inland container deport icd

China Intermodal Transport Services to

the Interior Project (ITSIP)

Inland Container Depot (ICD) Operation Manual

August 2003

Advisory Services To Intermodal Transport Service Providers

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION .... I-1 A. The Role of an Inland Clearance (Container) Depot (ICD)... I-1

1. The Container Yard Operation. 2. The Receipt and Delivery Operation.. I-3 3. The CFS Operation I-4

B. Functions of a Container Depot.. I-4

1. To Act as a Buffer. I-6 2. To Accommodate the Completion of Administrative and Documentary

Procedures.. I-6 3. To Assemble Outward Containers for Loading. I-7 4. To Accommodate Unforeseen Delays I-7

C. ICD Handling and Equipment Systems.... I-7

1. Lift Truck System... I-7 2. Terminal Tractor/Trailers/Chassis... I-9 3. Rubber Tired Gantries (RTGs) or Transtainers... I-9 4. Rail Mounted Gantries (RMGs)... I-10 5. Forklifts I-11

D. Factors Influencing Choice of Best System.. I-12 II. BEST PRACTICES IN CONTAINER YARD OPERATIONS.. II-1 A. The ICD Layout and Area Requirements. II-1

1. Land Area II-1 2. Total Area Requirements Inside the ICD... II-5 3. Total Area Requirements Outside the ICD II-5

B. Container Yard Layout. II-5

1. General Storage Area... II-6 2. Special Containers and Purposes... II-6

C. Container Handling Methods... II-8

1. Tractor-Trailer System.. II-8 2. Lift Truck System... II-9 3. Rubber Tired Gantry Crane System... II-12 4. Rail Mounted Gantry Crane System... II-14

D. Yard Address System.. II-16 E. Storage Planning and Control Procedures. II-19

1. The Allocation of Storage Locations... II-19 2. The Determination of Storage Space Requirements... II-19

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F. Information System Applications... II-20 G. Container Yard Operations II-23

1. Inward Container Storage Operations II-23 2. Outward Container Storage Operations. II-24 3. In-terminal Container Movements... II-24 4. Interchange Movements... II-25

H. Managing/Controlling Yard Operations II-25

1. Underlying Principles of Control of Yard Operations II-25 2. Personnel Responsibilities and Functions for Control and Supervision II-26 3. General Tasks Required of Control and Supervisory Staff. II-27 4. Areas of General Responsibility of the Container Yard Supervisor... II-27

III. BEST PRACTICES IN CONTAINER RECEIPT/DELIVERY OPERATIONS III-1

A. Principles of Receipt/Delivery Operations.. III-1

1. General Receipt Sequence for Outbound Containers. III-1 2. General Delivery Sequence for Inbound Containers III-1 3. Variations in Receipt/Delivery Sequences. III-2

B. Receipt/Delivery Facilities.. III-2

1. Terminal Entrance. III-2 2. Vehicle Parking Area. III-2 3. Reception Office. III-3 4. Offices for Agents, Customs and Other Organizations III-3 5. Canteen or Rest Room. III-3 6. The Gate. III-5 7. Special Cargoes Gate... III-5 8. In-terminal Parking Area... III-5 9. Interchange Area(s)... III-5

C. Receipt/Delivery Documentation. III-6

1. The Train Notification Order or Barge Booking List. III-6 2. The Container Load List III-7 3. The Container Record... III-10 4. The Shipping Note. III-12 5. The Delivery Order III-14 6. The Collection Order. III-15 7. Dangerous Goods Documents III-16 8. The Equipment Interchange Receipt (EIR) III-18

D. Receipt Procedures.. III-19

1. General Purpose Containers III-19 2. Empty and Special Containers III-21

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E. Delivery Procedures. III-22

1. General Purpose Containers III-23 2. Empty and Special Containers III-24

F. Managing/Controlling Receipt/Delivery Operations... III-25

1. Receipt/Delivery Personnel.. III-25 2. Supervision of the Receipt Process III-25 3. Supervision of the Delivery Process... III-26 4. Completion and Shift Handover Procedures. III-27 5. Supervisory Responsibilities III-28

IV. BEST PRACTICES IN CONTAINER FREIGHT STATION (CFS)

OPERATIONS IV-1 A. Functions of a CFS IV-1

1. Functions. IV-1 2. General Activities... IV-1

B. Layout of Facilities

1. The CFS Entrance and Gatehouse. IV-2 2. The Road Vehicle Parking Area.. IV-4 3. The Reception/Delivery Facilities for Other Transport Modes IV-4 4. The Reception and Administrative Office.. IV-4 5. The Open Storage and Operational Area.. IV-4 6. The Storage Shed.. IV-5 7. Equipment Requirements. IV-6

C. Information System and Storage Address System. IV-6

1. Information System Requirements.. IV-6 2. Storage Address System.. IV-8

D. Procedures for Receiving, Unpacking, Storing and Release of

Inbound Cargoes in Containers... IV-10 1. Preliminary and Planning Processes.. IV-10 2. Receipt of Loaded Container from the Container Yard IV-10 3. Unpacking and Storage of Cargo Packages in the CFS. IV-13 4. Return of the Empty Container to the Container Yard. IV-14 5. Collection Procedures for the Discharge of Import Consignments IV-14

E. Procedures for Receiving, Storing, Packing, and Linehaul

Transport of Outbound Cargoes in Containers IV-17 1. Receipt of Export Cargoes by Road Vehicle. IV-18 2. Planning Processes for Packing Containers. IV-20 3. Receipt of Empty Container from the Container Yard. IV-20 4. Container Packing. IV-20 5. Return of Packed Container to the Container Yard.. IV-22

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F. Working Practices for CFS Operations IV-22

1. General Rules for Storage and Stacking IV-22 2. Palletization. IV-24 3. Manual Handling IV-25 4. Equipment Handling.. IV-26

G. Managing/Controlling CFS Operations IV-28

1. CFS Personnel and Responsibilities.. IV-28 2. The Planning Function.. IV-30 3. The Control Function. IV-31 4. The Operation Function IV-32 5. General Supervisory Responsibilities. IV-34

V. BEST PRACTICES IN ICD MANAGEMENT: PERFORMANCE REVIEW

TOOL. V-1 A. Purpose of Performance Measures and Review.. V-1 B. Types of Performance Reviews... V-1

1. Operational Reviews. V-1 2. Planning Reviews.. V-2 3. Long Term Reviews.. V-2

C. Description and Calculation of Performance Measures... V-3

1. Production or Throughput Indicators.. V-4 2. Productivity Indicators... V-5 3. Utilization Indicators.. V-8 4. Service Quality Indicators. V-9

D. Corrective Management Actions. V-11

1. Shift Reports and Reviews... V-11 2. Daily Reports and Reviews.. V-14 3. Monthly Performance Reports and Reviews. V-17 4. CFS Performance and Reviews.. V-22

VI ICD SAFETY & DANGEROUS GOODS HANDLING... VI-1 A. General Safety Principles... VI-1

1. Design Principles... VI-1 2. General Safety Principles. VI-2

B. Rules of Safe Access to the ICD Working Areas. VI-3

1. Access to Restricted Operational Areas VI-3 2. Access for Operational and Engineering Reasons.. VI-3

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C. Working Safety and Security VI-4

