material handling solutions for the evolving seaport€¦ · manager for toyota material handling,...

Material Handling Solutions for the Evolving Seaport

MAY 2017

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Material Handling Solutions for the Evolving SeaportWHITEPAPER, MAY 2017

© Copyright IHSMarkit 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Maximizing Efficiency in the Changing Port Environment 4

Regulating Congestion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Optimizing Fleet Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Customizing Equipment for Unique Needs . . . . . . . . 7

Choosing the Right Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Port Equipment to Meet Shifting Demands . . . . . . . . 8

TOP TAKEAWAYS

l Evolving technologies of shipping vessels and port infrastructures require port managers to adjust their expectations of what it means to be efficient and productive.

l The three greatest challenges for material-handling fleets that specialize in ever-changing port environments are maximizing efficiency, managing port congestion, and optimizing fleet management.

l Toyota aims to address these challenges by selling an innovative generation of port equipment, incorporating advanced technology, and developing products based on a high level of customer research.


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Global port operators looking to better manage the accelerated flow of incoming and outgoing containers need innovative and sophisticated material-handling equipment.

IntroductionAs the size and capacity of global container ships have grown larger and larger, an abundance of excess containers have led to softened cargo rates. Global port operators looking to better manage the accelerated flow of incoming and outgoing containers need innovative and sophisticated material-handling equipment. Over the last decade, a new generation of advanced systems has emerged, enabling terminal managers to keep a constant eye on the cost of operating their equipment, share that information with vehicle operators, and manage their fleets more effectively. Today’s managers are looking beyond upfront costs; “Ongoing maintenance and cost-per-hour are critical measurements now, watched much more than they were three to five years ago,” Bob Lunt, high capacity sales manager for Toyota Material Handling, USA (TMHU), said.

Toyota Industries has been selling forklifts in the United States for 50 years, partnering directly with users in manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution firms. Currently the leading manufacturer of material-handling vehicles in North America, the company produces an advanced line of American-made vehicles expressly designed to meet the unique needs of container port managers and their vehicle operators.

Toyota’s newest generation of equipment addresses the three greatest challenges facing material-handling fleets that specialize in ever-changing port environments: maximizing efficiency, managing port congestion, and optimizing fleet management.

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Maximizing Efficiency in the Changing Port EnvironmentPort managers and operators face increasing pressures to move products quickly and efficiently. Advanced port forklifts need to be able to safely handle products after they are offloaded from today’s larger and quicker generation of cranes, and put them on to semi-trucks. Typically, these forklifts are used after the container has been removed from the ship. However, Toyota’s advanced line of port equipment includes trucks for loading roll-on, roll-off ships. These trucks are low enough — and heavy enough — to lift and carry containers while onboard shipping vessels.

Toyota offers four lines of vehicles to help meet port managers’ current demands: the Empty Container Handler; the Loaded Container Handler; the Reach Stacker; and the Toyota Heavy Duty forklift line that includes a specialized truck for handling ro-ro traffic.

All of the trucks in this new fleet are built for optimal performance and durability. Equipped with Cummins six-cylinder, high-horsepower engines — some of the most reliable in the industry — their force-cooled, wet disc brakes reduce downtime and increase productivity. Enclosed, ergonomically designed operator cabins, complete with tilted steering columns, provide safety and comfort for drivers who work as many as 10 or 12 hours a day.

The uniformly high quality of Toyota’s fleet is one of its biggest market differentiators. One contributing factor is Toyota Group’s close partnership with the companies that

The uniformly high quality of

Toyota’s fleet is one of its

biggest market differentiators.



Toyota’s world-famous Kaizen management culture emphasizes continuous improvement, which empowers TMHU to make product adjustments as often as needed without ever falling behind set quality standards.

supply components to TMHU, including engines, power train masks, frames, and steel axles, explained John Vincent, Toyota Material Handling, USA’s national manager of dealer sales for the eastern region. Toyota’s world-famous Kaizen management culture emphasizes continuous improvement, which empowers TMHU to make product adjustments as often as needed without ever falling behind set quality standards, Vincent said. TMHU vehicles are equipped with vertically mounted tilt cylinders for harsh working environments. The unique two-part, rust-inhibiting polyurethane base-paint coats and the two-part, polyurethane coats combine to shield each vehicle against the ever-present moisture encountered at seaports. Designed for maximum versatility, innovative attachments to Toyota trucks can be quickly added and removed without affecting the vehicles’ capacity. All units in TMHU’s four port product lines are painted in-house, providing “the same fit and finish for each product, while making sure that each unit meets the same high-quality standards,” Vincent said.

