ATA NSW expects greater efficiency as Sydney Ports boss notes behavioural changes
By Rob McKay | February 28, 2011
Reciprocal financial penalties under the Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy (PBLIS) went live today, with the trucking industry in New South Wales hoping it will bring discipline to the fraught interface between road freight and the stevedores.
ATA NSW Manager Jill Lewis believes the system will result in greater efficiency at Port Botany.
“We believe the threat of penalties will help ease congestion and improve the overall turn round times for trucks entering and leaving the port precinct,” Lewis says.
“Under the PBLIS regulations, stevedores who keep truck carriers waiting in queues will be forced to pay penalties.
“For example, stevedores that fail to meet the truck turnaround time standard – 50 minutes for the first container and then 15 minutes for each additional container – will be fined $100 per truck per hour.
“This initiative is a step in the right direction if we are to achieve efficiency gains at Port Botany.”
ATA NSW has also reminded truck carriers to register with Sydney Ports ahead of the introduction of the new port truck tracking system in the second calendar quarter of the year – a point underlined by Sydney Ports Corporation (SPC).
“Trucks will be fitted with a tag to measure independently and analyse actual arrivals in and out of the container terminals,” Lewis says.
“This will measure the length of time stevedores take to service the trucks as well as any queue time.”
Truck carriers must register their company details on the Sydney Ports website www.sydneyports.com.au to request a tracking tag.
SPC Chief Executive Grant Gilfillan insists February’s final industry trial had given port users an opportunity to adapt to the new operational performance framework between road carriers and stevedores, while providing SPC with crucial landside performance information.
“This information has resulted in greater overall transparency surrounding the performance of stevedores and road carriers at Port Botany and will lead to greater efficiency and consistency of the landside supply chain in managing increasing trade volumes,” Gilfillan says.
The final PBLIS trial measured early and late truck arrivals, no shows, minimum slots offered per hour, truck turnaround time, truck non-service and time zone cancelations.
Gilfillan was relatively even-handed about performances during the trial, saying truck carriers showed a “distinct change in behaviour to meet the more disciplined approach by the stevedores to servicing trucks at their container terminals”.
Truck turnaround times varied significantly between stevedores during the trial, with DP World at an average of 62 minutes and Patrick at an average of 36 minutes.