1. The Container Yard... VI-4 2. The Receipt/Delivery Area... VI-7 3. The Container Freight Station.. VI-9

D. Good Housekeeping VI-11 E. Dealing with Emergencies. VI-11

1. First Aid... VI-12 2. Fire-Fighting VI-12 3. Emergency Rescues VI-12 4. Emergency Services. VI-12

F. Dangerous Goods Handling. VI-13

Intermodal Transport Services to the Interior Project v

Advisory Services to Intermodal Transport Service Providers

I. INTRODUCTION

A. The Role of an Inland Clearance (Container) Depot (ICD) Inland Container (Clearance) Depots (ICDs) may be generally defined as facilities located inland or remote from port(s) which offer services for the handling, temporary storage and customs clearance of containers and general cargo that enters or leaves the ICD in containers. The primary purpose of ICDs is to allow the benefits of containerization to be realized on the inland transport leg of international cargo movements. ICDs may contribute to the cost-effective containerization of domestic cargoes as well, but this is less common. Container transport between the port(s) and an ICD is under customs bond, and shipping companies will normally issue their own bills of lading assuming full responsibility for costs and conditions between the in-country ICD and a foreign port, or an ICD and the ultimate point of origin/destination. ICDs are specific sites to which imports and exports can be consigned for inspection by customs and which can be specified as the origin or destination of goods in transit accompanied by documentation such as the combined transport bill of lading or multi-modal transport document. As such, ICDs are closely associated with the promotion of the through-transport concept. In combination with the containerization of goods, dry ports enable the transference of goods from their place of origin to the their final destination without intermediate customs examination; thereby intermediate handling occurs only at points of transfer between different transport modes. In essence, the ICD is a container depot that handles the same functions as the port terminal except ship to shore transfer. In so doing, this allows inland bound containers or outbound containers originating inland to bypass the port, which is generally congested, and be processed near the shipper or consignee. Primary ports, in general, tend to be congested and the success of the port depends on achieving quick turnaround times for calling vessels. ICDs, whether close to the port or far away from the port, allow cargo owners to claim their goods away from the port and port congestion. A standalone ICD may have many transport access and egress combinations. For example, the ICD may be served by road, rail and/or barge. Most typically, the result is that for inward movements of cargo, containers will arrive at the ICD via road, rail, or barge. Once they arrive at the ICD, the containers will either be unstuffed or will continue in container by road to their destination. For outward movements, breakbulk goods or containers will be brought to the ICD by road and subsequently they will be stuffed (for breakbulk goods) and depart from the ICD by road, rail or barge. Figure I-1 shows these possible combinations of transport modes.

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Figure I-1: Transport Combinations for ICDs

Inward Movement

Road

Rail

Barge

RoadICD

Breakbulk orContainer

Container

Outward Movement

Road

Breakbulk orContainer

Container

ICD

Road

Rail

Barge

Claiming a consignment can be a relatively time consuming process that involves cross-border formalities, destuffing, etc. In clearing the containers quickly through the port terminal, the port terminal activities are roughly restricted to ship to shore transfer, positioning in the yard for pickup, Customs detention if warranted, etc. In essence, time consuming activities like destuffing, duty payments, cargo storage, container storage, etc., are deferred to another location outside the port. At the completion of processing at the container depots, the cargoes will be claimed by the owners and generally distributed as breakbulk to their respective sites. In the case of breakbulk cargo where the both the ICD and the cargo owner are located far away from the port, the linehaul portion of the voyage can undertaken using containers instead of breakbulk vehicles. Whereby breakbulk transport is much less efficient than containerized transport generally 3 breakbulk shipments by truck is equivalent to one container shipment by truck transport costs can be reduced by keeping the goods in containers vis--vis breakbulk transport for as much of the linehaul component as possible. Furthermore cargo owners are not required to send agents to the port in order to clear the goods, rather document and cargo clearance can be undertaken at the ICD saving the cargo owner time and money. In the same way, export shippers can save time and money by routing their export goods through the ICDs and avoiding the congested ports, saving on breakbulk linehaul through containerization, and saving the cost of having agents located far away. More specifically, the ICD performs a number of services for the transport operator and for the shipper or consignee. In general, there are three sequences of activities: container arrival, container storage and container departure.1 The activities that are included in each sequence depend on the direction of the container movement inbound or outbound and the container status FCL (no stuffing/destuffing required) or LCL (stuffing/destuffing required). The three main operational systems in the ICD are:

The container yard operation The receipt/delivery operation The container freight station (CFS) operation.

1 This material is taken from the Port Development Programme (PDP), ILO, 1999.



1. The Container Yard Operation The container yard operation has two major components the container storage operation and the in-terminal container movement operation. a) Container Storage Operation

The container storage operation is primarily is a stationary process in that containers are placed in a container yard slot and stored until they are ready for onward movement. The operation is concerned chiefly with keeping the containers safe and secure. There are occasions where stored containers need to be moved within the container stack for repositioning and for access to other containers, however, it is good practice to keep these in-stack movements as minimal as possible. Depending on the equipment handling system used in the ICD, there may be equipment exclusively assigned to the container yard, such as in the RTG and RMG systems. In these systems, stacking and unstacking containers to/from the yard stacks to the interchange/railhead/berth transfer equipment is considered to be part of the container yard operation. Conversely, in a lift truck system, the lift truck is used in the transfer process as well as the stacking and unstacking process. In this sense, the stacking and unstacking is categorized as a step in the transfer operation.

b) In-terminal Container Movement Operation The other component of the container yard operation includes a range of in-terminal movements. These movements include: the movement of import containers from the container yard to the CFS for unpacking, with subsequent return of the empty containers to the empties pool; the movement of empty containers to the CFS for packing and ensuing transfer of loaded containers to the container yard; movements between the container yard and the customs and port health examination areas; and intermittent movements of damaged containers to an area set aside for container examination and repair, and their subsequent return to container yard storage.

2. The Receipt and Delivery Operation

The receipt/delivery operation consists essentially of a linked sequence of brief activities:

The arrival of inland transport, via the depots security entrance, at a reception facility, where document-checking and related formalities take place. Movement of the inland transport to a location where exchange of containers between the container yard and transport occurs. Departure of the inland transport from the depot, following a further set of security and other formalities.

The two main areas of activity for the receipt/delivery operation are the gate and the interchange areas. In the case where breakbulk cargo will arrive at or depart the depot by a transport mode other than road, it may be necessary to have



additional receipt/delivery services located at the point of entry/exit, i.e. at the railhead or barge berth. However, for an ICD, this is not often the case.

3. The CFS Operation The CFS is a cargo consolidation, container packing/unpacking and cargo distribution centre.2 In this way, shippers can transport their cargoes in break-bulk form, by the most convenient mode available road, rail or inland waterway to the ICD. Next, the CFS facility will arrange to consolidate and pack the goods into containers ready for loading onward transport to a port. Similarly, buyers of goods can arrange for the containers carrying their goods to be unpacked at the CFS, and separated into break-bulk consignments. The buyers can then arrange for their goods to be collected by the most convenient form of transport. The CFS operation includes the following sequences of activities: to receive, sort and consolidate export break-bulk cargoes from road vehicles; to pack export cargoes into containers ready for loading aboard onward transport; to unpack import containers, and sort and separate the unpacked cargoes into break-bulk consignments ready for distribution to consignees; to deliver import cargoes to the consignees transport; to store import and export cargoes temporarily, between the times of unloading and loading, while various documentary and administrative formalities are completed (e.g., customs inspection, settling of charges for packing, unpacking and storage, arranging transport).3

B. Functions of a Container Depot The facilities and services provided at an ICD can vary considerably. The minimum that will exist is as follows:4

Customs control and clearance Temporary storage during customs inspection Container handling equipment for 20 foot or 40 foot containers Offices of an operator, either the site owner, lessor or contractor Offices of clearing and forwarding agents Complete enclosure, fencing and a security system Reliable and efficient communication facilities Container freight station with stuffing and de-stuffing services Statutory Authorities (i.e. Agriculture) Shipping Lines

A more comprehensive ICD would include the above as well as some or all of the following:

Warehouse storage including cold storage and reefer storage 2 PDP, ILO, 1999. 3 PDP, ILO, 1999. 4 Taken from Handbook on the Management and Operation of Dry Ports, UNCTAD, 1991.



