Improving Productivity in U.S. Marine Container Terminals (1986) / Chapter Skim
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The Marine Terminal -- An Element of Transportation Systems
The Marine Terminal -- An Element of Transportation Systems
Pages 69-103
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From page 69... ...
Railroad sees, from our own experience, that inhibits productivity at marine terminals which we serve. ~ will then comment on what we would try to do if we were responsible for that operation.
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From page 70... ...
Unit type moves, such as a large number of import loads of a certain ship or from a certain customer for a certain train, reduce gate time for these repetitive, prearranged units, as well as free up space and time at-the regular gate. For example, when a railroad has an inbound train of empty containers on even export loads to ground and bring to a pier, run them through a special lane rather than through the regular lanes.
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From page 71... ...
Presently, gate delay results from draymen submitting ocean bill of lading information (vessel, voyage, or destination data) to the pier operator.
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From page 72... ...
Perhaps this concept should be applied to the components of the marine terminal network namely the steamship lines, pier operators, major drayage firms, and railroads. Each would designate a knowledgeable representative empowered to try new ways of resolving productivity impediments.
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From page 73... ...
This is being worked on in a number of areas, including the Port of Seattle, and is a logical next step in data processing productivity to benefit transportation system participants and our customers. At our Seattle International Gateway, we had hoped to get draymen out within 30 minutes after they had entered.
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From page 74... ...
Neither marine nor rail terminals appear to be logical places to congest with units that cannot move that day. Space at these facilities is costly.
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From page 75... ...
Containerization and the secondary role that has been left for truckers has created dramatic changes in that part of the trucking industry that interfaces with steamship lines and marine terminals. It was not that Tong ago that the owner-operator was the exception, not the rule, in the movement of cargoes to and from the steamship berths.
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From page 76... ...
Many of the practices and policies employed by marine terminals directly affect the productivity of the trucking industry serving these terminals. Changes in some of these practices and policies could significantly increase the productivity as it relates to the trucking of these containers.
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From page 77... ...
There are always less exceptions taken on returned equipment at marine terminals who have wheeled operations versus those with grounded operations. Most marine terminals using a grounded operation are easy going out and tough Corning in.
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From page 78... ...
Because of the advent of stack trains, this movement becomes extremely time sensitive. Sometimes the entire vessel's landbridge discharge must be moved from the marine terminal to the railroad within a period of less than 8 hours.
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From page 79... ...
The railroads, the motor carriers, and the airlines have all adopted flexible starting times and flexible work needs for the purpose of increasing overall productivity. However, the steamship industry still maintains very rigid working hours.
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From page 80... ...
Any or all of these work-rule changes would markedly increase productivity at the marine terminals. For example, if, through staggered starting times, marine terminals could open at 6 a.m.
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From page 81... ...
ports, including marine terminal productivity." Furthermore, "for cargo handling systems in which the United States is pre-eminent, productivity of use in this country is below that of other countries. While most steamship lines, stevedoring companies, and terminal operators guard their respective productivity figures as closely as a sales department would guard its customer list, it Is generally accepted that, given equivalent container-handling equipment and facilities, European and Asian stevedores and terrn~nal operators do outproduce their U.S.
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From page 82... ...
Given its high capital investment and fixed-cost base, the stevedoring company must attain a high productivity to make a profit. The higher the fixed-cost base as a percentage of the total cost, the more stevedoring productivity will affect profitability.
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From page 83... ...
Even if he enjoys a fixed-cost, per-unit stevedoring rate, which, theoretically, is not altered by poor productivity (at least until his next contract negotiation with the stevedoring company)
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From page 84... ...
Certainly the stevedoring company/terminal operator should care, since his profitability, and possibly even his economic survival, are dependent on productivity. The days of cost-plus contracts, and the practice of passing on inefficiencies resulting from poor productivity, are rapidly disappearing.
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From page 85... ...
If all this is true, then why is stevedoring productivity in the United States so poor, and what can be done about it? HOW TO IMPROVE STEVEDORING PRODUCTIVITY The Ship Many physical elements in the design of the ship can have a positive impact on productivity.
