This looks like your answer to queing at docks. try this link
Trouble is there aint many truckstops up there
Thanks Wheel Nut,interesting to see how other ports work around the world.I think I like it here better complaining about lack of air-conditioning! 
Here’s another view on Container terminals.
I’m an Engineer with Maersk Sealand, when we arrive in any port around the world gangs of stevodores come onboard as soon as the ship gets alongiside.
The ship then has to sail within an hour of completing cargo operations. We can have about 600 moves and then we are gone again within 12 hours. Not very good for the socail life.
From the sea side of things most of the terminals seem to very efficient. But don’t get yourselves down no matter what terminal we go to anywhere in the world there is always a queue of trucks waiting to get in or out so it’s not just a UK thing.
In fact, talking of Felixstowe, a handful of us got so peeved off on Friday waiting on the pads for our boxes that we ended up blocking the entire row.
We were down on the C 600’s row and there were four of us waiting for C 684 pad. There was one RTG somewhere around C 650 which was exclusively servicing the tugs only. An hour went by, so made a phone call to the Trinity office to be told, “sorry, he’s been told to stay on shipping (basically meaning “just do the tugs”) and we don’t have enough man power to get another RTG down to service you”. “Well how long are we gonna be waiting?”. “Sorry mate, dunno. We’ll do you as soon as we can”.
Another hour goes by and then another RTG appears at the other side of the RTG closest to us waiting. Thinking that the one closest to us will come down and service us we get back in our cabs and wait, but alas no, both RTG’s are servicing the tugs 
Two and a half hours later and numerous calls to the RTG manager on his mobile telling him we’ll block the row if we don’t get serviced now just gets ignored so we (the 3 other drivers and myself) mull over whether to block the row or not.
Didn’t take much mulling over. We waited until the tug which was been serviced pulled away and then the JDM Shunting guy and myself pulled along one end of the row and the owner driver and Felixshunt guys took up the other end.
Within two minutes the RTG manager arrived in his car complete with the dock police and orders us to move. The JDM Shunting guy told the cops the crack and how long we’d be sat there. He said that we’d all get reported to our respective companies and possibly banned for three months if we didn’t move. We said fine, get on with it, we’re not moving. They both disappeared off for a chat and made some phone calls and then said that they’d get the RTG to service us.
The RTG came down and pulled over pad 684 so we pulled back round under the crane and got serviced straight away.
We did get reported to our respective companies however, who basically turned round to the Felixstowe bods and said “good on them… and so they should have”!
Result. Will have to do this more often. 
Brgds
Speedy
My blood goes cold thinking of all the hours I’ve wasted in that godforsaken place. Well done for the direct action. I only hope they do something about it.
There are few things more intensely irritating than sitting on a slot for an hour or more watching the guy in the trannie 10ft away eating his sarnies and picking his nose, whilst fielding phonecalls asking whether anything’s happened yet and whether you’re going to be late…
…although sitting for a similar amount of time waiting for the slot only to have a tug fly up the inside of you at the last minute, nearly taking your entire nearside with him comes close…
…as does having a trannie driver shouting at you through the tannoy to get on the slot if you want lifting, whilst he sits there and blocks the only way by which you could do so…
…and waiting for ages, fighting like schoolkids to get through the three open lanes under the canopy only to have the entire place shut just as you get there because there’s wind somewhere off the coast of Australia which might get to Felixstowe sometime this year…
…then finally getting through and finding you have 2 lots of THA - or, worse still, POE (the only forklift park in England whose most notable attribute is a distinct lack of forklift)…
…finishing up with a half hour queue to get out of the godforsaken place!!!
Thank god I’m paid hours…
I’m beginning to sound like an advert for Commercial Motor tonight, but there’s an article on the Felixstowe waiting times in the current issue.
Bet the sponsors of this forum love me!
Has Southampton Dock sunk into the sea or something then? Felixstowe is a breeze in comparison.
In fact, surely this a record time for in and out of Felixstowe last Wednesday lunch time : 12 mins. Onto Landguard, box off and on, RTG’s waiting on pad for me in both places. Couldn’t believe my eyes. Normally I manage to get a 15 in on the pad, in fact usually a 30 or 45 too. 
Then it all went wrong on Friday morning as tale told above.
Brgds
Speedy
And the good news is ‘They’re making it bigger so they can service more ships’.
The in-gates at Trinity are being extended to the right, who is going to man them 
Haven’t got enough staff now.
Who is going to man the RTGs Haven’t got enough staff now.
Who is going to spend even more time in the THA We are, YIPPEE 
I have to say, it takes me on average 45 minutes to queue to get in through the canopy at Trinity, only to be told that my empty had to go to POE002. Upon arriving at POE I get to wait 15 mintues whilst the guy in reception has a heart attack at having to do some work.
Then back to the THA to wait for an hour or so to be called round to wait for an hour in the pad, as the tugs keep jumping the queue’s.
And the queue to get out just finishes off my evenings perfectly.
I always figured that doing nights to felixstowe would be alright, but even at 3 in the morning it’s complete chaos. Another 250 employee’s and it might run smoothly.
We sent a truck into Southampton 3 weeks ago ,to pick up a box for ourselfs ,and it took 39 hours to get loaded .After we tipped it we sent it back and that took 26 hours ! know wonder theres no £ in transport …
I don’t know what you lot are on about I read the CM article and the big cheese at Felixstowe assures the readers everything is hunky-dorey!Just drivers whingeing again,eh?
Sorry, but I still think the best quote was that made by a certain SCT Ops Manager on local telly last year - around the time of the famous 9-mile queue up to the M27 (Yes, I was there…yes, it was as long as was claimed…yes, I got my box, albeit the following day…yes, the job had been cancelled by then…no, I wasn’t being paid hours at the time!!! 
)…
…Apparently we were all deliberately sitting in Rownhams Services until it was full, then descending together in a mob-like fashion!!!
That’ll be why the Ministry suddenly took to coning the wagon park off, then…
(Mind you, the comment by his Felixstowe oppo in CM re:not having facillities on the THA because that would encourage people to stay comes pretty close…)
you lot must be the unlucky ones
didn’t you know that “the average turnaround time is 31 mins” in felixstowe.
it must be true its posted in all the ingate windows!
ROLL ON SHELL HAVEN
with any luck they might put themselves out of jobs at felixstowe if this place opens up 
Sure makes me glad i am on Norfolk Line,i can stand these 15 mins turnarounds
Why do you do containers■■?
Because it’s easy and I’m bone idle…
I second that lucy. 
morpethmike:
Why do you do containers■■?
Someone has to do them and I’m with Lucy on this one, it’s oh so easy.
Mind you, I got a bit of depressing news on Friday. The company that we sub to haven’t got a lot of work coming out of Thamesport at the moment, so they are going to transfer me to Felixstowe
I used to prefer Grain to Felix but after having two visits there (Grain) last week I wished I was at Felixstowe. And for the 3rd time in a row I was very unimpressed by the quality of the food in the cafe.