Throw everything into the mix

In South America, many terminals have similar equipment, but not all of them attain similar productivity levels to Valparaiso or Barcelona. Training, equipment handling, mechanical speeds and yard organisation all add to the mix.

Oliver Weinreich, general manager of Valparaiso box handling facility, Terminal Pacífico Sur (TPS) says productivity has to be viewed on a case-by-case basis.

“There are some vessels on which you can deploy up to five cranes simultaneously throughout the handling operation, leading to extremely high productivity; but there are other occasions on which on board stowage means just two or three cranes can be used efficiently at the same time,” he says.

How equipment is handled can also often impact on productivity. Sometimes the mechanical speed of a unit can be slower, while in some operations overall deployment has to be different. Good operator training is also important.

But quay crane productivity is also a function of how well operations in the yard are organised, adds Mr Weinreich.

TCB commercial manager Alejandro López agrees that there is no single answer in all situations, as each port has different factors in play.

“Productivity is affected by many factors and these are different in each port. However, I would stress that it is not a matter of simply equipping your terminal with state-of-the-art tools and equipment, but rather getting the most suitable material for the market you are working in, based on things such as the vessels and volumes that you are going to handle,” he says.

Grup TCB is also expanding into overseas markets and is looking to establish a reputation for efficient management right from the start, wherever it goes.

“We also intend to meet the needs of the region by investing in the most suitable equipment in each case and undertake all the necessary training of the workforce to ensure the whole operation is as professional as it can be,” he says. “We are convinced that we can get the best out of any and every market that we go into.”