New York Dock Terminal Mechanized
Page 48
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THE Holland-America shipping line have modernized their terminal at Hoboken, New York, so that full advantage can be taken of mechanical handling. The tonnage of cargo handled annually runs into six figures; 60 per cent. of it is brought into the terminal and taken away by road, 30 per cent. by small vessels and 10 per cent. by rail. The reason for the preponderance of road transport is the convenience of direct delivery.
The loading platform can take up to 14 vehicles at a time; most of them are articulated outfits 44 ft. long. Another 20 can be accommodated in a nearby yard. About 1,000 vehicles call at the terminal in a m on th and road approaches have been made wide, so that difficult manceuvring is unnecessary. Goods are unloaded under cover.
Unloading procedure has to be planned in advance of the docking of a ship. Consignees are notified when to pick up their cargoes. Loading is similarly systematic. When a driver arrives at the terminal, he hands over his documents and the load or part-load is placed on a pallet to be taken away by a fork-lift truck.
The first loads to be delivered are put in last. Large consignments must . be kept separate. Special holds are set aside for valuable or refrigerated cargo. The utmost degree of co-operation is necessary among stevedores, cargo SIM' veyors and insurance representatives for smooth and precise working.
Goods often have to be kept aside for inspection by buyers or shippers before loading. Sometimes a vehicle arrives with a load for a ship only a hour or so before it is due to depart, but the handling methods can cope.