Kukla acquired its first 20 palletwide 40ft containers in 2014 and they have largely been used in transport between Thessaloniki and the North-range ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp, Bremerhaven and Hamburg. The 100 new boxes will enable Kukla to strengthen its involvement in the Shipper’s Own Container (SOC) business.

“We want to use our efficient containers to expand our leading position in the shortsea shipping business,” explained Knut Sander, managing partner of Robert Kukla GmbH.

The company believes 40ft palletwide containers are a better option than the larger 45ft palletwide design, for two main reasons: the 40ft container is well established in the Eastern Mediterranean, so sticking with that size gives Kukla access to the full shipping frequency of deepsea carriers without any congestion problems; and heavy export cargo from Greece, in particular, means it is not always possible to use the extra space in a 45ft box.

The new containers were built in China by CXIC (through the leasing company UES), and are designed to stack eight-high in the cell guides, and up to four-high on deck. Tare weight is 4,530 kg, with a maximum gross weight of 34,000 kg, leaving a payload of 29,470 kg.

Kukla investigated installing a tracking system on the containers, but could not find a suitable supplier, and was not, therefore, able to judge the possible cost. Sanders said tracking would, however, add value to its business, especially for high-value cargo that is a target for theft, like spirits and electronics, as well as improving tracking and tracing of regular shipments.

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This complete item is approximately 300 words in length, and appeared in the May 2016 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 31. To access this issue download the PDF here.