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From page 86... ...
may or may not be a factor in productivity depending on the number of cranes in simultaneous operation on one ship and whether or not a parallel lane versus single lane methodology is employed in taking containers to and from the spreader. ~ Good preventative maintenance practices on cranes should be followed to minimize crane downtime during stevedoring operations.
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From page 87... ...
Some stevedoring companies in transtainer operations are currently using high-horsepower tractors that enable one unit to pull as many as five chassis-mounted containers, the obvious benefits being a reduction in the number of trips between stack and ship, fewer tractors to be purchased and maintained, and fewer tractor drivers required. The Terminal The design of the container yard is a critical element to productivity.
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From page 88... ...
~ High-visibility row-number signs and pavement markings should be installed to facilitate traffic flow and to eliminate confusion for tractor drivers. ~ Receiving and delivery lanes should be designed for flexibility so that returning empty containers, bare chassis, and bobtails are not stuck behind a long line of incorn~ng loaded containers in scale lanes.
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From page 89... ...
One is not exclusive of the other, but the priority should be geared towards getting more out of what currently exists. There are literally dozens of studies going on with regard to improving stevedoring productivity.
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From page 90... ...
Therefore, management must have control of the situation and must promptly react to changes in order to facilitate the operation's progress, so that productivity is not adversely affected. Another facet of control that is frequently absent in stevedoring operations is good, old-fashioned discipline.
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From page 91... ...
, local work rules, and results of prior arbitrations so they know what can and cannot be done?
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From page 92... ...
However, it's difficult to reach people who don't work for you consistently. What most terminal operators and stevedoring companies need is a steady work force, a nucleus of people who work for the same company every day and who are capable and willing to perform a multiplicity of tasks.
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From page 93... ...
Until then, the prudent terminal operator and stevedoring company would be well advised to focus its primary attention toward improving the performance of frontline supervisors, as well as increasing the efficiency of the people who physically perform the work.
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From page 94... ...
The capability of the railroads to move large amounts of cargo on relatively short notice creates unique problems within both the intermodal rail terminal and the marine terminal because everything tends to move in large chunks at a time. The result has been to force changes in terminal design and operating practices, including more flexible terminal design, changes in containerhandling equipment, changes in operating procedures, and more flexible and creative labor practices.
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From page 95... ...
An innovation in our Seattle and Tacoma facilities that will probably be a model for the planned new facilities in California includes common use (between marine terminals and intermodal rail terminals) of the trailer interchange report (TIR)
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From page 96... ...
Preplanning is an important element of productive operations. In Seattle we have terminal coordinators who work with the steamship lines, the port, and railroad to plan ahead as best as they can as to what we're going to take in each day eastbound and what we've got coming westbound, and who try to schedule the business as best as they can so that we can get good productivity
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From page 97... ...
Our single job category and rate of pay make it possible for people to work as gate inspectors one day and equipment operators the next. The variety improves the quality of the work accomplished, as well as providing management flexibility.
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From page 98... ...
Discussion centered on a composite work force with some union affiliation, but who were not railroad employees. Today at the Seattle International Gateway, the Brotherhood of Railroad and Airline Clerical Employees represents all the employees, who are employees of the terminal operating contractor.
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From page 99... ...
With the Seattle International Gateway, the union has increased dues· ~ paymg members. Michael Gaffney, CorneB University: Under the single job classification arrangement, what means are there for the work force to have equitable treatment in terms of reassignment?
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From page 100... ...
If you got all the terminal operators in Los Angeles/Long Beach together and asked if they want steady labor, there'd probably be some that say no. There has to be room for the employee to take a steady job if he wants to.
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From page 101... ...
John Gray: Our incentives are geared to improvements in unit productivity, and that's better than trying to pick out individuals. Anthony Petrizzo, Maersk Container Service Co.: wanted to comment on aspects of the human element.
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From page 102... ...
At some point that is going to have an impact on the performance of the total system. Robert Curry's real message today is that we may find the pinch
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From page 103... ...
Trucks are no longer being maintained adequately because the revenue isn't there for that. Robert Nolan, International Terminal Operating Co., Inc.: Has any thought been given to the effect on marine terminal productivity of the lack of a regular work force on board ship?
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