Durban Container Terminals (DCT) has taken delivery of ten new haulers ahead of the start of the citrus season next month.
The equipment delivery was the first batch of 45 fully assembled haulers that were expected to arrive by the end of May, DCT said in statement on Thursday.
Malaysia’s Terberg Tractors will ship another 25 haulers in mid-April and the last batch of 10 are expected to arrive at the end of May.
The haulers will be allocated across DCT Pier 1 and DCT Pier 2, with each terminal receiving 23 and 22 haulers, respectively. Haulers move containers from the stack to the ship-to-shore crane in a vessel loading operation, and from the ship-to-shore crane to the stack in a vessel offloading operation. The arrival of the equipment will enable better use of straddle carriers and enhance the terminal’s efficiency.
“It’s not common to have this type of equipment readily available on purchase and we thank our customers for helping us identify it,” said DCT managing executive, Earle Peters.
He said the industry had demonstrated “unparalleled support”.
By the end of May 2024, the terminals would also have taken delivery of four reach stackers and five empty container handlers, all a critical part of the terminals’ fleet replacement plan, said Peters.
The hauler purchase comes with a 12-month warranty, whereafter the technical team will be supported by Terberg as the Original Equipment Manufacturer through a seven-year partnership.
Peters said no additional staff training would be required to operate the haulers. However, more than 330 operators would be allocated a day each to familiarise themselves with the model, which differs slightly from the older version they have been using.
