Overweight Containers

Management of Overweight Containers in the Port Botany Precinct

In recent times, the port supply chain has been faced with an increasing challenge to manage overweight import containers entering the road network via Australian ports. The challenge impacts, not only infrastructure with increased maintenance and upgrade costs but is a real safety concern to all road network users with vehicles loaded in excess of their approved safe carrying capacity.

The New South Wales (NSW) Roads and Maritime Services (previously, the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority) regularly conduct enforcement campaigns to identify overweight containers entering the road network via Port Botany. Three such enforcement campaigns were undertaken between August 2010 and March 2011, which returned an average of 12% mass breaches from the sample of vehicles weighed. These mass breaches were either axle mass, gross vehicle mass or both. These results were more than twice the state average recorded at major weighing stations positioned along highways throughout NSW.

Mass breaches in NSW have three defining categories:

1. 1. Minor 0-5%;
2. 2. Substantial 5-20%; and
3. 3. Severe 20% plus.

The majority of the breaches identified were in the substantial range with around 2% being severe.

The current accepted industry solution for this task at Port Botany will see both stevedores install Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) scales inside their terminal to facilitate the early detection of over laden vehicles. It is anticipated that the process of weighing import containers will add very little additional time to the existing truck turnaround time experienced at Port Botany.

Minor and substantial breaches will be allowed to travel beyond the stevedore gate to a select number of Container Freight Stations (CFS) in the immediate port precinct on an RMS approved route (see map below) to be staged for an appropriate vehicle or unpacked.

All severe breaches will need to be catered for inside the stevedore gate, trucks will be stripped of the overweight containers and then:

1. 1. Staged for an appropriate vehicle; or
2. 2. Moved by rail to an Intermodal Terminal for further staging or unpack; or
3. 3. Handled via another commercial arrangement between the stevedore and carrier/ cargo owner.

However, DP World is still currently in negotiations with RMS for consideration to have their severe breaches catered for beyond the gate, due to their terminal operations and geographic positioning relative to participating Port Botany CFS’s.

Both stevedores are currently working towards a “go live” date of 1 April 2012 for operating their WIM scales. DP World will have three WIM scales and Patrick will have four, which will be set back from the terminal gate. The WIM process at the stevedore will be after “job complete” and therefore have no impact on current PBLIS performance standards.

The operational process of the WIM scales will see a loaded vehicle approach the WIM at low speed (5-8 kilometres/ hour), the device will issue a print-out of axle mass weights and a gross vehicle mass weight and indicate the status of the vehicle (that is either, clear to proceed, minor, substantial or severe breach) based on General Mass Limits. From the information provided, it will be the responsibility of the carrier to determine the appropriate action based on their individual mass accreditation. In a severe breach situation all containers will be lifted off. In a minor or substantial breach situation the carrier is to proceed to a nominated CFS for staging or unpack.

Once a container has been received by a CFS, the carrier or cargo owner needs to issue instructions to the CFS as to what the task is to be undertaken with the breached vehicle and a commercial negotiation entered into prior to the container or contents leaving that facility. A CFS will have to satisfy their obligations under Chain of Responsibility (COR) with the handling of this freight prior to release to the greater road network.

A carrier that elects for a container to be staged for another vehicle may, on exiting the CFS, be directed to a public weighbridge prior to proceeding to its end destination.

The RMS will be monitoring for compliance and will have access to all data from the stevedores WIM scales together with the data from each CFS for all breached vehicles handled.

The stevedores are finalising their costs and will shortly advise the recovery associated with the WIM infrastructure, ongoing maintenance and weighing of all import containers and the handling of severely breached vehicles.

Sydney Ports will continue to update industry with further information as to the direction of charges once it is confirmed, together with the operational hours and capacities (for example Dangerous Goods, Reefer, Under Bond cargo etc.) of participating CFS’s.

All port supply chain stakeholders are encouraged to review their obligations under “Chain of Responsibility” legislation. Please refer to the link below for this information:

http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/maintop/view/inforce/act+11+2005+cd+0+N

Please see below weight limitations below for NSW for your understanding.

Weight Limitations for New South Wales

Maximum loaded weight of container for road transport in New South Wales;
Standard trailer 26Tonne
Sideloader is 21Tonne

Therefore max cargo weight for Standard trailer is;

23.5Tonne per 20ftGp (less if HC or reefer) check with your shipping line
22Tonne per 40ft GP ( less if HC or reefer) check with your shipping line

Max cargo weight for Sideloader is;

18.5Tonne per 20ft Gp ( less if HC or reefer) check with your shipping line
17Tonne per 40ft GP ( less if HC or reefer) check with your shipping line

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