Companies often focus too much on short-term costs when choosing container handling equipment and do not fully consider long-term maintenance, safety, and damage costs. A mini straddle carrier can provide both short and long-term savings compared to forklifts or reach stackers for medium companies moving 7-200 containers per week. Key factors in the total cost of ownership include purchase price, training requirements, maintenance costs, and potential yard damage depending on the carrier's design and wheel configuration. Investigating all options helps companies make decisions that avoid unexpected large costs in the future.

1. W
ith cost control a top priority in today's
economic environment, short-term
savings don't always equate to long-
term success when choosing the right container
handling equipment.
Faced with tight budgets and a large range
of options, companies often purchase based
on price tag alone, without fully understanding
long-term costs such as maintenance bills, yard
damage and safety issues that will ultimately
affect their profit bottom line.
Assessing container
handling options
For medium-sized companies that typically
move between seven and 200 containers a
week, a forklift or reach stacker may be the
obvious solution; they know the brands and
have seen the machines in action. However,
investigating other options such as the mini
straddle carrier which provides a safer, more
manoeuvrable and cost effective solution to the
company’s long term needs will provide them
with both short and long term cost savings.
1. Cost savings
The mini straddle carrier is only a fraction of the
price of a forklift or reach stacker, immediately
reducing the outlay, even before longer-term
cost savings such as training and staffing are
considered. Mini straddle carriers such as the
Mobicon don't need a special operating licence
like forklifts, cutting the need for training or
specialist drivers. And the machines
are considerably safer than a forklift
due to its stability. Lower mainte-
nance costs also come into effect
creating a long term saving.
2. Not all container handling
options are created equal
Another factor to consider is
not all mini-straddle carriers are
created equal. Attention to detail
when researching the design and
mechanical specifications of the
machine can mean big savings
down the line.
Knowing the weight limit of the
average yard is often an overlooked
factor when purchasing a mini straddle carrier.
A lot of companies assume wheel weight and
wheel pressure are the same thing, and choose
a three- or four-wheel mini-straddle carrier
design, believing it can do the same job as an
eight-wheel machine.
However, wheel weight and wheel pressure
are not the same. Purchasing a machine that
is not designed with enough load centres
to spread the weight of the machine and
containers when fully loaded will lead to
breaking up an average yard. This type of
inadvertent damage, which is not always
immediately obvious, generally leads to huge
yard repair bills, and the cost of lost productivity
due to the down time when making the repairs.
3. Good decisions
In order to avoid large unexpected costs,
companies should always employ a long-term
strategy that allows them to understand all of
the potential risks and requirements before
they make decisions, not just look at the short
term price tag.
Defence to buy a straddle carrier
The Australian Department of Defence has
signed a contract to purchase a purpose-built
Eco Mini Straddle Carrier. It will be used in an
undisclosed site in South Australia.
The contract will mean a boost to Australian
industry as the mini straddle carrier factory is
an Australian-based operation, and all of the
machines are designed, assembled and made
at the head office in Brisbane.
Mobicons are designed to be manoeuvrable,
safe and low yard-impact container handling
systems, ensuring the ADF can use them in
day-to-day operations across a broad range of
terrains with no damage to yard facilities.
Signing the contract with the Australian
Department of Defence comes in addition to
previous defence work. In 2008, Mobicon won
the contract to supply 13 purpose-built mini
straddle carriers to the American Navy for its
Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project.
Tom Schults is the managing director of
Mobicon Mini Straddle Carriers. For more infor-
mation visit www.mobiconsystems.com.
SELECTING CONTAINER HANDLING EQUIPMENT FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS
CONTAINER HANDLING
TOM SCHULTS
The Mobicon TF2 can
carry two containers.
The Mobicon TF2.
MHD SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS — JULY / AUGUST 201646
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