Regulating CongestionIn today’s faster-moving ports, speed is critical to balancing capacity. “The number of containers is significantly higher, because the ships are continuing to grow larger, and they have more physical containers on them than they used to. And port managers are under pressure to offload them faster. So that has put a stress on the congestion within the ports,” Lunt said.

Toyota’s latest generation of trucks have been specially designed to alleviate congestion. The Toyota Reach Stacker allows operators to stack standard containers as many as five high and three deep. That capability makes the fleet excellent for transitioning from a port offloading area to railyard. When it comes to handling congestion in shipping yard staging areas, Toyota’s Empty Container Handler is ideal. It enables the stacking of up to eight containers, one on top of another. An optional side hook/twin-pick attachment even allows for moving two containers at once, which means fewer trips and less traffic.

Toyota’s Loaded Container Handler Capacity meets hard-to-combat weight challenges, with its maximum capacity of 90,000 pounds. A maximum lift speed of 47 feet per minute facilitates enviable port efficiency.

Alleviating the pains of port congestions also has to incorporate the movement of containers on ships. To help port managers meet the challenges of unloading ships and organizing containers onboard, Toyota’s specialized THD Roll-on, Roll-off model can navigate tight-fitting needs. With a compact design, specialized low mast and overall height, these trucks are ideal for maneuvering ro-ro cargo inside the tight confines of a ship, or moving products on or off vessels. If required, the rear counterweight can be removed to facilitate safe, easy movement of the vehicle to the interior of the ship via crane. The counterweight can then be reinstalled quickly when the unit is inside the ship hull.

Alleviating the pains of port congestions also has to incorporate the movement of containers on ships.


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Optimizing Fleet ManagementManaging forklift and material-handling fleets have long been at the forefront of a port manager’s duties. With changing technologies in material-handling equipment, the tasks associated with fleet regulation are becoming easier to manage, which has led to increased expectations that equipment is also being used efficiently, to maximize profit.

To help port managers meet these expectations, Toyota’s new port vehicles can be equipped with optional electronic devices that collect wireless data, track the logistics of the containers being moved, and create reports that analyze that data. The data is collected automatically and delivered via Toyota’s online T-Matics system.

Advanced data-tracking technologies also reduce equipment downtime, Lunt said. “Suppose you have five pieces of equipment, and you lose one of those because of a mechanical breakdown or an accident. In such cases, you just lost 20 percent of your offloading capability. That can be a real issue.”

The goal is to make sure that the vehicles are being maintained properly through periodic maintenance. The network enables managers to quickly assess whether, in the case of damage, the repair parts are already on order and, if so, when will they arrive. “All that contributes to effective offloading and reduced congestion,” he said.

Critically, the data about such crucial processes can be viewed and shared by managers, who can easily analyze it, forklift by forklift. “For managers, it is so much more effective because they can look at what maintenance has been done on each vehicle; how the truck has been operating; and the cost per hour,” Lunt said. “Sometimes, you may find

Advanced data tracking

technologies also reduce equipment

downtime.



that the gear axles are bad because it travels a route that includes a pothole, which must be repaired.”

Automatic alerts about problems are sent to the supervisor, and a truck can be shut down if there is an accident. This provides managers with information to determine how the accident took place and make future staffing decisions.

Many of today’s forklift fleets are aging, and the cost of maintaining them can be very high. Investing in technology, however, can pay off by providing data to monitor processes and people and optimize productivity.

Using advanced technologies in port settings can help managers ensure they are getting the most out of their fleets. With many of the new products, for example, managers can determine how efficiently drivers are offloading containers.