Container storage and inventory control Container maintenance and repair Equipment control on behalf of shipping lines (enforcing EIR) Offices of shipping line agents Railway goods office Road haulage brokerage Cargo packing services Consignment consolidation services Unit train assembly and booking services Container clearing services Computerized cargo-tracking services Clearing and fumigation services (atmospheric and vacuum) Refer refrigeration points Weigh bridges

In general, ICDs do not provide facilities for long-term storage or repair facilities for trucks or rail wagon or locomotive maintenance. The following diagram presents a general functional structure of an ICD.

Figure I-2: Functional Structure of an Inland Clearance Depot

Customs RepairClearance Facilities

Warehousing FreightForwarding

Consolidation InventoryControl

Marshalling ContainerYard Stuffing/De-stuffing

Storage CustomerServices

Shipping InlandLines Transportation

Dry Portor

ICD

Source: Handbook on the Management and Operation of Dry Ports, UNCTAD, 1991. The activities that are undertaken in an ICD ultimately depend on the type of cargo (breakbulk versus containerized), mode of transport (road, rail, inland waterway), and type of shipment (foreign or domestic). Certainly the movement of containers around the ICD will require the use of handling equipment, and storage whether in a container yard or CFS. In addition, shipments that require stuffing or de-stuffing services (breakbulk movements) will be processed via the CFS. Likewise, foreign shipments that require customs clearance will also be routed via the CFS. With respect to container depot processes, the functions of container yard storage are:



To act as a buffer between road receipt/delivery and rail/inland waterway operation. To permit customs and other administrative and documentary procedures. To assemble outbound containers for loading onto rail or inland waterway. To accommodate unforeseen delays.

1. To Act as a Buffer

The use of the container yard as a buffer for operations is a main function. It acts as a temporary storage place for containers waiting outward/inward movement. For example, in the case of train or barge loading, it would be difficult to time the arrival of the containers at the ICD to exactly match the loading schedule of the train/barge. Conversely, it would be difficult to time and correctly queue the arrival of road vehicles for picking up inward containers from an arriving train/barge. The container yard, allows containers to be arranged in a way to most effectively carry out receipt/delivery and loading/unloading operations.

2. To Accommodate the Completion of Administrative and Documentary Procedures

Another function of the temporary storage afforded by the container yard is to allow time for documents to be handled, customs clearance, health and quarantine inspection, destuffing and various other administrative procedures to take place without delaying train/barge or road departure. There are many potential sources of delays that would prevent the immediate discharge or loading of a container and so the container yard provides a holding area for containers waiting for outstanding matters to be cleared. In the case of imports, some of these sources of delay are:

The consignee or their bank has not received the shipping documents (bills of lading, letters of credit, invoices). Banks may place holds on the documents in the case that the consignee has not made payment. There may be delays in the issue of import licences. Customs may not have received the necessary documentation from the consignee. Customs requires some time to process the documents requesting clearance. Documents may be incomplete or inaccurate and require updating by the consignee or freight forwarder. Upon customs examination, there may arise a need for further testing and assessment of container goods before clearance is granted. Import duties and taxes need to be paid on incoming cargo. The assessment of same often happens after the cargoes have arrived The consignee may require some time to arrange for transport of the container from the ICD.



In the case of exports, delays can stem from the following:

Time is needed to process documents. Some documents may arrive with the container and so require additional time for processing. Customs may want to inspect the container and its cargo after it has arrived at the ICD before releasing it for onward movement. The multimodal operator will not authorize the loading of the container until the charges have been paid if they are to be paid by the consignor. There may be errors and omissions in documents received by customs, the ships agent or the ICD. Outbound LCL containers are usually packed over several days, following a detailed schedule. It is unlikely that the CFS will be able to accommodate all outbound LCL packing simultaneously.

3. To Assemble Outward Containers for Loading The third function of storage is to assemble the outgoing containers and to marshal them into a suitable sequence for loading ahead of the train/barge arrival. If the outbound containers are all or almost all in the depot before the loading begins, it provides a window of opportunity for the planners to prepare loading sequences.

4. To Accommodate Unforeseen Delays The availability of short term storage, in the case of outward containers, allows the consignor to send containers to the depot before the expected departure date and time. In this way, the consignor can be confident that transport to the depot will not be delayed to the extent that the container misses the train or barge departure. Conversely, the train or barge arrival may be subject to delay and the storage function of the yard prevents road vehicles from being tied up in queues awaiting the late arrival of the incoming transport. In the event of delayed inward containers, the storage function eliminates the need for road vehicles to remain at the depot waiting for the containers to arrive.

C. ICD Handling and Equipment Systems The performance and efficiency of a container depot depend heavily on its handling equipment. Indeed, the presence and activity of very large, fast-moving equipment is a characteristic of the container depot. There are basic types of container handling equipment and these are discussed below.

1. Lift Truck System This system may include front-end loaders (top-lift trucks (TLTs) or top loaders, side-lift trucks (SLTs)) and boom or reach stackers. TLTs and SLTs normally have a stacking limit of 2-3 containers high (one-deep) while boom or reach



stackers, which are more expensive, can stack up to 5-high (one-deep) or 3-4 high (2-3 deep). Advantages: This technology is relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain as well as flexible in terms of movement around the ICD. As such, they can achieve high utilization rates. Disadvantages: This technology requires relatively high aisle width (15-18 m) to manoeuver, yields low densities (in the case of TLTs and SLTs), and requires extremely good soil conditions and paving to bear heavy axle loads.

Figure I-3: Front End Loader

Figure I-4: Reach Stacker



2. Terminal Tractor/Trailers/Chassis This system of moving boxes uses tractors and trailers that can either be of standard road design or of special design for an ICD, which lacks the lights, brakes, and heavy suspension required for road trailers. Advantages: Cheap, easy to handle, doesnt require skilled equipment drivers. Disadvantages: Tractor-trailers require a lot of space for movement and can only be used in conjunction with some loading/unloading equipment.

Figure I-5: Tractor-Trailer Set



3. Rubber Tyred Gantries (RTGs) or Transtainers RTGs can normally lift 30.5-40 tonnes under the spreader and have a stacking capacity of 4-5 high. RTG span widths are anywhere from 2 rows of container stacking plus 1 trailer lane to 6 rows of storage plus 2 trailer lanes which leads to high TEU storage density. Advantages: RTGs yield very high TEU storage density and can typically handle around 100,000 container moves per year. This technology is very well suited for high volume operations and requires relatively little land due to the high stacking densities. Disadvantages: RTS are relatively expensive, require special paving and foundations for wheel lanes, have no horizontal transport capability, and require skilled labour for operations.

Figure I-6: Rubber Tired Gantry (RTG) Crane

4. Rail-Mounted Gantries (RMGs) Typically, RMGs are used in high volume rail depot operations for rail lo-lo. They can also be used in container yard operations. RMG span widths vary from one



rail track, one trailer lane and 2 rows of container storage up to 6 rail tracks, 4 rows of container storage and 2 trailer lanes. Advantages: RMGs are considerably faster than RTGs as well as being much cheaper to maintain. They are also well suited to handle high volumes of traffic. Disadvantages: RMGs are only useful for lo-lo and CY operations, are not as flexible as any other system and are the most expensive handling system to buy in terms of equipment.



Figure I-7: Rail Mounted Gantry (RMG) Crane

5. Forklifts Forklifts are generally only used for stuffing and de-stuffing containers. They are not generally used in CY operations, but mainly CFS operations. The exception is heavy duty forklifts which may be used for handling empty containers in the empties stacks.

