Intermodal Transportation and Terminal Operations By Capt Atuldutt

Intermodal Transportation and Terminal Operations By Capt. Atuldutt Sharma

Intermodal Transportation • Includes more than one mode – air, rail, road, water • Typically refers to containerized goods – as opposed to bulk or general cargo – requires containers – less labor than traditional freight handling • The majority of the costs are incurred between modes (in terminals)

Bulk Cargo Wet bulk cargo refers to fluids like oil Dry bulk cargo refers to non-fluids such as grain, coal, etc. . Many goods that used to be shipped as bulk cargo (grain, bananas, coffee beans) are now shipped in containers (IP grain) Historically well developed commodities

General Cargo • Whatever needs moving • Flatbed trucks for odd-shapes • General cargo vessels

Intermodal Containers

Primarily International Trade Routes

There are many varieties of containers…. • • Standard containers (20’, 45’ height 8’ 6’’) Hard top containers (removable steel roof) Open top containers Flat racks Domestic containers (53’) Refrigerated containers (require clear space) Tank containers High cube container (9’ 6’’ tall) • One 20’ container is a Twenty foot Equivalent Unit (TEU)

Marine Terminal Actors • • • • Steamship lines (Maersk, CMA CGM, MOL, etc) Terminal Operators (APM, DP World, PSA, etc) Port Authorities (JNPT) County Governments (Ministry of Shipping and Surface transport) Security agencies (CISF) Drayage drivers and Licensed Motor Carriers Importers or Shippers Freight forwarders and expeditors NVOCC’s (SARJAK) 3 PLs or Logistics providers Customs brokers CBP Labor Unions Interest Groups EPA Railroads (CONCOR, Gateway Rail, etc) Own objectives and remuneration or incentive schemes

Terminal • • • A station where freight is received or discharged Situated at the end Placed at a boundary A point or part that forms the end From terminus (end) • The name reflects their historic role • In the intermodal world we usually refer to intermodal yards rather than terminals

Terminals or interchanges occur in all modes • • • Airports Bus terminals Marine terminal or port Ferry terminal Train station Rail yard or terminal Cross-dock facility Distribution center Intermodal yard • They have common characteristics, I’ll focus today on marine ports and intermodal yards

Characteristics of Freight Terminals Infrastructure Modal access (dock, siding, road), unloading areas Equipment Intermodal lifting equipment, storing equipment Storage Yard for empty and loaded containers Management Administration, maintenance, access (gates), information systems Trade facilitation Free trade zone, logistical services Distribution centers Transloading, cross-docking, warehousing, temperature controlled (cold chain) Storage depot Container depot, bulk storage Container services Washing, preparation, repair Core Ancillary

Container Handling Cause Outcome Consolidation Transferring the contents of smaller containers into larger containers (e. g. three maritime 40 foot containers into two 53 foot domestic containers). Cost savings (number of lifts). Time delays. Weight compliance Transferring the contents of heavy containers into loads meeting national or regional road weight limits. Palletizing Placing loose (floor loaded) containerized cargo unto pallets. Adapting to local load units (e. g. europallet). Demurrage Handing back containers to owner (maritime shipping or leasing company) by transferring its contents into another load unit (e. g. domestic container). Equipment availability Making maritime containers available for exports and domestic containers available for imports. Trade facilitation. Supply chain management Terminal and transloading facility as a buffer. Delay decision to route freight to better fulfill regional demands. Perform some added value activities (packaging, labeling, final assembly, etc. )

Shipping Lines and Importers have different goals for container management Advantages Disadvantages Importers Transloading costs. Loss of at least one day of inland transit time. Reduction of unit transport costs (three Possible shortage of maritime 40 footer containers into two domestic containers. domestic 53 footers). Not all cargo suitable. Added-value activities (sorting, packing, Reconciling different labeling, etc. ). container loads Routing flexibility through (additional delays). postponement. Risk of damage or theft of cargo during transloading. Maritime shipping Limit repositioning of empty containers. Risk of container damage. Higher asset utilization (faster container Less equipment available turnover). inland for exports.

Port Operations Quay Crane Vessel Chassis Local Storage Gate Discharging container flow Loading container flow

Terminal Layout

Rail Yard & Rail Siding

Port productivity metrics • • • TEUs per hectare TEUs per annum Dwell time Terminal time Crane productivity – Crane cycle time – Lifts per hour – Moves per hour

Operational Improvements • Technology implementations – RFID, GPS, OCR, automation • Land area utilization (stacking) – Rail mounted gantry cranes • Extended gate hours • Truck appointment systems • Crane Utilization – Double cycling • Increase Intermodal Percentage – containers typically have shorter dwell times

Productivity Improvements • As is true across the board in transportation, infrastructure is expensive to build, or impossible to build • Solutions must be found to manage demand utilize infrastructure better • There is evidence our ports are “unproductive” and that we can expect better utilization of the infrastructure

Terminal Operating Sytem (TOS) • All modern container terminals today use Terminal Operating Systems (TOS). • These systems enable terminal staff to track, trace, plan container movements effectively. • There are various service providers who provide such softwares and system. • With growing volumes being handled by terminals use of such systems has now become absolutely necessary.

