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Issue 4 2015 - Freight Business Journal Equipment Corner The other clean shipping revolution


Much has been said about cleaner ships lately, but what about the equipment that handles the cargoes once they reach port? Ian Tongue, national accounts and business development director at Briggs Equipment, the UK distributor for Hyster’s range of container handlers and other equipment, says the main focus in the industry lately has been upgrading engines. Similar technology to that which has


progressively reduced the emissions of trucks on the road through the Euro 4, 5 and now 6 emissions limits is being introduced into the handling equipment industry, he says. The pace of introduction is rather slower than in the HGV world though, in part because handling equipment can last a very long time. While an intensive user will sell their equipment on aſter 2-3 years


or so, in smaller ports or less demanding applications equipment can last 15-20 years or more in UK service – and even aſter that it may be destined for many more years’ service in a developing world country. Interestingly, though, adds Ian Tongue,


“the UK ports industry works its machines harder and longer than any other country. Perhaps we are more resourceful in keeping them going.”


Hi tech kit keeps tabs on military material


Track24 Defence has developed a cost effective, encrypted consignment tracking solution to help prevent military equipment from going missing during transit, in collaboration with Swedish military ICT specialist MilDef Systems. The Shadow hardware component of the solution – accessed


through the Cloud or private servers - sends regular updates on the cargo’s position as well as telemetry on speed, temperature, humidity, and light levels. Internal accelerometers switch on when movement is detected, and operators can perform selected ‘health checks’ on the cargo or set up geofences to warn if it veers off course unexpectedly. The Shadow’s firmware can also be upgraded to adapt its use while in the field. An extendible antennae aids covert, internal installation. It uses Iridium satellite short burst data service, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth


and, from September, GPRS/GSM. Track24 Defence sector director and ex-MoD and NATO


communications specialist, Giles Peeters, comments: “The Shadow’s high capability, low price point, and security, makes it a


///NEWS News Roundup


Felixstowe-headquartered Deben Transport went into administration in mid-April. The company, employed 224 people – most of whom have been made redundant - and had a fleet for 150 trucks and 200 trailers. It also had offices in Hull, Southampton, Tilbury, Alconbury, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, South Shields and Doncaster. Administrators Ensors said the firm had lost money in the past two years and, despite cost cutting measures, could not meet its immediate short-term funding requirement. The firm was established in 1987.


Road & Rail


Airfreight haulier Circle Express has had its Scottish O-licence curtailed by the traffic commissioner for using an unauthorised operating centre in Aberdeen and operating more vehicles than allowed. It also allowed a driver to illegally take a vehicle home with him. The traffic commissioner decided not to revoke or suspend the company’s licence as there were now systems in place to ensure compliance.


cost effective proposition for militaries wanting to assign intelligent M2M command and control capability to assets in transit.” High value items go missing or get stolen during complex military


operations, oſten in difficult locations, and well out of the reach of mobile phone and radio networks. Militaries currently oſten “write off huge sums in lost kit,” he says.


The paper pallet – stiff competition for wood?


The wooden pallet is seemingly a fixture in the logistics landscape, but could it face a stiff challenge from the Pallite so-called ‘paper’ pallet? Although pallets made of alternative materials like fibreboard aren’t exactly a new idea, Pallite’s new design, made from recycled paper, Kraſt paper and glue, could offer a lighter, safer and more hygienic alternative, says David Rose, sales director at the Pallite’s Wellingborough-based manufacturers, The Alternative Pallet Company. The Pallite unit has no nails or splinters, its weight is well within


recommended health and safety limits for the amount that can be liſted by a single person – in fact, an eight-year-old can liſt one - and weighs perhaps 5-7kg as against 25-30kg for a comparable wooden pallet. But its honeycomb and cylinder construction means that it can


easily bear a tonne or even more. That could equate to an extra tonne carrying capacity – or less weight to haul around – in a typical road trailer. Airfreight users have also turned to the Pallite alternative, and saved themselves a considerable amount in charges, says Rose. Another big plus in international trade is that fibreboard pallets are


exempt from the ISPM-15 fumigation requirement that applies to wood pallets. It’s also much more recyclable than wood, Rose adds. Traditional wooden pallets also cause problems in the home


delivery market. Typically, pallets are not collected from the consumer, who then has the problem of disposing of a heavy wooden pallet that is too big to go inside a car without being laboriously chopped up, and far too heavy to lug down to the local recycling centre on foot.


