Over the past two years Scandic Terminal has undergone a dramatic transformation in order to optimise its handling of incoming and outgoing cargo. The main focus has been the loading and unloading of DFDS Tor Lines’ two RoRo vessels Tor Britannia and Tor Swecia, which operate out of Immingham in the UK. One of the vessels docks at Esbjerg every day except
to offer large self-contained stands for trailers, containers, vehicles and other cargo directly alongside the vessels. In addition to this, other stands are located in the vicinity. All the stands are arranged in numbered rows. When a road truck with a trailer comes into the terminal, the driver checks in and is assigned a stand, for example in ”Line 30”. The trailer is booked into the DFDS terminal management system and when it is time to unload, a terminal tractor collects the trailer. The driver enters the ID number of the trailer and drives onboard, disengages the trailer and enters its location on his computer terminal in the cab. The information is then transmitted to the DFDS terminal where unloading will be performed on the other side of the North Sea. “The terminal management system is the most important tool we have to use to manage all the cargo in a rational way,” explains Hans Vejs-Petersen. “Over 115,000 trailers and containers pass through here every year. We are also seeing a steady increase in the volume of cargo.” Previously there was a direct rail line to the terminal. Since the conversion, cargo entering or leaving Esbjerg is handled by railway on an external transfer terminal. This is where the Scandic Terminal’s tractors load or unload the cargo.
for Mondays. In addition to this, the RoPax vessel Dana Syrena runs between Harwich and Esbjerg, transporting cargo and passengers, three times a week. “We concentrate all our efforts on our core business, the fast and efficient loading and unloading of vessels”, says Terminal Manager Hans Vejs-Petersen. “Using ten machines and a team of 25 men, including drivers, we can unload and load the ship in under six hours”. Efficient terminal management Over the past few years the terminal has been converted so as
Unload the ship! Ten terminal tractors and a further 15 people, in addition to the drivers, are needed to load and unload a RoRo ship. The work is planned using the DFDS terminal management system. Every driver is able to see on the computer screen in the terminal tractors which containers and trailers are to be used and where they are located. The driver enters what has been collected and where the cargo has been placed. This requires a lot of discipline but the system is now working very well. Unloading is a period of feverish activity. The terminal tractors drive onboard the ship to the upper and lower decks, collect the cargo and then disembark. Small turning circles, good all-round view and strength and tractive effort are required to negotiate the inclined ramps. It is here that the Kalmar terminal tractors (model TRL 182) really come into their
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Terminal tractors triumph in Esbjerg Scandic Terminal in Esbjerg is the largest RoRo terminal in Denmark, with nine arrivals of DFDS vessels from England every week. More than 1.5 million tons of cargo are handled every year, split between approximately 100,000 trailers and 15,000 containers and smaller volumes of other cargoes. There are currently 11 new Kalmar terminal tractors operating in the terminal (which has an area of 100,000 m2) helping to achieve the efficient handling of cargo.
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More information: Timo Matikainen Tel +358 3 265 8111 Fax +358 3 265 8223 timo.matikainen@kalmarind.com
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own. The machines are very popular with the drivers, who have an excellent view from the cab and can easily manoeuvre their machines in the tight spaces. “When the time came to order new terminal tractors we also tested machines from other manufacturers. But when we then reconsidered the overall benefits of the Kalmar machine the drivers couldn’t really see themselves driving any other machine, ”says Hans Vejs-Petersen. “We have used the same make since the mid 1980s and currently have 19 Kalmar terminal tractors. They are able to handle the stresses and strains involved in the intensive work at Scandic Terminal and are truly reliable.” Their high accessibility and ability to deal with intensive cargo management and the much appreciated driver environment provide yet another distinct advantage for Kalmar. Eleven new Kalmar TRL 182 terminal tractors are now in use at the DFDS terminal in Esbjerg. The machines are leased by Kalmar who, together with the Danish dealer Arne Holst & Co, is responsible for their maintenance. Hydraulic SAT trestles lock Previously the lashing down of loaded cargo required a high degree of manual work. This has been radically reduced by the introduction of the new SAT trestles, which hydraulically lock the trailers onto the deck of the ship. The new Kalmar TRL 182 low rider is countersunk to allow room for the loading trestle between the terminal tractor and the trailer. The loading trestle is connected to the hydraulic system of the terminal tractor in order to close and open the “twist lock” type of locking mechanism. “Three of our new Kalmar TRL182s have also been equipped to operate translifters, which are used for containers placed side by side in special cassettes onboard the ship, explains Hans Vejs-Petersen. Approximately 25 containers per crossing are handled.” The translifters are driven in under the containers so that they can be driven onboard. The containers are placed tightly side by side and only require lashing down in severe weather conditions.