Gulftainer Company Limited United Arab Emirates Khorfakkan Container Terminal Tops Port

During the dayshift, though, SSA’s crane operators average 28 to 30 moves per hour because the terminal is handling truck operations, as well. SSA will process 4,000 to 5,000 truck moves per day. Sometimes the yard gets so congested that a section must be closed off to truck traffic.

It’s therefore the responsibility of the terminal operator to provide as much yard support as necessary. “If we’re not getting containers to and from the crane quickly enough, we’re doing something wrong,” DeNike said.

Crane density is also important. To control costs, however, terminals will only work as many cranes as necessary to get the vessel in and out of berth in the window for which the shipping line is paying. Sisson said terminals generally assign one crane for every 1,000 moves. Therefore, a ship calling at a smaller port will work up to two cranes for 2,000 or fewer moves.