‘Paper’ pallets do have some limitations, of course. Wood will


always win for the foreseeable future when it comes to sheer brute load carrying ability, but Rose ventures that most pallet-loads these days outside the heavy machinery world tend to be under rather than over a tonne. Paper pallets cannot be leſt out in the rain for extended periods – an hour or so is fine though – but, again, he suggests, is that good practice anyway for food, pharmaceuticals or any product that needs a modicum of care in its handling? Regular deliveries of the Pallite are possible, so there is no need to stockpile pallets in an open yard, Rose suggests. Penetration of the traditional wooden pallet market by alternatives


is currently very small, but Rose reckons that a standard-sized (Euro or UK) Pallite costs no more than a new wooden one and for bespoke pallets the cost can be less, as it is much easier to make bespoke sizes in paper than in wood. Also, the cost of timber is currently going up, while there appears to be no shortage in the UK of the Pallite’s main constituent, recycled paper.


Pentalver gets closer to the action


Container logistics provider Pentalver has relocated its depot at the port of Tilbury to a new purpose built, automated facility. The facility covering 6.6 acres at Berth 43, is also nearer the London Container Terminal. An additional new empty container handler has also been added to the Tilbury fleet. Pentalver’s chief operating officer, Shaun Allen, said: “Our new


premises reinforce our commitment to the Port of Tilbury, which continues to play a significant role in Pentalver’s plans for the future. The new site, which is closer to the container terminal business and benefits from significant investment, ideally positions us to meet the needs of our Tilbury clients now and in the future.”


Hellmann Worldwide Logistics UK has appointed Jodi Raphael as general manager for road freight operations. She has been with the company since 2006, and will continue to be based at the Lichfield headquarters, overseeing road freight activity in the UK and on the continent. Her previous responsibilities have included freight account management at RH Freight, which, since joining Hellmann nine years ago, has expanded to include sales activity until culminating in the combined management role of both commercial and operational activity.


Samskip and the VGB Dutch Association of Floricultural wholesalers have successfully completed the first rail freight transport of plants by reefer container from the Netherlands to Sweden. Container leaser Unit 45 has developed a ‘flora container, with an internal width of 2.5 metres and internal height of 2.78m capable of loading 43 flower trolleys, equalling conventional reefer trailer capacity. During rail transport from Duisburg to Sweden an integrated diesel generator supports active temperature control of the plants. The container is equipped with real-time tracking and temperature monitoring and journey time to southern Sweden matches road transport.


Immediate Transportation has joined the Palletforce network The family run firm operates out of Heathrow and has four other offices in Basildon, Liverpool, Felixstowe and Hornchurch, and joins the network from Palletline.


Ajman Customs and Ports Department and Fujairah Customs have signed guarantee agreements with the UAE’s Automobile and Touring Club to implement TIR in the Emirate.


News Roundup


Plans to fast-track the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) were boosted on 22 May when the US Senate voted in favour of President Obama’s Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill. The bill would speed TTIP’s passage through the US legislature as Congress would cede its right to amend international trade deals for the next five years in favour of a simple yes/no vote. However, the TPA bill must also be passed by the House of Representatives where it faces strong opposition from the President’s own Democrat party.


The EU and Turkey have endorsed a report by senior officials that would give the go-ahead to talks on modernising their 20-year-old Customs Union – but the EU is insisting on an impact assessment and an independent study before they can start. Turkey is impatient for quicker progress, but the process is likely to take until the end of the year, say EU sources.


International Trade & Customs


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