Average crane productivity at different container ports

Typical View of Quay Crane (Gantry)

Rubber Tyre Gantry Cranes (RTGC)

Reach Stacker

Forklift

Normal Container trailer

Low bed trailers

Cargo on Low bed trailers

Vessel Layout

Stowage& Stacks

Cell guides inside holds

Lashing Bridges

Stowage Planning • Definitions : • Profile – is the cross sectional view of the entire ship covering both the deck and under-deck of the ship. . • Bayplan – is the complete cross sectional view of the entire ship covering both the deck and under-deck of the ship, but displayed or printed per bay • Bay – each container vessel is split into compartments which are termed as Bay and depending on the size of the ship it will proceed from 01 to 40 (for example) where Bay 01 is the bay towards the Bow (the front) of the ship and Bay 40 is the Stern (the back) of the ship. . Odd numbered bays (1, 3, 5 etc) means that it is a 20’ stow and Even numbered bay (2, 4, 6 etc) means that it is a 40’ stow. .

• Row is the position where the container is placed across the width of the ship. . If you refer to the above diagram, the Row numbers are circled in Red. . It starts with 01 in the centre and progresses outwards with odd numbers on the right and even numbers on the left. . • Tier denotes at which level the container is placed – basically how high the container is stacked on board. . In the above diagram, the Tier numbers are circled in Blue. . • Hatch Covers (the dark intermittent lines in the above picture) are the covers that separate the deck from the under-deck. . The area above the line is called the deck (which is generally visible to us when we look at the ship) and the area below the line is called under -deck (which is not visible to us from outside the ship). . • The planning is mainly done on a document called a “profile” which can be viewed here. . The profile provides the full cross section of a ship at one glance. . The enlarged version of this will be the actual bay itself. . Currently, the stowage planning is mostly done via computers. .

Typical Stowage Plan

Basics of Stowage Plan • All vessels come in and out of port based on windows. • Windows are decided basis berthing schedules agreed move counts on the service. • Average moves/hr for each crane and total number of cranes to be allotted per vessel are decided basis window schedules. • For example: • Export Moves: 1200 • Import Moves: 800 • Total Moves: 2000. • Avg moves/hr/crane – 30 per crane. • Total cranes available – 3 • So max window available as per below Total moves (2000) ----------------------- = 22. 22 hrs + berth/unberth = 25 hrs Avg moves (30) x no of cranes (3)

Distribution of Cargo on vessel • As evident from the calculation earlier the window time available to vessel’s is very tight vis a vis crane move count and number of cranes used. • Thus the planner needs to distribute the cargo moves on the vessel in such a manner so as to have all cranes working all the time through out the vessel’s stay in port. • Idling of any one crane will seriously impact the working of the vessel. • This will lead to vessel having to sail without completing her moves which in turn leads to cargo accumulating in the terminal and subsequent delays to the vessel. • Taking into account this very important factor planner plan the cargo spread on the vessel so as to have maximum efficiency whilst vessel is in port.

Out of Guage containers Stowage • Out of gauge containers are usually stowed underdeck and in case of an On Deck Stow, careful consideration will be required. Local planner or agent may be requested for such approval prior loading. Hatch cover clearance and Cell guide clearance must be verified to confirm that there will be no damage to the vessel or cargo when loaded. Appropriate number of slots must be kept vacant to accommodate the OOG cargo as necessary.

Break bulk Operations • Handling Breakbulk, out of gauge (OOG) and Open containers Break bulk cargo is usually stowed on flat racks and platforms. It is important to confirm that the break bulk cargo itself is properly secured onto the Flat rack or Platform prior loading on board. If additional lashing or tightening of existing lashing is required, this must be done by terminal staff to the vessels satisfaction. If not, vessel operator shall be advised of situation and in any case such shipment posing serious danger to vessels safety shall not be accepted for carriage. • Prior loading out of gauge cargo, hatch cover clearance and cell guide clearance must be verified to confirm that there will be no contact or damage to the vessel or cargo when loaded. Close monitoring during loading will also be required as sometimes protrusion dimensions provided may not be accurate. Loading Out of gauge units will likely involve use of special equipment attached to gantry cranes.

Examples of Breakbulk cargo

Types of Special gears for handling BB cargo Special gears for handling

Extra OOG’s handled ex NSA

48 mt Piece BB handling at PSA, Singapore

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