A new storage solution is being trialed by APM Terminals. The solution removes the need for customers to store containers or transport them separately when production and port schedules do not match up.
The company's Maasvlakte II Terminal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, is the first terminal to trial the 'Early Gate In' service. This allows the delivery of containers to the terminal outside of the normal permitted time frames, and therefore removes the need to deliver containers to an inland storage location for temporary storage or to deliver them in separate shipments.
Delivering straight to the terminal removes the costs and complexity of additional transport between the inland depot and the terminal. And by enabling just one larger delivery between for example the factory and the terminal, economies of scale can be achieved.
For Early Gate In, the customer pays a simple and transparent per day, per container rate. They will also have just one point of contact at APM Terminals, instead of dealing with multiple locations and transport providers. It also removes any customer uncertainty about whether their products will be shipped on time.