Splash247: MOL rolls out five-minute fix for disabled car cargo

Published by Splash247

Mitsui OSK Lines has begun deploying a new device across its car carrier fleet that allows crews to move stalled or disabled vehicles from cargo decks in around five minutes.

The Japanese shipping group developed the device, known as the Skater, with Yamato Chain Manufacturing and MOL Techno-Trade. It is fitted directly to a vehicle, allowing it to be moved without calling in a tow truck.

A vehicle that runs out of fuel, suffers a flat battery or develops another fault can obstruct an entire loading sequence aboard a pure car and truck carrier. Vehicles are packed closely together and must generally be discharged in a predetermined order, meaning one immobile unit can prevent crews from reaching dozens of others.

MOL said arranging a tow truck could delay cargo operations for several hours, particularly at ports where suitable equipment was not readily available. At some calls, external towing support may not be available at all.

The Skater is designed to remove that dependence on shoreside equipment and allow cargo work to resume within minutes.

Space aboard car carriers is tight, with gaps of about 30 cm between the front and rear of vehicles, 10 cm at the sides and as little as 10 cm between a vehicle and the deck structure above. Any recovery device therefore needs to operate within the same restricted footprint as the cargo itself.