Video: TTI, ILWU set container movement record for North America

Longshore workers at Total Terminals International (TTI) set a new record for the highest volume of container movements at Pier T in Long Beach on 8 June.

The arrival of the containership MSC Sveva helped TTI achieve its highest volume ever on one vessel, with 17,080 containers handled – the equivalent of 30,744 TEU – which is the highest volume ever achieved in North America.

The ultra large container vessel (ULCV) was operated with seven ship-to-shore cranes, handling at peak moments more than 250 containers per hour.

The cranes were operated by longshore workers belonging to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).

As informed, the volume of 30,744 TEU achieved at TTI vastly exceeds similar records that were recently set in ports like Gdansk or Antwerp, whose records currently stand at 20,081 TEU and 13,405 TEU respectively.

This achievement is set in the context of a market that has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 situation, with import container volumes in the San Pedro bay decreasing almost 13 per cent during the first quarter of 2020, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company said.

In May 2018, TTI broke the American productivity record when it handled 564 containers with a single crane in one shift. In April this year, TTI handled MSC Mia, one of the biggest container vessels in the world and the biggest to have ever called a US port.

“We are motivated by the opportunity to service these mega-class vessels while continuing to provide the level of service our customers expect,” Dan Bergman, Vice President of Operations at TTI, said.

“Congratulations and thank you to TTI, the longshore workers, MSC and everyone involved in moving this cargo quickly, efficiently and safely,” Mario Cordero, Port of Long Beach Executive Director, commented.

TTI is 80 per cent owned by Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), a subsidiary of MSC Group, with the remaining 20 per cent owned by HMM.

In the video below, you can watch the handling of 17,080 containers on the MSC boxship: