Hi all,
Off to Felixstowe docks for the first time Wednesday, can anyone give me an idiots guide to the place like where to go and what to do etc?
Are the cranes and procedure for getting the boxes loaded/lifted like Southampton or completely different?
Thanks.
Already got laptop and mags 
i run out of felixstowe. its not bad once you know how it works.
have you got a rhides card?.
if not you need to go to the police station and get a temp pass. its in dock gate 1
just ask the peeps on the gate were the nick is and they will put you right.
you also need a vbs. without this dont waste your time going. i think you have them at southampton anyway.
never loaded at southampton from the key. so cant tell if its diff at felixstowe.
but basicilly once you go through the canopy normally at trinty dock gate 2
you get your location head there and the rtg drops the box on your back.
ask at the canopy for a map of the docks it helps a lot.
if its windy DONT rush it will be closed,any thing over a good â– â– â– â– will shut the place,as for the dock its self.
pass office is over the r/bout after gate 1 on the left hand side behind the cop shop.
when thru there,after having at least 2 forms of id,head to trinity?,and que with others,have VBS or you wont go in and be very unpopular with others.
when past gate ask for map,and some idea about the paperwork,it will show loads of details,and where to drop off the box 254
row D slot 254,find the space and wait till crane comes along,then the fun starts,because you have to move the lorry a small amount till it lines up with the boom, the crane driver wont budge.
follow signs on floor to exit and check out at gate 1/2 and away you go.
as been known to take anything from 1 hour to 4 at normal times,and if blowing a gale,days have been heard of with their version of stacking.
plenty of reading material would be a help, if you drop off on the slot?,your alarm clock will be the crane as he comes past to you,the bell will wake most people.
best of luck,it can be fun?
to us complete foreigners to this side of the business…what is a VBS?
vbs is the new booking system you are given a number and it allows you 3hrs eatheir side of that time slot to get your box loaded no vbs no box.
magpie666:
i run out of felixstowe. its not bad once you know how it works.
have you got a rhides card?.
if not you need to go to the police station and get a temp pass. its in dock gate 1
.
I’ll go to the nick then, i take it trinity is here Bing Maps - Directions, trip planning, traffic cameras & more i’m guessing the dock entrance is top left in this picture 
looks similar layout to southampton and birkendhead
With the other dock entrance here Bing Maps - Directions, trip planning, traffic cameras & more centre bottom of picture, (forget about red circle thingy)
Giblsa:
to us complete foreigners to this side of the business…what is a VBS?
VBS=Vehicle Booking System…It does’nt work really,but some ■■■■in a suit came up with it,and everywhere its been implemented soon goes ■■■■up e.g Tilbury.
you are given a time slot i.e 05:00-06:00 or whenever you are down at the docks to collect/deliver or both a container.
its designed to only let a certain amount of trucks on the terminal each hour.cause it was found that early morning and late afternoons are the busiest times,so instead of 100s of trucks all turning up at the same times thus stuffing the place up,they try to limit it to a certain number of vehicles each hour thus spreading it out a bit…In theory
In Southampton its 100 each hour,so sometimes you are available to go collect your container at 5-6 but if all available VBS’s are gone you have to be booked in 6-7 or later dependant on how busy the docks are,andwhether you can get a slot!!
you have the hour to get to the docks,otherwise if you miss it,your company are charged £25 and you then have to be re-booked.
Im speaking mainly for Southampton though 
so dont shoooooooot me down. 
As far as Im aware you have 6 hours either side of your booking time at Felixstowe to get there,as it has’nt been FULLY implemented yet,so anyone who has’nt been there for a while really would’nt know any difference to the procedure…cause it aint changed 1 bit…apart from giving a 4/5 digit number to the ‘Checker.’
trhanks for that BM.
i had a feeling it was something to do with booking times but didnt know what.