Figure I-8: Forklift



D. Factors Influencing Choice of Best System The selection of the most appropriate ICD container handling system is primarily dependent on such factors as:

The initial cargo level The potential for expanding the capacity of the system selected to the ultimate cargo level The proportion of cargo to be handled by each mode of transport (road/rail/IWT) Limitations of area available (due to physical constraints and/or costs) Bearing capacity of soil (cost of foundation and pavements) Constraints on initial capital investment funds available



II. BEST PRACTICES IN CONTAINER YARD OPERATIONS

A. The ICD Layout and Area Requirements A representation of a generalized ICD is shown in Figure II-1. It provides an overview of the various areas of the ICD. The orange shaded area represents the depot entrance and gate activity. This is the main area (not including the interchange area) for the receipt/delivery operations. The green shaded area represents the CFS operation as well as customs and other examination areas. Finally, the gray shaded area represents the container yard operations. The ICD is an inland depot with open and covered storage areas, and with road, rail, and/or waterway links with the ports. The physical layout of an ICD depends very much on the main mode of transport that will access the depot. For instance, a rail depot will require a gate at the railhead, while an ICD served by an inland waterway will require barge docking facilities, a truck ICD will need sufficient road access and egress. The layout also depends to a great extent on the handling system selected.

1. Land Area The area requirements and land acquisition costs are highly dependent upon the handling system selected, because of the varying stacking densities and circulating area (aisle and roadway) requirements of each system. The civil works costs are dependent upon the area required, and the landfill and pavement needed to provide the bearing capacities required for each of the different handling systems. a) Container Yard

The required area for the container yard must be calculated based on the various types of cargoes stored in the yard and the size of the boxes used: export dry cargo, export reefers, import dry cargoes, import reefers, empty containers. Each of these components will generally have differing space requirements based on stacking densities and special requirements, i.e., reefers. The calculation is based on the following formulae:1

365)__()_()_(__ timedwelldaysxratiopeakxthroughputTEUrequiredspacesTEU =

)____()__(_ spaceTEUpermetressquarexrequiredspacesTEUrequiredarea = where the TEU_spaces_required represents the total number of TEUs needed for storage. This is not the same as the number of twenty foot ground slots which represent the number of designated storage areas on the container yard surface, not including any stacked container positions. Dwell time in this

1 All land area formula taken from ESCAP/UNDP Transport Financial/Economic Planning Model, Volume 3: Inland Container Depots Module, User Manual, UN, 1992.

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calculation is average dwell time or the average time (in days) that a container is stored in the container yard.

II-2


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Figure II-1: ICD Layout

Advi

Interm

Vehicle Holding Area

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Security FenceRail sidingsX X

Gate Gate

Train Handling AreaLoaded Container

Storage Area

Empty ContainerStorage Area

CFS Transit Shed

ContainerRepair Area

Workshop

Admin. Building& Control Centre

Customs/Health

Exam Shed Gate

InterchangeArea

SpecializedContainers

CFS Shed

InterchangeArea


b) CFS

The area for the CFS consists of the CFS shed itself and the CFS truck apron used for containers and trucks and the area is calculated separately for export and import cargoes as the dwell times are normally higher for import cargoes. The general method for calculating the area is based on calculating the area for storage in the shed, the length and depth requirements of the CFS, the handling and customs area width, the truck apron required, and any additional service space based on method of transport (rail, road, IWT), outdoor storage space, etc. The shed area is calculated as:2

annumperdaysworkingofNumberdxcxbxaxannumperTEUsareaShed

_____)()()()()__(_ =

where: (a) = area of floor space occupied by an average container load of cargo (b) = amount of space required for a fork-lift truck to manoeuvre (c) = peak load factor (d) = average dwell time of cargo

c) Packing/Stripping Dock A packing/stripping dock can be used for those shipments that come in FCL lot-sizes through the ICD for stuffing and de-stuffing due to inadequate facilities or provisions for customs clearance at the origin/destination. This cargo does not need to be handled through a CFS since no CFS storage function is required. The calculation for the span of the packing dock is

)___(cov)___(__

widthareadockeredxrequiredlengthdockpackingAreaDockPacking =

d) Overtime Cargo Warehouse

The use of the overtime cargo warehouse is for those breakbulk consignments that remain at the CFS for extended periods of time (e.g. more than 20 days). The rationale for this warehouse is to remove the cargo from the CFS in order that it does not interfere with CFS efficiency. This situation usually arises with import cargo that may have problems with import documentation. Calculation of overtime warehouse area is:

)__%____()/___()__()_(%)arg____(

__

2 totalofasareastorageuseablexmtonnesindensitystoragetimedwellovertimexovertimexocimportCFSpeakdaily

areawarehouseOvertime =

e) Container Repair Facility This facility is for use in minor repairs of containers. This area is not for major repairs, which will be done off-site.

2 Taken from Handbook on the Management and Operation of Dry Ports, UNCTAD, 1991.



f) Railway Siding and Truck Access

Space for railway tracks and siding requirements are very dependent on the unique characteristics of each project. Factors that need to be considered are: area and alignment needs for the extension of the rail tracks to the ultimate stage of ICD expansion; the number of loading and unloading tracks; engine escape tracks; receiving and departure tracks; storage tracks; and type of rail-side container handling area that is appropriate for the container handling system selected. Truck access, again, is dependent on the volume of traffic expected to be handled by the facility. Adequate access and egress from the facility through adequate gate capacity so as to make sure that undue delays are not experienced at the gates.

2. Total Area Requirements Inside the ICD All the facilities described above are necessary for calculating the area required within an ICD. In addition to these requirements are: a) Additional covered area to provide for:

Offices (including administration, operations, customs); Maintenance workshop; Canteen; Gatehouse, etc.

b) Additional paved area for provide for:

Internal roads and boundaries; Truck, car, tractors and trailer parking; Maintenance yard; Broken space, etc.

3. Total Area Requirements Outside the ICD In addition to the operational areas inside the ICD, substantial additional land acquisition and civil works costs are typically incurred for access to the ICD and for supporting infrastructure. Areas required for rail spur to the ICD, access and perimeter roads, and areas for supporting infrastructures (i.e., water filtration, sewage treatment) are some possible extra needs.

B. Container Yard Layout The container storage function is important in depot operations and can require a significant amount of land area. The number of containers that can be stored in the yard depends directly on the handling equipment used for movement and stacking. Roughly, for every 1000 TEUs in storage, the container yard requires areas of about 12,000 m2 for a yard gantry system, or over 50,000 m2 for a chassis system.



The detailed design and layout of the container depot will vary according to the site features and to the stacking and transfer systems adopted, however, there are some general features that are common to all systems.

1. General Storage Area One of the striking features of the general storage area is that containers are not stacked haphazardly throughout the yard. Instead, they are arranged in defined, rectangular groups called blocks. The blocks are separated by a) roadways which are the main access routes between the yard, interchange areas, CFS, etc. and are usually 25-30 m wide, and b) aisleways which provide access to and passing between the blocks and are usually 15-20 m wide.3 Each block holds many hundreds of containers and within each block, the containers are arranged in an end-to-end alignment along the length of the block or row and also in a side-to-side arrangement or line. The block is defined by painted lines on the yard surface. The basic unit within the block is known as the twenty-foot ground slot (TGS), which is identified as a painted outline of a twenty-foot container. Practically, each row normally contains an even number of TGSs. In this way, the row can accommodate either twenty foot boxes or forty foot boxes. Most containers passing through the depot are considered to be general purpose boxes which carry a mix of dry general cargoes. These containers are stored in the main storage blocks. The main blocks are divided into two areas outward (export) blocks and inward (import blocks). Efficient operations places the outward blocks closest to railhead/inland waterway berth and places the inward blocks closest to the gate and interchange areas. This serves to reduce the distance and time required for transfer of the container at the time of onward movement.

2. Special Containers and Purposes In addition to general storage described above, the depot will most likely handle a range of containers, which require special facilities. As such, distinct areas of the container yard are set aside for handling these special containers. There can be up to seven different special areas present in a typical container yard.

