Container Transport
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by David Lowe
BSN's new terminal
THE first container gantry crane in the Port of Bristol became operational at Avonmouth this week. This will service the Bristol/Dublin run for the Bristol Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.
Provision of the gantry crane is part of the company's £750,000 modernization programme to develop new container terminals at Bristol and Dublin, including the conversion of two of its fleet of five ships into specialized container carriers.
A committee, headed by BSN's chairman and managing director. Mr. Douglas Lovell. was set up to look into all the possibilities of providing container facilities at Avonmouth and also at Dublin. As a result, the Bristol-built m.v. Apollo was sent to a yard at Rotterdam to be converted to carry 72 20ft x 8ft units, or a proportional number of 30ft units. The ship was lengthened by 24ft and the tween deck and main deck hatch covers were replaced by new hydraulically controlled hatch covers specially designed for container carrying.
Her sister ship, the m.v, Echo, is now undergoing a similar conversion in the same yard in Rotterdam, and is due in the service at the beginning of October. By a slight modification to the design she will be able to carry 75 20ft units.
The major problem that had to be faced was the design of adequate handling facilities at the dockside, both in Bristol and in Dublin. The committee came up with an idea, yet to be tried in a British port, of operating two gantry cranes in parallel with a common overlap area, so that containers could be passed from one to the other. This system is known as the -Fast Random Access Method" (FRAM), and enables any container or other unit to be picked up from any point on the open berth and either loaded into the ship or. if imported. placed on to a lorry, with the least possible delay in time. No alleyways have to be left between the containers, and the gantries, which roam the compound. have been designed and supplied by Liebherr, a German manufacturer.
The new berth in Dublin, which will be ready in the autumn, will be similarly operated and will be fitted with identical gantry cranes.
The berth at Avonmouth has been completely reconstructed by the Port of Bristol Authority; 14 storage bays have been demolished and the whole area newly concreted.
As a result of the move downstream from the City Docks, there will be less problem with tides and the two ships on the Bristol/Dublin run will be able to make four round voyages a week instead of the present three.
It is a special feature of the service that, in addition to the large containers and flats, a substantial number of smaller units of 150 and 285 cu.ft. capacity will also be carried on the ship, as well as Guinness tanks. These smaller units will enable shippers, who have less than a full container load, to have their own doortodoor container service, even for as little as 15/20cwt. All other cargo will be packed into containers and shipped in unit load form. A number of other non-standard items of cargo have been, by agreement with the TGWU, classified as units.
Although the rapid cargo development during the last year has been mainly due to the growth of BSN's associated company, the international container operators' Seawheel, it is emphasized that containers from other operators are regularly carried and, with the new developments, will be actively encouraged.
Container leasing
CARL TIEDEMAN of Hamburg is operating container leasing on the lines of some of the big private car hire firms under the slogan "Rent it here—drop it there". Some 2,300 units of various types are offered on a shortterm, round-trip basis or on a long-lease basis.
The company has about 50 depots and agencies throughout the world and is steadily increasing these.
When traffic is carried between points where the company has a depot at each end, leases for one-way trips are offered.
Container trades report
A REPORT from America suggests that the total carrying capacity of the world's shipping industry is expected to increase by 40 per cent this year. Following the massive introduction of container operations in 1968, this rate of increase must be gratifying evidence to those experts who predicted that all general cargo movements between the US and Europe will be completely containerized by 1975 (CM April 18).
Despite strikes in US East Coast ports in the early part of this year, which reduced sailings in the North Atlantic trades by over 50 per cent, containerized tonnages increased by 5 per cent over the corresponding period in 1968.
US flag ships, which were equally affected by the strikes, claim gains of some 40 per cent in the containerized tonnages moving across the North Atlantic over the previous year's figures for the same period and. on the Pacific trades, claim increases of more than double the figure for the fourth quarter of 1968 and six times the tonnages in the first quarter of 1968. Much of the transpacific trade increase is reported to be due to defence cargo which can only be carried in US flag ships.
US-Japan agreement
JAPAN'S first container pool, for air as well as ships, rails and trucks, has been established under an agreement between Interpool Inc., subsidiary of Steadman Industries Ltd., and Overseas Container Express, subsidiary of Maruzen Showa Unyu Co. Ltd. of Tokyo.
The Japanese firm offers a true, total transportation service on truck, rail, ship and air. The new pool arrangement offers servicesto shippers as well as all other modes of carriers.
Interpool leases containers to airlines as well as to steamship companies and provides door-to-door one-way trip rentals through a worldwide organization of carriers and terminal operators.
Maruzen operates packaging, warehousing and internal plant distribution facilities for large .manufacturing companies and maintains facilities at more than 20 key rail points. It also provides truck services, harbour transport, stevedoring, lightering and longshore activities at major ports of entry. and air cargo for Japan Air Lines and All Nippon Air Ways.
The company owns its own fleet of ships, barges, tugs, tractors, trailers, cranes, forklifts, shovel loaders, belt conveyors and one rail locomotive. .. some 1,100 units in all.
Interpool recently announced the largest order for standard containers ever placed: $8 million' for 6,100 20ft, demountable Steadman sideloaded-type ship-rail truck units.
ACT—New Zealand
ACT Ltd announces the formation of ACT (New Zealand) Ltd. with HQ in Wellington. Its function will be to develop and manage the two new container services between New Zealand. Australia and the East Coasts of the USA and Canada, and between New Zealand and the UK. Companies participating are Blue Star Line Ltd, Ellerman Lines Ltd, and Port Line Ltd.