DCT Gdansk's 2008 throughput rises to 100,000 TEU

POLISH container terminal operator DCT Gdansk has announced that the facility handled more than 100,000 TEU in 2008, a milestone achieved partly because of Maersk's use of the terminal.

Maersk Line has brought not just an increase in vessel calls but also more road vehicle movements through the gate and increased rail traffic at the terminal's dedicated rail facility. We are busier in every department and have been recruiting and training new staff for some months now, said DCT Gdansk CEO Boris Wenzel in a company release.

Much of the Maersk Line volume is moving on the company's dedicated weekly Bremerhaven to DCT Gdansk feeder service. Maersk also works closely with Team Lines, an established DCT Gdansk customer, and consequently the number of Team Lines' calls increased during December.

The terminal operator added in the statement that as more containers are now moving over DCT Gdansk to and from distant inland locations within central and eastern Europe, the terminal operator has been able to increase the number and frequency of rail services it offers.

Said DCT Gdansk general manager Fred Kamperman: For our operators to handle over 1,000 moves per vessel was a challenge but they proved more than equal to the task. Our equipment fleet has been boosted by the addition of three new Liebherr rubber tyre gantry cranes (RTGs) and ancillary machines, which has required more people. New recruits have included Poland's first female RTG drivers who are already performing well.

Source: American Shipper