A reefer area (for refrigerated containers) A dangerous goods area An out-of-gauge area A high-value area An empties area A customs and port health examination areas An examination area for damaged containers.4

a) The reefer area is required to accommodate refrigerated containers carrying

cargoes that need to be kept below ambient temperature. The dedicated area provides power supply outlets or connections to a supply of coolant gas. This

3 PDP, ILO, 1999. 4 PDP, ILO, 1999.



area usually consists of one or two lines of side-by-side slots and can sometimes accommodate stacking to two high. Apart from the power/gas supply, the main feature of the area is a route of safe access by depot or multimodal transport operators (shipping line, freight forwarder, transport operator) staff to check the container temperatures regularly and to service or repair the refrigeration units. The area is usually located to one side of the general storage area. Handling equipment is kept away from the area unless instruction is given for movement of containers. In addition, the area should provide a fenced-off pedestrian walkway that allows staff to enter and leave the area without passing through a vehicle route.

b) Containers carrying dangerous cargoes must be segregated from the rest of

the containers in storage. This precaution arises from the need to protect other containers from such things as contamination, fire, corrosion, etc. In addition, segregating containers with dangerous cargoes in a specified location and not allowing stacking, i.e., only one high, provides fast and easy access should it be required. It is possible that certain containers carrying dangerous cargoes also need to be segregated from each other. These requirements and necessary handling actions are outlined in the IMDG Code, which provides a listing of dangerous goods, which are categorized by the type of hazard they pose. The Code is published and regularly updated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

c) The out of gauge area accommodates non-standard containers including

platforms and flats carrying over-height, over-width, over-length cargoes. These cargoes cannot typically be stacked and so are usually stored directly on the yard surface. This area also accommodates oversize containers those 48 foot long or 53 foot long boxes as well as uncontainerized cargoes. This area is commonly located near the depot gate or interchange area to facilitate access.

d) Terminals customarily allocate a particular area of the yard for cargoes

classified as high-value. Special facilities are not usually required, but practically, the area is highly visible at all times and can be monitored closely by both control room staff and depot security staff.

e) In addition to storing containers full of cargo, a depot usually also provides

storage space for empty containers. There are two classifications of empty containers. The first group includes those empty containers that are passing through the ICD towards a specific destination. The second group of empty containers includes those containers that are being returned to the container yard from a consignee or CFS and are to be recirculated to shippers at some unspecified future date. Typically, when an empty box is needed, any box belonging to the correct owner will do, i.e., they are not requested by specific container number, but rather by the size and type. Because of this, empty containers can be stacked higher than loaded containers and are often stacked closely together, many tiers high. This process is known as block-stacking.



f) Another area that is provided in the container yard is an examination area for

customs and health officials. Customs examination is needed to check the accuracy of the shipping documents, to take samples for analysis, to ensure that illegal goods are not being moved, and to calculate import duties and taxes. Health officials will want to inspect foodstuffs, plant materials and animals to ensure that they are healthy, fit for consumption or for transport. It is not practical or secure to undertake contents examination in the container yard and so, customs has its own assigned area of the ICD, which consists of an open area for inspection as well as secure bonded area for storage of valuable cargoes. Likewise, the health area will have its own designated examination area which may also contain a laboratory for analyzing samples and possible a cold store for temperature sensitive goods. The existing practice for customs is for selective examination based on set criteria as opposed to full and total inspection of every container. This selectivity means that the space allocated for customs is generally less than would be required for the examination of all containers.

g) Finally, depots may have an area designated for the examination, storage and

repair of damaged containers. It may not be safe to store damaged containers with regular containers.

C. Container Handling Methods There are various types of handling systems. Some systems use only one type of equipment for all stacking/unstacking and transfer operations. Examples of these systems are the tractor-trailer system and the lift truck system. Other systems, such as the RTG system and the RMG system require more than one equipment type to handle both stacking/unstacking and transfer functions. Each handling system has unique defining characteristics with respect to a) the layout of the container yard and b) the operational process of handling containers. These are described below for each of the handling systems listed above (see Section I E for equipment illustrations).

1. Tractor-Trailer System Tractor-trailer units are seldom used alone in an ICD. Typically, they are used to complement other container handling equipment systems such as RTGs and RMGs. They tend to be used if the distance between the railhead/berth and the container yard is large since they are a fast method of container transfer.

a) The typical feature of a container yard using a tractor-trailer system is that the

storage blocks are very long and narrow. Between each block is an aisleway and there is typically a perimeter roadway that runs completely around the container yard. In the container yard design, there is a tradeoff involving the length of the block and roadway access the shorter the block, the easier and quicker the access, however since the tractor-trailer system is relatively quick, the length of the blocks tend to be longer than for other handling systems. The longer blocks tend to be more storage efficient as there is less area taken up in lanes for vehicle access.



b) Operationally, the tractor-trailer yard system is used in conjunction with lifting equipment such as RTGs and RMGs. The tractor-trailer sets handle the transfer of the containers to/from the storage area to the railhead/berth/interchange areas. For inward containers, the boxes are landed onto the trailer by lifting equipment (cranes, dedicated lift trucks, etc.) and are then delivered to the assigned storage slots. For the discharge of containers from the ICD, boxes are lifted from the storage block and placed on the trailer. The tractor then transfers the container to an interchange where it is transferred to a road vehicle for delivery. The process is reversed for outward boxes.

2. Lift Truck System

a) In a lift truck system (front-end loaders or reach stackers) the container yard layout includes narrow blocks consisting of between 2 and six rows of containers (see Figure II-2). Within each block, the ground slots measure 6.6m long by 2.6m wide. The aisleways are relatively larger to accommodate the manoeuvring and stacking requirements of the lift trucks aisleway requirements are between 11m and 18m and roadway requirements are between 25m and 30m. Thus, this system has relatively poor space utilization in terms of the ratio between stacking and non-stacking spaces. The depth of the storage block, i.e., the number of rows it has, is determined by the type of lift truck equipment chosen. The relevant characteristics include lifting capacity and reaching capacity. For instance, front-end loaders are restricted to stacking/unstacking one deep thereby limiting the block width to two slots with aisleways on each side. Reach stackers, however, can stack/unstack three deep, thereby allowing the blocks to be six slots wide with an aisleway on each side. The length of the blocks tend to shorter in the lift truck system since lift trucks are slow and so a shorter block decrease the distances travelled. Containers can be stacked on top of each other in a lift truck system, but the stacking capacity is limited by two things: the tradeoff between high stacks and accessibility of bottom containers, as well as the diminished lifting capacity of lift trucks at higher stacking tiers.

b) Operationally, many ICDs use lift trucks as back-up equipment to handle empty containers into and out of storage in an empties area. They can be the principal handling system in general storage areas either in a direct or relay operation. In a direct operation, the lift truck transfers containers between the railhead/berth and the yard and also stacks/unstacks within the yard. Lift trucks are effective at transferring containers from stacks to road transport at interchanges. In a relay operation, tractor-trailers are used for movement into and out of the general storage area while lift trucks are used only for stacking and unstacking in the blocks and at interchanges.


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Lift trucks are considered to be versatile handling machinery for a variety of reasons. They can be fitted with a range of attachments, including attachments to handle uncontainerized cargo. Mechanically, they are easy to maintain and as a result, are popular for operations in ICDs with relatively small volumes of containers and/or a variety of cargo types.

II-10



Figure II-2: Lift Truck Container Yard Layout

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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Security FenceRail sidingsX X

Gate Gate


Storage Area


CFS Transit Shed


Workshop

Admin. Building &Control Centre

Customs/Health

Exam Shed Gate


CFS Shed

InterchangeArea

TGS is 6.6m x 2.6m

Aisleway 11-18m

Roadway 25-30m

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5 PDP, ILO, 1999.

