It has been seven years since Greencarrier Freight Services entered the deep-sea shipping market between China and the UK. A lot has happened since then with growing customer demands and continuous investments to meet our customers’ various needs. This year, 2018, we incorporated a Straddle Carrier to our operations in Ipswich, Suffolk to be able to serve more customers in a quicker and more efficient way.
Increased cargo volumes from deep-sea shipping between China and the UK
Ocean freight is often the most suitable option for customers that prioritise cost-efficiency and eco-friendliness over shipment time. Still, when the cargo reaches the receiving port to be transported to its final destination it is important that operations are as efficient as possible to minimise the total shipment time. This applies regardless the number of containers or how bulky or heavy the goods might be.
Greencarrier Freight Services UK entered port logistics and deep-sea shipping between China and UK in 2011. With the Port of Felixstowe just 17 kilometres from our operating centre in Ipswich, Suffolk, it was a natural progression to the services we already offered our customers. During the past seven years, we have seen an increase in cargo volume from the deep-sea shipping between China and the UK. Today, managing these volumes is the core operation for our Ipswich site. When starting our operation, we were unloading four containers per week. Today we unload over 40 containers and deliver over 80 containers to our customers per week.
A Straddle Carrier unloads heavy goods quickly without forklifts or cranes
To keep developing our services and meet the various customer needs, we are continuously investing in both employees and equipment. This year, 2018, we have incorporated a Straddle Carrier to our operation. The Straddle Carrier works in such a way that it straddles the trailer or truck with the container and lifts the container underneath itself. The driver positions the carrier over the trailer with the container and then lifts and moves the container to its loading or unloading position.
The main benefit of this is that the loading and unloading of cargo from the containers can be done much faster than when they were on top of the trailers. Since the containers can have a large variety of different goods – some are just filled with boxes while others may have heavy machinery inside – the Straddle Carrier makes the loading and unloading processes more efficient. In addition, the Straddle Carrier can handle really heavy loads. With a lifting capacity of 35 000 kg, there is now little we cannot handle at our Ipswich centre.
Efficient operations enable future investments for quicker distribution
Because the Straddle Carrier enables us to load and unload containers faster and to also take on heavier and bigger goods we can ultimately serve more customers. This, in turn, will allow us to invest even further. We are now planning to add more vehicles to our truck fleet to provide quicker transportations to our customers’ final destinations.
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog article about our new investments and developments. Do you have any questions regarding Greencarrier Freight Services’ operations and offers in the UK? Feel free to contact me! Also, don’t forget to visit our Knowledge Center and social media channels for more information, blog articles and news.
