1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192 
Drivers still on hold at SCT
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Queues continue to cost hauliers time and money at the Southampton
terminal. Chris Tindall reports.
LENGTHY DELAYS at the Southampton Container Terminal (SCT) continue to infuriate operators, with many contacting CM to complain that the situation is far worse than has been reported.
Last week. SCT's business development director, Derek Smith, hit back at criticism of the fasttrack -VBS' system, installed over a year ago to help ease congestion at the troubled terminal (CM, 30 October) to little apparent effect. However, drivers say that Smith is -spouting propaganda". Lloyd Anstice rang from the dock on Friday (31 October) morning at 1 lam to say he pulled up at 7.30am and was still nowhere near the front of the queue. He claims he normally has to wait between six and nine hours: "There are no facilities for us, and you can't leave the queue," he reports. -There's no access to the canteens either, because they have been fenced off. This is the 21st century, not Dickensian Britain!" Mike Lewry, transport manager atTotton-based Elite Transport Services, says the delays are costing his company thousands of pounds every month. -Even with dedicated slots at the terminal, we are still seeing situations where drivers turn up at 4am and aren't leaving until 9arn," he reveals. "They get as far down the road as Winchester before the customer phones and tells us they no longer want the load because it's already late."
Lewry says that it is impossible to get VBS slots in advance when CM phoned, Elite was unable to book slots for two days ahead, making planning impossible, However, Smith maintains SCT has enough staff, but argues that the industry needs to work around these difficulties and try not to hit the port on busy days or at peak times, saying: "We will take it on the chin for those stuck in queues We do have sympathy for them."