3. Rubber Tired Gantry Crane System In this system, the transfer of containers from the railhead/berth is carried out by tractor-trailer units, while the RTGs are constrained to working in the container yard. a) The container yard layout in the RTG system exhibits a more dense stacking

capacity than the lift truck layout (see Figure II-3). Blocks are made up of six rows of containers with an additional truck lane roughly 4.8m wide, for tractor-trailer sets to drive in to deliver and collect boxes from the cranes. Each ground slot measures 6.4m long by 2.9m wide, which is smaller than for the lift truck system. The truck lane takes the place of an interchange area. The yard surface alongside each block is often specially strengthened to form a wheel track for the RTG. Individual blocks may be separated by aisleways (up to 4m wide) or only a narrow space (1.5 to 2m wide), depending on whether tractor units need access to the blocks. Roadways are located between the inward blocks from the outward blocks as well at the end of the storage blocks 25 to 30m wide. The roadways at the end of the storage blocks serve two purposes the first is to provide block access to transfer and road vehicles, and the second is to provide a means for the RTGs to move between storage blocks. Container stacking in an RTG system depends on the RTG size they typically stack one-over-three but can go as high as one-over-six and operational considerations as discussed above. Typically, outward stacks are 3 to 4 containers high and inward stacks are constrained to 2 to 3 containers high to reduce the amount of shifting needed to access the boxes on demand by the consignee.

b) As mentioned, RTGs are restricted to operating in the container yard. Tractor-trailer sets are used to collect containers from and deliver containers to the container stacks. In the receipt/delivery operations, road vehicles can either deliver and collect the containers in the truck lane interchanges within the blocks, or they can transfer the containers to yard tractor-trailer sets at an interchange area located near the gate. RTG systems are very space efficient because of their high stacking ability and the compactness of the storage blocks. They are also operationally effective systems as they take advantage of the speed, manoeuvrability and reliability of the tractor-trailer system and the lifting and stacking efficiency of the RTGs. The system is also reasonable flexible since the RTGs can move between blocks.5

II-12


Figure II-3: RTG Container Yard Layout





++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Security FenceRail sidingsX XGate Gate


Storage Area


CFS Transit Shed


Workshop


Customs/Health

Exam Shed Gate


CFS Shed

TGS is 6.4m x 2.9mTruck Lane

4.8mAisleway

1.5-4mRoadway 25-30m

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4.. Rail Mounted Gantry Crane System In this system, the transfer of containers from the railhead/berth is carried out by tractor-trailer units, while the RMGs are restricted to working in the container yard, moving along their pairs of rails. a) The container yard layout in the RMG system illustrates the densest container

storage layout of the different equipment handling systems (see Figure II-4). Typically, each crane spans 14 rows of containers between the rails, although cranes spanning up to 24 rows are available. The ground slots are generally 6.4m long by 2.9m wide. The gantry has a cantilevered extension to one end of the span, with an outreach of five metres. It overhangs a truck lane of about 4.8m wide along which tractor-trailer sets drive to deliver containers to or collect boxes from the crane. As in the RTG system, the truck lane acts as the yards interchange area. The yard surface on which the rails are mounted is specially strengthened and sometimes raised to take the entire load of the RMG. In this system, there is no need for rows to be interrupted by roadways and so each block can extend for the entire width of the yard. The blocks are separated by a roadway between 25m and 30m wide and a perimeter road runs all the way around the yard. The cranes move across the roadways between the blocks along rails that are sunk into the yard surface. RMGs typically stack one-over-four and stacking height combines operational considerations with the capacity of the RMG. As in the case of the RTG system, outward containers are generally stacked between 3 and 4 high, while inward containers are stacked 2 and 3 high. Empties can be stored at the end of the blocks to further take advantage of the cranes high stacking ability.

b) RMGs operate exclusively in the container yard transferring boxes to and from the stacks as well as shifting boxes in the stacks themselves. Tractor-trailer sets are used to collect containers from and deliver containers to the container stacks. In the receipt/delivery operations, road vehicles can either deliver and collect the containers in the truck lane interchanges within the blocks, or they can transfer the containers to yard tractor-trailer sets at an interchange area located near the gate. RMG systems are very space efficient because of their high stacking ability and the compactness of the storage blocks. They are also operationally effective systems as they take advantage of the speed, manoeuvrability and reliability of the chassis system and the lifting and stacking efficiency of the RMGs. Stacking and unstacking operations can be extremely rapid in this system, especially if there are multiple RMGs operating in one block.

II-15


Figure II-4: RMG Container Yard Layout





++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Security FenceRail sidingsX XGate Gate

Train Handling Area

CFS Transit Shed


Workshop


Customs/Health

Exam Shed Gate


CFS Shed Loaded ContainerStorage Area

TGS is 6.4m x 2.9m

Truck Lane 4.8mRoadway 25-30mEmpty Container

Storage Area


D. Yard Address System Given the nature of the service provided by an ICD and the volume of containers entering and leaving the depot during any given period, a crucial element in ICD operation is the placement, location specification, and the recording of container assignment. To this end, a systematic numbering or locational classification scheme must be implemented. This facilitates planning and operation of the yard through container tracking via container yard location. The system for numbering each storage location is known as the yard address system. Each numbered slot provides a unique yard locator code or identification the yard address. Assigning and updating the yard address of each container provides the means for the ICD to control the movement of each container including the transfer between external transport mode, storage, inspection, CFS, etc. For the yard address system to work, it is imperative that all personnel working in an operational has a working knowledge of the system. This ensures that:

Containers being received into the ICD are placed in that part of the container yard assigned to them. The correct yard address for each of those storage positions is communicated to the control room as soon as the container is in position, and whenever a container is moved within the ICD. The correct container is moved whenever an instruction is issued to take it to the interchange, CFS, examination area, or to another depot location. A particular container can be located quickly and without error whenever the control room makes such a request. A register can be maintained, showing at any moment exactly which slots are occupied and which are available for incoming containers.6

The container yard and yard address system is set up as a three dimensional grid, identified by a set of coordinates. These coordinates typically have four components.

i) A block identification; e.g., A, B, C, etc. ii) A row classification, usually consisting of a two or three digit number

representing the row within the block, e.g., 01, 02, 03, etc. iii) A line reference, usually a two digit number identifying the line within the row.

The line number frequently starts at 01 at one end of each block. iv) Where containers are stacked more than one high, the final classification

component is a single digit or letter representing the tier or layer within the stack. Generally, numbering starts at ground level with the number 1 or letter A.

The basic unit for the yard address system is the twenty-foot slot. As such, the yard address system must have some mechanism for assigning and recording locations for forty-foot containers. Logically, each forty-foot container occupies two twenty-foot storage slots. Designating yard locators for forty-foot boxes can be handled in a number of ways including recording the numbers of the two slots occupied; assigning the forty foot container just the even number of the pair occupied by it, or adapting the numbering system used to indicate twenty foot and forty foot bays in a container ship the twenty

6 PDP, ILO, 1999.


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foot slots are numbered consecutively 01, 03, 05, 07, etc. while the forty foot containers are given even numbered slots (forty foot container occupying 01 and 03 would be numbered 02). As is evident, there are a number of ways that address systems can be structured. The crucial point is that everyone using the system fully understands it.

II-19



Figure II-53: Yard Address System

Source: Portworker Development Programme, ILO, 1995.


E. Storage Planning and Control Procedures The container yard is one of the areas of the ICD where much physical movement occurs container shuffles; container movements to/from interchanges, CFS, examination sheds, repair facilities, etc. Thus, the planning, control and supervision of the container yard activities are challenging. The shear volume and variability of the activities that occur in the ICD requires that the activities must be planned in detail and personnel must follow the plans precisely and efficiently for both productivity and safety reasons. The two broad categories for storage planning and control procedures are: the allocation of storage locations and the determination of storage space requirements.

