Semtex:
Lucy:
What’s interesting here once again, is the difference in rules and operations for Short Sea and Deep Sea containers. Deep Sea is basically no touch, whereas on Short Sea we strip our own open-tops and open/tilt-siders; flatracks are done by us as standard instead of being contracted out to a “specialist” and we are at the very least responsible for making sure they are secure to ship; if the customer wants us in the back, we get in the back (subbies too, part of the contract), and checking empties for holes/dryness/odour/etc etc after tipping and when collecting off the dock is down to the driver too. We also do tautliner jobs, where a load has been transhipped because there’s no back door tip facility at the delivery point. Ultimately, we’re in competition with the unaccompanied trailer market, so we need to be just as convenient for the customer.Having done both kinds of boxes over the years, I’d never go back to Deep Sea if I could help it, now. Sure, Short Sea involves a tad more effort, but not much, and as the majority of loads are palletised the hours are much shorter. It’s more interesting, and the Short Sea Terminals are smaller and generally quicker turnarounds than the Deep Dea ports.I’d also love to be a fly on the wall the day a driver rang our very scary TM and said they wouldn’t open the doors…
Tilbury 43 berth…nuff said!!!
If thats your quick turnaround you are welcome to it
I said generally, Stu. But even then it’s a long time since I spent more than an hour there. Shipping line’s own, see. If it’s bad, get Expressed. 
Also bear in mind that I was self-employed in the mega SCT queues of 2001-2. Nothing, but nothing, is as bad now as the place was then. Even a few hours on Trinity Housing Association at Flx was welcome relief…
