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in March, and in May a third ship came into operation. This service was then maintained throughout
the rest of 1968, the ships. generally,arriving, discharging, reloading and sailing in one day,
to and from near Continental ports.
In the middle of May another company commenced running to this same berth from Finland
with two ships engaged on a regular service.
In November, yet another line started a further trade with one ship on a weekly trade from
East Germany.
From the 15th January until the end of the year there were 323 arrivals to the berth to
discharge and of the 5,778 containers landed 23% i.e. 1,337 contained foodstuffs.
By the end of the year these small container ships were arriving at the rate of 10 a week,
with further expansion planned for 1969.
Ocean Container Trades
Prior to 1968, conventional ocean going cargo ships adapted to carry containers have been
discharging containered cargoes in London only to a limited extent. This practice was extended
during the year with the introduction of the first of the purpose built ocean going 'container ships'.
On the 12th June a new Ocean Container Terminal commenced operations at 40 Berth Tilbury
Dock. Up to the end of the year this berth handled 29 arrivals. The vessels which were of 32,000
Displacement Tons and capable of carrying over 1,000 containers each, were part discharged
and reloaded and a turn-round of 12 hours was commonplace. Their fast passage together with a
quick turn-round in port enabled a weekly service from America to Continental Ports and Tilbury
to be maintained by three ships. In the seven months that they were operating in 1968 to 40 Berth
they landed some 4,500 containers, of these 257 contained foodstuffs, including refrigerated meat,
fish and other perishable commodities.
General
The control of imported foodstuffs arriving in this country by container is now an important
and time consuming function carried out by the dock Inspectors responsible for the terminals.
Daily calls are essential to the berths concerned,and very often two or three calls a day become
necessary for the examination of containerised foodstuffs to avoid delays to the containers
awaiting delivery.
Further new container terminals will be operating at Tilbury Dock during 1969 including
39 Berth where Overseas Containers Ltd., commence their Australian service in May. They
plan to handle approximately 2,500 20ft. ISO Containers in a 48 hour period. If this is to be
accomplished delays, including delays for examination, must be kept to a minimum.
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