News

Operators and drivers met Southampton Container Terminal (SCT) managers to discuss major problems that have accumulated over the past few months.

John Bailey, depot manager for Maritime Transport, says: "The turnaround is horrendous. It has gone up from one hour in the middle of last year to five hours. Though high winds are difficult to deal with, the main problem lies with  the terminal taking too many containers."

Owner-driver John Compton adds: "About five months ago the service was good; now it's abysmal. It seems that SCT has become greedy and taken on extra work without the proper facilities."

An SCT spokesperson admits there have been problems, but claims the situation is now almost under control. "Poor weather conditions, including fog and gale-force winds, have adversely affected operations since before Christmas," he says. "This, together with high levels of demand from the Far East, has led to exceptionally high stack levels.

"We have taken a number of measures to assist in returning truck turnaround times to acceptable levels. Subject to weather, we expect to see continued improvements during January."