1. The Allocation of Storage Locations

The assignment of containers to specific storage locations is a critical element in the efficient and safe operation of the container yard. It is good practice to group containers that meet certain conditions together, i.e., dangerous goods containers should be segregated from the general storage area for safety of caroges, outward containers should be kept separate from inward containers for ease of tracking and access, high-value containers should be stored in highly visible areas for security reasons, etc. This leads to the layout of the general storage areas and special areas described above in Section II-B. Within these designated areas, a series of more specific stacking principles are applied. In fact, the inward and outward blocks are divided into zones and sections of zones. One purpose of the zoning exercise is to simplify and reduce the time and cost of container handling, primarily in the receipt/delivery process. Examples of zoning principles in the case of inward containers are:

Containers are generally grouped together according to the transport operator that is handling them on that journey. Containers destined to the same consignee or importer are grouped together Containers destined to landlocked countries are often grouped according to the country of destination.

In addition to these general zoning principles, further segregation of containers is used, often according to container dimension and status. A similar exercise is applied to outward containers. There are also separate rules for stacking and storing empty containers.

2. The Determination of Storage Space Requirements Once the different zones and section are delineated, the storage planner must decide how much space to allocated each section. The ground area requirements for each category of containers depends on three factors

The expected number of containers for each category type The stacking height of the containers in each category The average dwell time (time spent in storage) of each category of containers

The document process ensures that planners know, ahead of time, how many containers and of what type will be arriving from inland transport (i.e.,



train/barge/road) and how many will be discharged for loading. Multimodal transport operators provide all the necessary data in advance of the train/barge/road arrival. As to the second factor, most container storage involves the stacking of containers more than one high. There is a trade-off between stacking additional levels and gaining access to containers at the bottom of the stack. The higher the stack, the more moves required to get at the bottom container. For example, the bottom container in a stack of five requires nine equipment moves to be released from the stack. In general, inward containers are generally stacked to lower heights (2 to 3 high) than outward containers (3 to 4 high) as it is more difficult to predict when boxes will be claimed, while outward containers are sequenced to be loaded at the same time on departing linehaul transport. Also, empty containers are usually requested by type and owner as opposed to specific container ID and as such, can be stacked relatively high (5 or more depending on the stacking equipment used). Stacking restrictions are applied to special containers such as reefers (only one or two high), containers carrying dangerous goods (only one or two high), out-of-gauge containers (often only one high), and non-ISO length containers. With respect to dwell time, there is always a minimum dwell time associated with each container since there are documentary and operational procedures to be completed with each arrival and departure. However, every effort is taken to keep dwell times to a minimum because the longer the dwell time: a) The more space is required to accommodate the containers. b) The higher and denser the stacks have to be to accommodate the volume of

containers, leading to more shifts for container retrieval. c) The likelihood of congestion in the yard. d) The possibility of delay for goods in transit with the potential of deterioration of

goods and an increase in the cost of capital for shippers and receivers.

ICDs have policies in place to encourage lower dwell times. For outward containers, ICDs will have a specified acceptance period, say up to 6 or 7 days before the arrival of linehaul transport (train/barge) and a closing date before departure. For inward containers, ICDs specify a free storage period after which charges are levied on a daily basis.

F. Information System Applications Planning and control functions cannot be effectively undertaken without the presence of an information system that provides comprehensive and up-to-date information. The control function requires knowledge of:

The number of expected containers The identity of the expected containers The location of each container within the ICD at any given moment The stage that has been reached in each containers handling sequence



The current availability of yard space and its individual zones and sections. In terms of container yard operations, the information systems must provide the following components the container records and the yard inventory. The most effective system will have each component cross-linked with the other for ease of use, analysis and rapid information retrieval. The container records provide important information for container yard operations, especially container tracking (see Figure II-6). The required information is the container ID and the yard slot address, which must be updated any time the container is handled. The function of the container record is largely one of control. In comparison, the yard inventory is a planning tool, as it serves to help planners direct containers to appropriate locations throughout the yard. There are various configurations of information systems from a completely paper-based system to a fully computerized system. For example, Figure II-7 illustrates how the inventory consists of a set of plans. The plans can be paper based or computerized. Obviously, the paper systems are more cumbersome, inefficient, error-prone and less useful for planning purposes as timely information is not immediately available. At the other end of the spectrum, an online computerized ICD MIS yield benefits to supervisory preparatory activities. These benefits include:

The reduction of paperwork since data is only entered once and then is automatically accessible in all the required forms (container records, yard inventory and various summary lists). Instant availability and accessibility of information at all relevant desks. Timeliness and ease of data updates (to indicate container arrival, stacking, movement within the depot, examination, clearance and departure). The ease of cross-checking data entry. The reduction of time taken for documentation procedures. Automatic data analysis, reorganization and presentation for various parties. The provision of checks to ensure that all required data is available and prompts to staff if data is insufficient. Automation of customer billing based on movement and activity records associated with each container.7

The use of electronic data interchange (EDI) also confers various benefits onto users as it allows all parties involved in the transport operation to be connected. Benefits accrue through:

The reduction of data entry as it is entered once and is subsequently available to all connected parties. The reduction of the possible sources of error. The instant availability of data to all users (container location, holds, etc.) The improvement of advance planning capability.8

7 PDP, ILO, 1999. 8 PDP, ILO, 1999.


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The timely arrival of information regarding containers and movements for time sensitive goods or short-sea services.

II-24



Figure II-64: The Container Record

CONTAINER RECORD Job. No. Rotation No.

Import/ StageContainer ID Export

Size/Type FCL / LCL Transport Mode

Weight IMDG Transport ID

Seal Temp Arrival

Load./ Out-of-Guage OperatorDisch.

AgentLocation Customs Status

Start TimePrev. Loc. Hold Status

Finish Time

Port of Loading/ Stowage LocationPort of Discharge

Remarks

Haulier Time In

Vehicle No. Time Out

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Figure II-7: The Yard Inventory

Block B

01 02 03 04 05 06C xxxx 1234567 yyyy 3450223

01 B aaaa 2345678 bbbb 6456821 cccc 1298503A aaaa 1595536 nnnn 4984546 nnnn 6983922 rrrr 3527849 eeee 5552785

C02 B

A

C03 B

A

C04 B

A

C05 B

A

G. Container Yard Operations Container yard operations can be arranged into four main activity groups. All these groupings involve the movement of containers and consequently use of large handling equipment. Given this characteristic, one major element that underlies all these activities described below is that of container yard safety. It is important to understand that practices and procedures described below need to adhere to safety and security policies adopted by the ICD. The safety topic will be handled separately in a subsequent chapter where the entire set of ICD operations will be discussed.

1. Inward Container Storage Operations In order to achieve efficiency standards, it is critical that inward containers be stacked in the correct storage slot in a timely fashion. Storage allocation for inward containers can either be predetermined to the exact storage slot, or to a more general block zone where the final storage slot is determined as the container is being moved into storage. Both approaches require that the spaces to be used are ready for receiving the containers. The physical movement of an inward box to container storage begins when the container arrives at the ICD by road/rail/barge. The transfer equipment tractor-trailer, lift-truck is directed to the either the predetermined slot or zone and the container is subsequently stacked in the storage slot. In the predetermined case, the clerk will acknowledge that the container has been stacked into the assigned spot, while in the second case, the exact yard address will need to be recorded once the container has been unloaded and placed in the container stack. In this way, the container record and yard inventory can be updated. There are various stacking sequences and principles that can be followed in the stacking process. Ideally, the proposed sequences should be logical and



systematic in order to keep the operation straightforward. One example of sequential stacking is to stack containers along a row at ground level until all base slots are occupied before beginning to stack in the next tier. Another example is to fill the complete line in each row, i.e., stack all available slots starting at the ground level in one line and stack as high as operationally feasible before moving to the next row. An effective stacking principle is to stack inward containers to achieve a staggered effect, alternate the height of the rows 1 high, 2 high, 1 high, 2 high, or 2 high, 3 high, 2 high, 3 high, etc. This permits easy in-stack shifting to access bottom tier containers. Another good stacking rule is to stack end rows lower than the rest of the block so as to provide a better view for equipment drivers going in and out of the stacks.

