Neele-Vat is ready for SOLAS
22-06-2016
byBeau van den Berg/June 22, 2016/atFamily News
Neele-Vat ships thousands of shipping containers annually from the Port of Rotterdam. Starting July 1, these containers must be weighed due to the amended SOLAS regulations. For this reason, the logistics service provider is equipping its forklifts with the iForks weighing system.
Neele-Vat is a full-service logistics provider with 600 employees and revenue of 250 million euros in 2015. The company offers customers a comprehensive range of services, from air and ocean freight to warehousing and physical distribution. It has branches in China, Italy, Finland, and Poland, but the Rotterdam port area plays a central role in the shipment of ocean freight. Hundreds of containers depart for the sea every week from various warehouses in and around Rotterdam and the Maasvlakte. Starting July 1 of this year, these containers must be weighed due to changes to the SOLAS regulations.
Roads
The new SOLAS regulations require forwarders to report the gross weight of containers to the Shipping line before the container is loaded on board. This is necessary to draw up a stowage plan in a timely manner for the enormous container ships. Two methods have been officially approved for determining the weight of containers: weighing the entire loaded container (Method 1) and weighing all individual pallets loaded into the container, after which the total weight is calculated (Method 2).
We spoke with René Bongers (Director) and Dennis Kruit (Warehouse Manager) about their experiences with SOLAS. They explain why they chose SOLAS Method No. 2.
Dennis Kruit first encountered the practical aspects of the SOLAS weighing requirement as a warehouse manager at Neele-Vat . When asked why the logistics industry is reacting so late—after all, we’re only a month away from the July 1 effective date—he replies: “We just had another meeting with the Port Authority; actually, the rules are only becoming clear now, a month in advance.””
No HSE = No Load
“No VGM = No Load,” they say now: if the weight is unknown, the container won’t be loaded. We must report the weight to the terminal and the Shipping line, which can be done up to one day before departure. The margin of error is allowed to be 5%. If your VGM is incorrect, you’ll be fined.
René Bongers takes over the conversation. “The method we were looking for had to be fast and accurate. We have reputable clients who don’t want any shenanigans or hassle. In foreign countries, it’s quite possible that a container won’t be loaded if the weight isn’t correct. That’s why the process is essential.”
Kruit adds: “You want to avoid mistakes at all costs. Retrieving a container from the terminal takes four days. You have extra moves, you have to deal with customs, the reference number expires—all of which incur additional costs.” Neele-Vat opted for SOLAS Method No. 2, weighing individual LCL shipments on their forklifts.
The Practice
Dennis Kruit takes us to the warehouse across the street from Marco Polostraat to show us how the internal logistics of SOLAS Method No. 2 operate at Neele-Vat . The warehouse’s facade consists of rows of numbered loading bays with docked containers. Trucks in immaculate white and blue drive back and forth. Dressed in brightly colored safety vests—a color that stands out to visitors—we’re allowed inside. Forklifts rapidly move palletized goods into the containers, stopping occasionally to receive a new task on their onboard PDAs.
Kruit explains that the trucks are equipped with RAVAS iForks, allowing employees to weigh all LCL shipments directly on the forklift upon receipt, while unloading the truck, without any loss of time. The weights of the shipments are entered into the warehouse management system. When the loading lists for the containers are compiled, the WMS simply adds up the weights of the individual shipments and adds the container weight to that total. This way, the gross weight is known before a single pallet has even been loaded into the container. “We are ISO- and AEO-certified, so Method No. 2 is simply integrated into our existing quality systems,” says Dennis.
Groupage shipments
For companies that process groupage shipments in containers, using Method No. 2 offers additional benefits. Weighing individual shipments within a container provides additional information and offers opportunities for process optimization. This leads to a faster ROI on SOLAS investments.
Bongers explains that SOLAS not only imposes obligations but also offers opportunities: “We’re becoming state-of-the-art and will work with greater precision. Our customers appreciate that. We’re linking all information directly to our management software; currently, a lot is still done manually, which costs manpower and money. So we’ll be delivering even higher quality. We hope this will help us stand out in the market.”
