New equipment doubles yard capacity

There has been a big
move in the container
handling capabilities of
Durban-based logistics
specialists Sammar
Investments – with the
acquisition of a Hyster
reach stacker and a seventon
counterbalanced lift
truck from Barloworld
Handling.
The RS45-31CH reach
stacker handles loaded
containers while the
Fortens is used for empty
containers.
“The reach stacker in
particular has increased
productivity all round,”
said Sammar MD
Malcolm Sodalay.
The new equipment
replaces a 35-ton gantry
crane for stacking full
containers – which
limited the 10 000 m2
yard to a 300-container
capacity.
“With the high stacking
density achieved with
the reach stacker, land
can be used much more
productively,” Sodalay
added.
Using the terminal’s
estimated 5000 m2 of
level ground, and using
the machine to stack
three rows – staggered
five-, four- and threehigh
– as is Sammar’s
intention, this would give
the yard a theoretical
capacity of 624-TEUs,
according to Gerhard
van Niekerk, national
big truck sales manager
for Barloworld. “Using a
block all of five-high,” he
added, “the total would
be 780 TEUs.”