Spoilt for choice

The terminal tractor business has two distinct business areas in which it operates and each provides growth of opportunities and some challenges. Brian Robinson reports

The ports and terminals business represents something in the order of 50% of tractor sales while the industrial, warehousing and distri­bution industries account for the other 50%.

A big issue confronting the container industry is the increasing size of ships and the speed with which they can be turned around in port. Much work has been done to maxi­mize ship-to-shore (STS) crane productivity, but it is generally recognised that the terminal operation and the speed with which contain­ers can be supplied to and cleared from the STS crane is often the weakest link.

There are advocates of the various options. Some believe that straddle carriers do the job best and others are sold on tractor and trailer systems, be they single trailer, short trains or multi trailer.

The ro-ro industry is primarily Europe-based with the biggest single market being the UK, but ro-ro is also a major element of the transport infrastructure in the Baltic States and Mediterranean.

Terminal tractors used for ro-ro tend to be of the 4x4 drive which can cope with the incline of ship ramps, while 4x2 is more common in container fetching and carrying. Multi train systems of five or more trailers need to haul 350 tonnes gross and usually demand 4x4 tractors with more powerful engines of 400+ bhp. Increased ballast is also often required to provide extra traction and this can mean a dead weight tractor of 20 tonnes.

Netherlands-based Terberg Benschop BV is a major supplier of terminal tractors in Europe and director George Terberg says that Europe represents 70% of his company’s busi­ness, although over the years there have been sales to more than 80 countries worldwide. Port activity accounts for 50% of Terberg busi­ness and the ro-ro/lo-lo split is about 75% ro-ro within Europe, although it represents only 5% of the market outside Europe.

The world market for terminal tractors is approaching 5,000, with around half of that being in the US and South America. The market in the Americas is all for 4x2 tractors and is dominated by locally manufactured machines - with Kalmar pro­ducing in excess of 2,000 tractors at its Ottawa, Kansas plant.

The Kalmar truck division manufacturers can be seen in operation the length and breadth of the continent. Many ports in the US are committed to yard gantry crane opera­tion with containers being fed to and from the pier by terminal tractors and it is this that makes the US the big market for the 4x2s.

Vocabulary

spoilt – избалованный

distinct – отличительный

area – область

opportunity – возможность

challenge – вызов, трудность

represent – представлять собой

in the order – в порядке

warehouse – хранить на складе

distribution – распределение

account for – насчитывать

issue – вопрос

confront – стоять перед кем-л.

productivity – производительность

supply – поставлять, доставлять

clear from – убирать, удалять

option – вариант

are sold on – поддаются уговорам

be they – независимо от того, являются ли

они

primarily – главным образом

tend – иметь тенденцию

4×4 drive – полноприводный

cope – справляться

incline – наклон

ramp – рампа

common – распространённый

fetch – доставлять

carry – перевозить

haul – тащить, тянуть

gross – брутто-регистровый

powerful – мощный

bhp = brake horse power – лошадиная сила

traction – тяга

dead weight – собственный вес

ro-ro = roll on, roll off

lo-lo = lift on, lift off

split – разделение

dominate – преобладать, господствовать,

доминировать

in excess – более

truck – грузовой автомобиль, товарная

платформа

length and breadth – вдоль и поперёк, из

края в край

are committed – принимают на себя обяза-

тельства

fed – p.p. from feed – зд. доставлять

pier – пирс, причал

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14