2. Outward Container Storage Operations In general, outward containers are not pre-assigned specific storage slots as it is difficult to time the arrival of the container to the ICD relative to other outward containers. Therefore, outward containers are generally pre-assigned to zones within a block and the exact location is recorded once the container has been landed in the storage slot. Physically, the container is transferred to the storage yard by tractor-trailer or lift truck once is has completed the ICD receipt procedures. The stacking equipment then places the container into a slot and the yard location is recorded by the clerk. This information is used update the container record and yard inventory. Gantry cranes tend to stack along a line rather than row in order to minimize the amount of time spent moving the cranes back and forth. Practically, outward containers also tend to be stored with their doors all facing the same direction, particularly in barge operations so that the containers all arrive at the barge transfer crane with the doors facing the same direction as it will be stored on the vessel.

3. In-terminal Container Movements In-terminal container movements include any movement made to or from the container yard but remaining in the ICD. Examples of these movements include movements to CFS for destuffing; movements of empty containers to/from the empty stacks and the CFS; and movements from the CFS to the storage yard for stuffed containers. Other in-terminal movements include transfers of containers to/from customs and health examination areas, as well as transfers of damaged boxes to the repair area, etc. A final type of in-terminal movement is the in-stack movement. This movement occurs within a storage stack and is needed to access containers stacked underneath other containers, or to reorganize boxes into a more efficient arrangement. This last group of in-terminal movements is typically left for off-peak operating periods so that they do not interfere with stacking and unstacking operations. The goal of in-stack shifting is to streamline receipt/delivery operations as well as transfer operations to loading/unloading areas for rail and barge operations. It is extremely important that any in-terminal shift be authorized



in writing by the control room and that the movement be recorded upon completion so that the container record and yard inventory can be updated.

4. Interchange Movements The interchange area is under the control of receipt/delivery operations, however, the transfer of the container from the container stacks to the interchange area and from the interchange area to the storage blocks is under container yard operations. The interchange areas depend directly on the equipment handling system used and so for lift truck systems, a separate area near the gate and away from the stacks is used, while in RTG and RMG systems it is possible to use the truck lanes within the stacks as the interchange areas. It is also possible to have separate interchange areas for RTG and RMG operations, using tractor-trailer transfer equipment. This configuration allows the ICD to prohibit access of non-depot vehicle drivers to the storage area where large, heavy handling equipment is being used. For outward containers, the interchange process begins when a container is received by the ICD gate personnel. The container is taken to a specific interchange position. The yard transfer driver is directed to the interchange location and is provided with the container information and the assigned storage address. The container is transferred from the road vehicle to and taken to the container block and landed in the correct location. The driver then records the exact storage address. For inward containers, the interchange process begins when a road vehicle arrives to pick up a container. The empty vehicle is directed to the specific interchange position. The equipment driver is directed to the yard address to collect the right container and bring it to the interchange area. The driver will confirm the container identification and address upon retrieval. The container is landed carefully on the road vehicle and the driver records the movement.

H. Managing/Controlling Yard Operations

1. Underlying Principles of Control of Yard Operations

The major supervisory responsibility with respect to container traffic is:9 a) maintaining safe and secure custody of containers while awaiting onward

movement and providing appropriate treatment for them and their cargoes while in the ICDs care;

b) controlling the safe movement of containers within the ICD at the appropriate

time to the correct location and as promptly and efficiently as possible;

c) maintaining the safety of all those working in the container yard.

9 PDP, ILO, 1999.



Control of container yard operations should be carried out from a control room or control centre located away from the equipment movement in the yard. Preferably, the control centre should allow a clear view of the gate and yard. Effective supervision of container yard activities depends on three basic requirements: a) The communication of clear instructions to equipment drivers, which provide a

precisely planned sequence to ensure that the correct containers are lifted/moved/delivered/stacked in the correct place at the correct time.

b) Direct acknowledgement by the drivers of the directive, which provides the

control room staff the confirmation that the containers have actually been handled and confirms their actual location in the yard.

c) A system for accurately recording the existing location of every container

within the ICD boundaries. This system is an essential part of the ICDs MIS and provides up-to-date information required by planners and management to program moves and layouts to accommodate incoming and outgoing container movements from the depot.

Effective control of yard operations is best accomplished by way of direct communication between the control room and the yard operators. The three basic means of direct communication are: a) Radio communication through radio transmitters and receivers, which provides

instant feed back on actual movements occurring in the yard. b) Radio data transmission by way of computer terminals located in equipment

cabs which are linked to the depots MIS and allows MIS updated as information is keyed in by control room staff or yard operators.

c) MIS computer controlled systems, which are completely computerized and are

updated on a real time basis. Indirect communication as represented by a paper-based system is also used but this system produces a lag in the updating of the yard inventory. This system also requires on-site yard supervision and lessens the ability of the control room to make changes and adjustments to any situation that might arise. In the absence of an MIS, a T-card record system can be used to identify the yard inventory. This system requires manual updating and a supplementary container record system usually in the form of a card index, which provides more detailed information on the container.

2. Personnel Responsibilities and Functions for Control and Supervision There is a supervisor, based in the control room, in overall charge of the container yard operations. This supervisor reports directly to the shift manager. The main functions of the control room supervisor are to maintain the safety and security of containers while in yard storage and to oversee the transfer of containers between



various locations within the container yard. Additional duties include direct supervision of in-terminal containers movements and stacking/unstacking activities relating to receipt and delivery. The supervisor is responsible for the running of the container yard operations and for its integration with the other operations linked to it. The supervisor oversees a small staff of clerical-grade controllers, who communicate instructions for the container movements to the drivers and operators of transfer and stacking equipment. This staff also records the completion of the instructions as acknowledged by the equipment operators. In larger ICDs where size and volume warrant, there is usually another supervisor responsible for supervising activities within the examination areas known as the inspection gang supervisor. The purview includes such activities as unpacking and repacking of containers under customs review, in need of repair or replacement, or those that contain leaking dangerous cargoes. The supervisor communicates with the control room by telephone and radio. The inspection gang supervisor oversees the inspection gang, which is responsible for packing and unpacking of containers. In ICDs where radio and computer communications are nonexistent, the supervisor is positioned out in the depot rather than in the control room. In the case of yard gantry cranes, the control function is likely carried out by tally clerks located in the ground cabs of the cranes.

3. General Tasks Required of Control and Supervisory Staff The control room supervisors tasks can be summarized as follows:10

To ensure that operations proceed according to plan, to recognize deviations and to react appropriately and rapidly to incidents and problems observed directly or indirectly through controllers or outside supervisors. To liaise with the engineering department over maintenance, reporting any defects reported and arranging safety stops for engineering access. To report any concerns over security directly to the security officer. To report serious problems directly to the shift manager with recommendations for the appropriate response (redeployment, additional resources). To report the activities performed and tasks achieved throughout the work period.

4. Areas of General Responsibility of the Container Yard Supervisor The duties and responsibilities of the control room supervisor fall under several categories:

10 PDP, ILO, 1999.



a) Programming Receipt and Delivery Interchange Movements

The control room supervisor controls the movements of containers between the interchange locations (where they are lifted to or from road vehicles) and the import, export and empties stacks. In addition, the supervisor oversees movements to and from the railhead and/or the inland waterway berth. Along with these functions, the control room supervisor often oversees the gate personnel since the control room is usually situated with a clear view of the gate and the interchange points. Tasks here include placing gate staff in position and determining lane availability to meet demand. The supervisors aim in this operation is to keep delivery and collection times as short as possible in order to maintain a high quality of service to customers.

inland container deport icd

Documents

container yard operations

container yard layout

container yard supervisor

container record

terminal container movements

container load list

container handling methods

general storage area