Page 34: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 15, 1969)

Latin American Conferences Offer Reduced Freight Rates As Incentive For Palletization An incentive plan to encourage United States shippers to pre-palletize more of their cargo was announced in New York City by a number of the conferences belonging to the group of Associated Latin American Freight Conferences, which set rates for 20 steamship lines serving Central and South America and the Caribbean. Charles D. Marshall, chairman of the confer-ences, said that the plan, providing for a freight allowance of from $1.50 to $2.50 per ton, is a first in the Latin American trades and should result in significant savings for shippers, carriers and Latin American consumers at a time of steady cost rises. "We consider this a major step forward to in-duce more shippers to use this more efficient method of shipping their goods to Latin Amer-ica," Mr. Marshall said. The palletization method is a simple one. In-stead of shipping goods by the package from a factory in the United States to a port of destin-ation, the shipper consolidates or "unitizes" pack-ages onto pallets and the unitized load is bound together by one or another method. Most com-monly, tough steel straps are used but many other methods, including gluing, are used to provide a single load of multiple packages. The palletization method saves time and money for shipper and carrier alike because it requires less handling and permits lower labor cost during both the inland and ocean portions of the trip. Additionally, because the cargo is unitized, pil-ferage is reduced, as is the danger of physical damage to the cargo while en route. Unloading of cargo from trucks or rail cars at ocean term-inals is speeded up. Likewise handling across the dock and loading into vessels becomes a faster and more economical operation. "The conferences are eager to share such sav-ings with the people of Latin America, because our ultimate goal is to land cargo at the lowest possible cost to consumers," Mr. Marshall de-clared. "We also want our shippers to participate in the fruits of increased efficiency, because with lower costs both they and we can hope for in-creased trade and better business." The conference chairman pointed out that ship-pers must follow certain guidelines to obtain the freight reduction. They must supply pallets and pre-palletize the cargo themselves. These pallets go with the shipment and can be used by Latin American consignees later on in their own ware-houses and distribution operations. The smallest pallet size allowed is 32 inches by 40 inches at the base and it must carry a minimum 1,500 pounds and have a minimum overall cubic measure of 40 cubic feet. All surfaces must be reasonably flat as well as squared on the four sides to look like a smooth block. The load must be packed strongly enough so that three pallets can be placed on top of one another in the vessel. More specific information on the pre-palletiza-tion incentive rules adopted by the several confer-ences may be obtained from individual shipping line members or from the offices of the Associated Latin American Freight Conferences at 11 Broad-way, New York, N.Y. Tidewater Marine Opens Office-Shop Facilities In Morgan City, La. A new office, warehouse and maintenance shop facility at Morgan City, La., has been occupied by Tidewater Marine Service, Inc., New Orleans-based marine transportation company. The new facility is a 25,000-square-foot two-story building construction annexed to a small office building formerly occupied by Twenty Grand Marine Service, Inc. which was acquired by Tidewater Marine a year ago. Costing $220,000, the new building will serve as operational and administrative headquarters for the company's Gulf Coast fleet of approxi-mately 200 crew and utility boats, cargo vessels, in-shore and oceangoing tugs. At the junction of the Atchafalaya River and Bayou Beouf, the new facility provides approximately 1,150 feet of water frontage for docking and maintenance. Tidewater Marine, which operates a worldwide fleet of more than 400 vessels in service to the offshore oil industry, will share space in the new building with a number of its subsidiary or affili-ated firms including Tidewater Contractors, Tidex-Pan Marine, and Twenty Grand Marine Service. "the name" is all you need to know about anchors & chains: BALDT ANCHORS "When all else fails, they hold!" Stockless, Snug Towing, US Navy Lightweight (LWT), Eels, Old Style, Mushroom, Stato, Danforth, Security and Stokes. All sizes and weights. DREYFUS SUPPLY & MACHINERY CORP. 2122 Kentucky St. New Orleans, La. 70117 504 WH 4-3367 BALDT DI-LOK CHAIN The strongest anchor chain known. All sizes and weights from W to 33/4". Available in 15 fathom "shots" or contin-uous long lengths to meet every requirement. Baldt also makes flash butt welded chain equal to or superior to foreign suppliers. HEWETT MARINE COMPANY, INC. 555 Illinois St. San Francisco, Calif. 94107 415 UN 3-1340 WORLDWIDE SERVICE Overnight delivery to most points. Shipments from stock main-tained at Chester, Pa., Fields-boro, N.J., New Orleans, La., San Francisco, Calif., Hous-ton, Tex., Sweden, Germany and Japan?and from the locations listed below: MARINE SUPPLY COMPANY 2309 69th Street Houston, Texas 77011 713 WA 3-6967 LARGEST STOCK OF ANCHORS & ANCHOR CHAIN IN THE WORLD-ALL SIZES & WEIGHTS-NEW, USED, RECONDITIONED & GOVERNMENT SURPLUS, IN STOCK. WITH OVERNIGHT DELIVERY TO MOST POINTS. DEEP-SEA DIVING BARGE LAUNCHED?Jansen Marine Corporation, of Troutdale, Ore., recently launched a specially designed crane and deep-sea diving barge. The 155-foot by 60-foot by 12-foot steel barge will be out-fitted with a 150-ton crane, winches, decompression chambers, helicopter port and complete living accom-modations. The barge and her 20-man crew, will soon begin a six month tour of around-the-clock, deep-sea diving service in Alaska's Cook Inlet. ANCHOR, CHAIN & FORGE DIVISION MAIN OFFICE AND PLANT P.O. BOX 350 - CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA 19016 PHONE 215 TR 4-8461 36 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News