UK – CHINA – WORLDWIDE – In the field of logistics time, quite simply, is money and sometimes a little thought can provide a logical solution to a familiar problem. Most freight forwarders are familiar with the difficulties of transporting private cars in containers and there are a myriad solutions designed to make the whole thing a faster and, more importantly, safer operation. We havefeatured before specialist solutions primarily aimed at the classic car transport market such as the Levatonpallet system which travels with the vehicle, but what if your sole business is producing the same vehicle over and over again.
Everybody is familiar with the iconic London black cab and The London Taxi Company, now part of Geely Automobile Holdings, produces approximately 3,000 vehicles each year, across both its Coventry and Shanghai facilities. As such, operations between the two plants are closely intertwined, with as many as eighteen containers of automotive parts arriving in Coventry from China on a weekly basis.
The London Taxi Company was aware of time and efficiency issues while taking delivery of these crucial components. The containers shipped over from China were not compatible with the loading bay configuration in Coventry, meaning that the container from Shanghai needed to be unloaded on arrival in the port at Felixstowe, and then reloaded into a suitable curtain-sided trailer for delivery to the UK plant.
After searching for a solution the company saw examples of bespoke platforms produced by Derbyshire group Thorwald Industries and became confident that a similar solution would enable the same container to be loaded in China and unloaded in Coventry without double handling. Therefore, the company requested a quote for a platform and ramp solution that would reduce inefficiency, as well as the expense of reloading containers in Felixstowe. Designs were created and keenly priced to include a dock plate with removable fork lift handles, a platform with an 8,000kg capacity and a 10,000kg access ramp, in addition to access steps, handrails, bumpers and bollards. Richard Wood, Supply Chain Manager, explains how the Chesterfield based loading/unloading specialists solved the problem:
“We knew that doubling-up on the loading stage at Felixstowe was creating unnecessary expense and inconvenience. These issues needed to be addressed, so we researched the available options online to source a suitable solution. That solution was Thorworld, the designs created matched our expectations completely, and the integrated platform and ramp system has already shown its worth beyond a doubt. The team on-site really enjoys using the kit and find that efficiency levels have increased significantly. Furthermore, as we no longer have to pay fees at the port to transfer container contents, the ramp will pay for itself within several months.”
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