The port company said it has been forced to adopt the policy, among various other measures, in order to restore productivity levels to services already committed to scheduled visits.
Port of Tauranga commercial manager Graeme Marshall said: “Our ‘can do’ attitude has truly been tested. We have reached saturation point.”
In the week commencing March 5, the Tauranga Container Terminal handled a record 20,200 teu compared with the normal 11,000-13,000 teu.
Average productivity dropped to 30.3 moves per crane per hour compared with the normal 35.5-plus due to limits on yard space, labour supply and cancellation of trains carrying export containers from MetroPort.
MetroPort averaged 160% yard utilisation, peaking at 220%, with truck turn-times at both MetroPort and the TCT extending considerably. Reefer containers on power peaked at almost 1,600 requiring 200 to be placed on generators.