Maintaining containers in top shape to foster growth and profitability in your business

Maintaining containers in top shape to foster growth and profitability in your business

The principal objective behind all worthy businesses is to lay a concrete path to achieve sustained growth & profitability and earn a name to reckon with. Great leadership and attention to detail are the cornerstones to success in any field of activity.

For many of us, the shipping container is nothing more than a large steel box that ferries goods across different parts of the world. But what might miss our thought is that these modest “boxes” are the lifeline of modern trade and commerce. How stakeholders in the logistics industry handle these containers mirrors the care and attention given to the goods during transportation. We can thus conclude, the shipping container is a prized source of utility that functions as a strong pillar in the smooth operation of the global supply chain.

A little care can make a huge difference to how well containers serve you for decades, keeping them in peak state all along.

How can we maintain shipping containers in immaculate condition to guarantee that the interested parties obtain maximum value on their investments?

Positioning containers on level ground
When loaded, containers have a tendency to sink in if placed on soft or uneven surfaces. So prepare the ground early on and ensure it’s free from debris and dampness. For additional support place wooden planks or put gravel on the ground to even out the surface. If placed on an uneven surface, the likelihood of water collecting inside increases, resulting in rust formation. Problems also arise with container doors if they do not align correctly with the frame. Placing the containers on a firm foundation, like concrete blocks or bricks on all four corners will additionally prevent water from collecting on the underside of the container.

Making sure the paint stays firm
We know moisture and dirt play spoilsport. Why not take that little effort to give your container a fresh coat of paint at regular intervals to keep dirt and moisture at bay, rather than spend money later for costly repairs?

The roof that’s often ignored
Debris that accumulates on the roof collects moisture and dirt, and this can form rust and mold. By keeping the roof clean, you are extending the life of your container. Dents can gather rainwater which may cause corrosion particularly if the paint is chipped. The dents must be levelled by hydraulic means and treated with rust-proof paint.

Ventilation
Passage of air prevents moisture from accumulating inside. So keeping the container dry can add years to the useful life of containers.

Lubrication of moving parts
The gaskets, latches, locks and hinges could jam and malfunction if not lubricated regularly.

Despite care and maintenance, general wear and tear are natural, so one has to deal with problems occasionally and find the best ways to resolve them.

Ocean carriers and container leasing companies can employ intelligent software aids to manage their maintenance and repair-related work processes smoothly. Here are some features that users would benefit from:

  • Web-based solution that cuts the cost of ownership per user.
  • User-friendly interface with alerts, prompts and user notes, scrolling news and circulars.
  • Dashboard with a broad view of the M & R operations across all locations.
  • Adoption of customer’s M & R workflow with ease.
  • Quantifiable cost savings in the maintenance and repair work.
  • Comparison of the repair cost with depreciated value.
  • A shared platform for stakeholders to supervise their business processes transparently.
  • Reduce the downtime of leased and owned containers.
  • Easy integration of other modules into the product suite.
  • Derive the best analytical reports showing the repair depots that are slow in work execution and also customers presenting consistent repair needs.
  • Auto-generation of bills payable to repair companies.
  • Identify wear and tear pattern history of individual sections of works undertaken.
  • Well-defined SLAs deliver a high level of user satisfaction.
  • EDI compatibility.
  • On-site accessibility for site inspectors.

iMARS is an exclusive Container Maintenance & Repair software application for all stakeholders of M & R activity to manage their processes competently. It can be deployed through “On-Premises” mode or on the “Cloud” through subscription.

iInterchange Systems / www.iinterchange.com offers software solutions on SaaS www.iboxsuite.com & On-Premises. Focus on customer satisfaction with practical experience in shipping matters makes iInterchange Systems the right people to partner for the software needs of ocean carriers and container leasing companies.