World Trade - April 2009 - (Page 39) Maersk has faced “shortfall” fees for not meeting the ports, both because of the efficiency of its workers and volume set forth in its contract with the South Carolina because it’s a natural harbor close to the open ocean. State Ports Authority (SPA). To improve its bottom line, “The Port of New Orleans is 10 hours up the MisMaersk wanted to move its operations to a “common- sissippi River, so if something happens, a sudden storm use” area of the port where non-union SPA employees blows in or something, I cannot get away,” he said. “The would perform jobs that now fall to organized labor. safest place to be on a vessel like this when the weather However, the three maritime unions in the city col- turns against you is out on the open water.” lectively rejected that proposal. “The Port of Houston is eight hours up river, and that While staying firmly out of the fray of that situation, can lead to all kinds of complications.” Fedelini said the ILA possesses an interesting challenge In fact, the last time the MSC Marina was due to call for shipping lines calling on U.S. Ports: In Europe, he on Charleston, a combination of fog and local regulasaid, the ship will be unloaded whenever it docks and the tions prohibiting nighttime departure from the Port of lines pay only for that time their ships are being worked. Houston caused Esposito to bypass the port completely While ILA will also work a ship at any time, its con- in order to make up time. tract dictates that they are paid by “These ships are very forgiving an 8-hour shift. What that means for the planner,” Esposito said. is that if you come in at 2 a.m., “If you plan ahead and do things These ships are very you’ll get your ship worked, but smart, you can deal with situayou’ll also have to pay the workers forgiving for the planner tions that are out of the captain’s for the beginning of the midnight hands. You can reroute cargo and you can deal with shift, while they were waiting for make other arrangements for its your ship to arrive. situations that are out of delivery.” “So your choice is, do you Getting the job done pay for the standby time, or the captain’s hands. As Esposito spoke, members of do you pull up to the dock and his crew were monitoring every wait for the next shift to begin so you’re not paying for the time that your ship isn’t being move of the port workers and longshoremen, making worked,” Fedelini asks. “Of course, if you wait for the sure the containers were unlatched properly and hatches next shift, you’re adding to the overall time it takes to get closed correctly. “It’s all about making sure the job is done without comfrom port-to-port and to get the goods to market.” Another thing that distinguishes port calls is the plication, so that when (the port) tells us the job will be matter of regulatory compliance. The MSC Marina visits done in a few minutes, we’ll be ready to sail, “ he said. As Esposito prepared his exit, he stood before a seven countries, all of which have different regulations related to the ship-borne movement of international computer keyboard and monitored the weather for the trade. MSC routinely sends Esposito regulatory updates coming week. “The North Atlantic, right now, it looks good, but that he familiarizes himself with while at sea, he said. “Every port we visit, inspectors come onboard, look- the weather is so changeable,” he said. “We have a good ing for some kind of discrepancy,” Esposito said. “This forecast for the next two days, but the ocean can change afternoon here in Charleston, a U.S. Coast Guard safety dramatically in a short amount of time.” “This vessel is good, powerful, strong. But you never team, consisting of five individuals, came onboard, checking the safety and security of the vessel, and, I’m try to fight the sea, because it will destroy you. Never challenge it. Never fight it. It’s something you have to proud to say, we had no discrepancies.” abide by, no matter what your schedule.” Captain relishes Charleston’s harbor But at that moment, the captain seemed pleased by Esposito has visited Charleston many times during his the radar imagery passing before him. career, but this was his first call to the port in the past “Now seems to be the right time to follow the low six years. pressure system,” Esposito said, motioning toward the “Container terminals, generally speaking, are all the image of a significant low-pressure system bringing snow same around the world,” he said. “Typically, they’re and ice to Midwest. huge, away from the town, and we almost always talk By the time the MSC Marina would be ready to leave about them in terms of their productivity, in terms of the following morning, the low-pressure system would container moves.” be pushing off the U.S. coast and over the ocean. “In that regard, the ports that have really impressed “I’d like to get the wind at our back,” he said, adding me over the years are those in the Far East: China, the mischievously, “Then I can open the sails.” WT Port of Shanghai, Tianjin, Hong Kong, Singapore. In Tianjin, they did 5,000 container moves in less than 10 Dan McCue is a longtime journalist and business writer living in hours and did them so precisely, removing the boxes in Charleston, South Carolina. sequence, that they did it without affecting the ships, For reprints of this article, please contact Cindy Williams without listing them.” at williamsc@bnpmedia.com or 610-436-4220 ext. 8516. But Charleston is one of the captain’s favorite U.S. WWW.WORLDTRADEMAG.COM 39 http://WWW.WORLDTRADEMAG.COM
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