Customs Border Security Container Handling

Introduction

Many containers are now X-rayed for two reasons. 

Firstly, to check incoming containers for contraband, weapons and other prohibited imports, and secondly to check outgoing containers at the request of the receiving country.

There are now many x-ray installations that can check a container whilst it is on a truck.  The truck drives into or under a facility where the container is X-rayed. 

If suspected goods are detected, the truck drives away from the facility, and the container is unpacked for further investigation.

The Problem

Unpacking a container to search for suspected goods is time consuming, and leaving the container on the truck is not an option. 

To unload the container with a forklift or a reach stacker is costly, and because these machines are very heavy, expensive yard surfaces are needed. Also, because the goods have to be unpacked inside to protect them from the elements, huge doors and very heavy warehouse floors are required when using container forklifts or reach stackers.

Often the containers have to be moved twice, as some of them need to be fumigated outside first before they can be moved inside for unpacking. 

In some countries Self Loading Trailers (SLT) are used to unload the container off the truck.  However, as the containers need to be moved several times, this procedure is cumbersome and expensive.

The Solution

The Mobicon Straddle Carrier fulfills the requirements of the Customs and Border Security Departments.

The Mobicon simply takes a container off a delivering truck, placing it in an area where the container can be fumigated or de-fumigated. 

Then the Mobicon takes the container inside a building where it can be unpacked.  After the goods have been unpacked, checked and re-packed, the Mobicon will move the container outside to a storage area, for loading on the next truck.

Unloading a container from a truck and placing it on the ground takes less than 5 minutes.  To pick up a container and move it inside only takes 3 minutes, plus driving time.

The Benefits

• Using a Mobicon Straddle Carrier, the building only needs 5 meter wide by 4 meter high doors.
• Because of the low weight, and the fact that the weight of the container is evenly spread over 8 wheels, the wheel weights are the lowest of any container handler in the world.  The benefit of this is that the Mobicon can work on much lighter yard and floor surfaces than heavy forklifts or reach stackers, saving huge amounts on pavements.
• The Mobicon Straddle Carrier can bring the containers close to the smaller x-ray machines that are used to check individual items, saving manpower.
• Mobicons are much more economical to run than a heavy forklift.
• Containers are carried at only 300mm (one foot) off the ground, and a Mobicon Straddle Carrier cannot roll over as forklifts or reach stackers do.
• Forklifts and reach stackers need much space to manoeuvre.  A Mobicon straddles over the container, and therefore takes up much less space.
• Compared with Self Loading Trailers, the Mobicon also takes up much less space, as it does not need a double space to lift the container.
• Environmentally, the Mobicon is much friendlier than the heavier, higher powered Forklift trucks and Reach Stackers.

Customs border security industry case study

Read about how the Australian customs department doubled their container turnover, and at the same time halving their container handling costs.

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