Records hatrick for Auckland port

During the second quarter of this calendar year, the port averaged a crane rate of 37.3 containers per hour (the national average rate for the quarter was 33.8) – bettering the previous record rate of 37.2 set by the Port of Tauranga in the second quarter of 2014.

Its average ship rate was 91.3 containers per hour (the national average rate was 76.7), surpassing its own record rate of 88.6 set during the first quarter of this year.

Additionally, the port’s average vessel rate (number of containers loaded/unloaded divided by the amount of labour time) was 80.1 containers per hour (the national average rate was 61.5), bettering its own record rate of 76.3 set in the third quarter of 2013.

The latter two records were also the first time any port has surpassed rates of 90 and 80 in the respective measures.

Commented Ports of Auckland head of communications Matt Ball: “I don’t want to put an exact number on what level we might hit, but we have a number of initiatives which will help us lift productivity further in coming years. We think a quarterly crane rate of over 40 is achievable.”