like to see more of this type of specialized wine container for the simple reason that it would help to keep the costs down".
Cawoods development
THE SERVICE between Belfast and Liverpool IGarston}, started three years ago by Cawoods Containers Ltd., has developed rapidly and future planned expansion has necessitated the purchase of a further 80 Crane Fruehauf 20ft dry-freight containers. Cawoods already has over 200 Crane Fruehauf containers in service.
The Belfast-Liverpool three times weekly service is operated with the cellular ship M.V. Craigavad which has a capacity of up to 100 containers. Modern container handling equipment at each end of the route enables the vessel to be discharged and re-loaded in about four hours.
Containers plus computers
FREIGHT documentation geared to the days when transacean times were measured in weeks or months can effectively undercut the entire advantage gained over the clock in an age when containership services are quoted in days and jet freight deliveries are available in hours.
Computers can process the growing volume of international trade paperwork so that it can be received by all parties in time to keep the merchandise moving.
This point was made at an American transport conference recently but it is one which has a considerable bearing on container operators in this country.
It is essential that paperwork should be processed as quickly as possible to prevent the hold-up of container movement. If computers can be used to speed the flow of information between all the parties concerned in a movement then the full benefits of the speed of the operation can be realized. Delays in documentation, causing hold-up of the movement of a container, nullifies the principle of the system.
Plywood study
A PARTY of UK container experts visited Finland recently as guests of the Finnish Plywood Development Association to study the uses of plywood in container construction. An illustrated talk was given by the manager of a Finnish shipping line who claimed that plywood containers suffered least damage, were Rasiest to repair and had lowest "out of service" time. The party visited an exhibition of Finply in service and a two-year-old plywood container which has undergone heavy wear was shown to be still in excellent condition.
Dart distributor
SEAWH EEL LTD. has been appointed as the sole UK container distribution agent for Bristol City Line, the British member of the new Dart Consortium. Seawheel will move all traffic to and from its terminal port of Southampton.
Urgent delivery
URGENT delivery of an export order worth €18,000 was recently carried out by the use of container. The consignment, three miles of special high pressure hose and fittings, was loaded into the container at the Speke, Liverpool, factory of Automotive Products Ltd., and was delivered to the customer's premises in Holland in under 48 hours.
Side-loading containers
INCREASING demands from operators and shippers for non-standard containers have led to a number of manufacturers bringing out special designs. Examples are the open-top type, those with sheeted sides, and tanks mounted in container frames to carry liquids and wines.
Two companies have recently started production of yet another type of special container that allows side-loading through folding or hinged doors.
Metro-Cammell Containers Ltd. is producing 20ft and 30ft steel units which can be loaded through either side or the rear door.
Each side of this container is fitted with two pairs of hinged doors which are also hinged to the corner posts to provide entry at any point along the length of the unit. The doors are of fabricated steel with hollow-section framing and pressed corrugated panels and are fitted with cam-action locking gear.
Commercial Coachbuilders (Hull) Ltd. has recently added a side-loading unit to its range.
A single pair of doors on each side are positioned diagonally to allow access to the full floor area. The main frame and panelling is of welded steel and the unit is fitted with a hardwood floor, internal lashing points, twin-door mechanism and fork-lift tunnels.
Both these containers comply fully with ISO standards.
Atlantic Container Line
THE FIRST of two ships which Cunard is to operate as a member of the Atlantic Container Line consortium will be the Atlantic Causeway which will sail from Southampton when the Line inaugurates its services this autumn. Other companies in the consortium are French Line, Holland America and Wallenius who between them are contributing four ships in addition to Cunard's two.