HHLA Improves Terminal Access for Trucks with Truck FIT

In collaboration with various transport companies, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has successfully further developed the slot booking procedure for truck transports in the Port of Hamburg with the introduction of Truck FIT. Stuhr Container Logistic GmbH & Co. KG supports the adjustments, as capacities on the part of the transport companies can be planned and managed more reliably due to the introduced changes.

(Hamburg) As part of the introduction of Truck FIT, HHLA made one of the last planned adjustments to the system in June 2022, which leads to improved utilization of slots at its Hamburg container terminals due to increased bindingness in booking. The goal of Truck FIT is to optimally utilize the available capacities and enable all participating transport companies in the slot booking procedure to plan and book slots on an equal footing. HHLA is getting closer to this goal: The so-called no-show rate, which includes cancellations and unused slots, has further decreased since the last system adjustment.

Jens Hansen, Chief Operating Officer of HHLA, says: “With the introduction of the slot booking procedure and the system adjustments through Truck FIT, we are continuously improving processes at the Hamburg terminals, reducing turnaround times at the terminal, and thereby relieving public infrastructure. Through collaboration with transport companies, we were able to further develop the system in the interest of users and move closer to our common goal: transparent and reliable allocation of slots.”

Close Coordination with Involved Transport Companies

The system adjustments were made in close coordination with the involved transport companies. An important development partner for HHLA was the company Stuhr Container Logistic. The Hamburg transport company is an expert in container transport around the Port of Hamburg. The company was involved in the planning and implementation from the beginning of the project.

Heiner Stuhr, managing partner of Stuhr Container Logistic, on Truck FIT: “At the beginning, we were skeptical about the adjustments in the system, as we feared that the flexibility so important for our business would be lost. However, through our role as a development partner, we were able to express our concerns transparently from the start. The HHLA project team engaged in dialogue with us and always found suitable solutions for us.” Thanks to the feedback from the transport companies, the system could be further developed in the interest of users: “We now have more bookable slots available at short notice than before the adjustment, which positively impacts our business,” adds Heiner Stuhr.

Involved Parties Must Collaborate

Oliver Dux, Managing Director of Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA), adds: “We are very grateful to all project partners involved, such as the company Stuhr, for supporting HHLA in the introduction of Truck FIT despite the currently difficult framework conditions. The current situation particularly highlights how important it is for the parties affected by supply chain disruptions to collaborate and seek solutions together.”

Significant Increase in Unused Slots

The slot booking procedure was introduced in the Port of Hamburg in 2017 to avoid bottlenecks at the terminals and relieve traffic situations. At the beginning of 2022, HHLA began to adjust the system with the introduction of Truck FIT, as the no-show rate, i.e., the proportion of unused slots, had previously risen sharply. Due to the adjustments in the system, transport companies with a high no-show rate are only provided with a reduced contingent of slots during peak traffic times in the following week. During off-peak times, free booking of slots remains possible. Since the end of June, swapping already booked slots is no longer possible. As a final step, transparency in the system is to be further increased by indicating the respective turnaround times at the terminals.

Photo: © HHLA / Caption: Truck from Stuhr Container Logistic at Container Terminal Altenwerder