The Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) has taken delivery of 15 new haulers, a portion of an expected consignment of 47 new haulers that is scheduled to reach the terminal at the end of this month.
This follows the arrival of 10 haulers at the terminal last month. The CTCT says the haulers are key in moving containers within the terminal and are expected to significantly boost operational recovery at the terminal after operations were affected by the recent inclement weather.
It notes that original-equipment manufacturer (OEM), Shacman, is currently conducting full inspection before the vehicle-mounted tools necessary for the CTCT environment are installed.
These include terminal systems, radios and the Navis container management system, which ensures the flow and seamless distribution of containers in the yard.
"This delivery is a significant milestone for CTCT as sufficient haulers will ensure we have enough feed of containers for loading and offloading of cargo aboard calling vessels. This should improve our turnaround times which will ultimately enable us to do right by our customers,” says Western Cape region managing executive Oscar Borchards.
He adds that the new equipment will also help improve equipment reliability.
“We have a solid maintenance plan which has been provided by the OEM from whom we have procured the haulers, and this gives us assurance. We are now working tirelessly to ensure the rest of the haulers are delivered and handed over to operations on time,” says Borchards.