“This provides teachable moments about how the driver is operating; all that can be tracked,” Lunt said.

Toyota’s fleet management technologies provide almost real-time monitoring of the trucks and how they are operating to help determine which trucks are operating most effectively. Minimizing cost-per-hour is the ultimate goal of this data collection.

CUSTOMIZING EQUIPMENT FOR UNIQUE NEEDSDifferent operations will have unique needs for safe, effective operation of their forklift fleet. When their equipment includes large tools such as Toyota’s line of THD and port equipment, meeting those needs means keeping people, productivity, and profits safe from harm. A variety of options are offered to meet additional requirements customers that may have outside of the standard equipment on these large pieces of material-handling equipment:

• Cameras mounted on the front and the back to compensate for loads blocking an operator’s view.

• Rear object-detection radar for maneuvering in tight spaces.

• Onboard load warning system and overload warning indicators prevent operators from lifting loads above the equipment’s capacity.

• Shock sensor warning system with logging to help managers track impacts to improve operations or hold users accountable.

• Tire-pressure sensors alert drivers when tires are losing pressure.

Each of these options offers specific value for varying port operations. The cost associated with accidents and downtime can have extreme consequences for any port’s efficiency and profitability. “Companies are now seeing the financial cost benefit of installing these features on port trucks,” Bob Lunt, high capacity sales manager at Toyota Material Handling, USA, said. Port managers can explore the value of these additional features for their port equipment with the help of their Toyota dealer. n

Data can be viewed and shared by managers to analyze forklift by forklift.


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Choosing the Right VehicleGiven the substantial costs involved, port managers’ decisions about which features to include on their material-handling equipment are made only after a process of careful deliberation. Typically, a sales person goes to a port site and studies the details of its current operations to analyze their needs. “We walk the facility and learn any pain points they have, and then we recommend equipment that might help them operate more efficiently and effectively,” Lunt said.

The taller trucks now have a price tag that ranges from $200,000 to more than $1 million each. Companies have learned that higher upfront costs can provide valuable benefits further down the road. And companies are willing to pay because of the growing pressure to do everything possible to raise the bar on safety. “It is a dynamic mix,” Lunt said. “But, typically, safety takes priority.”

The first step toward choosing the right vehicle for your company’s needs is to undergo a detailed evaluation by an experienced sales professional. Among the key questions asked are: Where are you operating this piece of equipment, and how are you using it? What kinds of containers are you moving? How big and how heavy are they?

Because so many features on these trucks are customizable, new users may need to test the various options when planning equipment use or selecting the correct lift. For example, port managers may consider equipment with higher or lower lift speeds. That sort of decision has implications for the safety of the vehicle and for potential damage to the product. “Some companies experience a high number of incidents in which a product is damaged, and that can get expensive,” Lunt said. Some companies will change speeds if they notice that they are having an increase in incidents or if there was a near miss on the job.

“We will take prospective customers on factory tours so they can see how these trucks are operating, and the built-in Toyota quality. The trucks are customizable, and it’s very difficult to find one model that fits every customers’ needs.” he said. Manufactured and customized in the United States, Toyota strives to make sure every customer receives the product they need for effective port solutions. “They are very costly to replace or repair — so it is very important to get things right.”

Typically, each truck is manufactured only after each order is placed, a process that takes about three months for each customized truck. “Toyota has the shortest lead time in the industry,” Lunt said, noting that average lead time on the THD models is approximately 16 weeks.

Port Equipment to Meet Shifting DemandsThe evolving technologies of shipping vessels and port infrastructures have required port managers to adjust their expectations of what it means to be efficient and productive. Choosing the right material-handling equipment, manufactured with innovative technological solutions and maximized for productivity in engineering, can mean all the difference in running a profitable seaport operation. Toyota’s line of port equipment offers various solutions that can assist port managers in their day-to-day duties. Toyota’s dedication to superb manufacturing and technological innovation continues to help ports in the US run as smoothly as possible. l

Because so many features on these trucks

are customizable, new users may need

to test the various options when planning

equipment use or selecting the correct lift.

material handling solutions for the evolving seaport€¦ · manager for toyota material handling,...

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