SLASHED: COSTS, PILFERAGE, INSURANCE . . .
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UK US battery service proves container benefits
CONSIDERABLE savings in freight charges, a reduction in pilfering and labour costs and lower insurance premiums are the major benefits experienced by a British battery manufacturer now operating a weekly door-to-door container service for its products to American customers.
The company, Alkaline Batteries Ltd., Redditch, Worcs., a member of the Chloride Group, has been operating the service over the past 12 months, and is the only manufacturer to make regular shipments of batteries in sealed containers across the Atlantic directly into the American market.
The batteries are supplied to Dual-Lite Inc., Newtown, Connecticut, emergency lighting system specialists who receive each week 300 British-made batteries—amount ing in value to £4,000.
The cells, fitted in plastic containers and taped in blocks of three or five according to customer requirements, are packed in fibreboard cartons designed to contain 50 cells, which are loaded into containers at the Redditch works.
The batteries are shipped dry without electrolyte, the cartons being designed so that they can be opened and the batteries filled and charged by the distributors without removing them from the cartons.
The cartons are then resealed and delivered to customers throughout the country. In this way, individual handling of the batteries by the distributor is eliminated.
Loading normally takes place at weekends, the containers being transported by the vehicles of various contractors on Monday mornings to either London or Liverpool docks for loading on a United StatesLines vessel sailing to New York. From New York, the containers are offloaded to vehicles and transported to the cus tomers at Newtown.
A variety of containers is employed for the shipments including Jeta Standard and ISO units. The Jeta Standard containers, manufactured in America and used by the United States Lines, measure 7 ft. 9 in. long by 6 ft. 5 in. wide by 6 Ft. 10+ in. high; the ISO containers are 20 ft. long by 8 ft. wide by 8 ft. high. Normally either two Jeta Standard or one ISO container are loaded.
Alkaline Batteries Ltd. has achieved an outstanding record in the North American market. It has expanded its sales there from £5,000 in 1960 to Elm. in 1965.
Before employing containers for its North American deliveries, the company shipped its products in packing cases, a total of 33 cases being required to equal one ISO container load. Records maintained by the company since the service was inaugurated show that a saving of £136 per shipment is being achieved.