Cleveland Steel & Tubes
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Cockfield Knight was tasked by Cleveland Steel & Tubes to charter a vessel to import over 300 steel pipes, totalling around 2,500 tonnes into Port of Middlesbrough.
The steel pipes were to satisfy a number of orders from various steel stockholders across the UK and so the cargo included a wide range of pipe sizes. This large and complex import therefore needed the right expertise, knowledge, and competence to complete such a task.
BACKGROUND
From the outset, the Cockfield Knight team began a period of research to find the right vessel for the job, co-ordinating the transport to the port, ensuring the cargo was ready and berth availability was secured at both the load and discharge ports.
In collaboration with vessel chartering specialists Douglas Maritime, Cockfield Knight contacted vessel owners to seek the most suitable vessel in the market for carrying the cargo and negotiated the best freight rates to minimise the overall costs for the customer.
Being based at Port of Middlesbrough enabled Cockfield Knight to liaise closely with AV Dawson’s port operations team, who managed the efficient discharging of the cargo.
CHALLENGE
With the pipes being various different diameters and lengths, the stowage of the vessel was particularly complex.
In order for the cargo to be loaded safely and completely on one vessel, the Cockfield Knight team needed to ensure the stow plan was well-considered, this would also enable them to use the smallest possible vessel to accommodate the cargo and eliminate any unnecessary costs for the customer.
The team assessed a range of vessel sizes with different sized and shaped holds for the customer, executing various jigsaw like puzzles to find the optimum ship for accommodating the cargo.
SOLUTION
Utilising its strong expertise and wealth of industry knowledge, Cockfield Knight was able to negotiate the charter party (contract) on behalf of Cleveland Steel & Tubes to secure favourable terms.
Cockfield Knight worked closely with agents and the load port terminal and at the discharge port, to ensure the vessel could berth on arrival at both berths and load and discharge the cargo promptly and securely. This saved time and costs for the customer, including the potential cost of demurrage, which would have had to be paid by the customer if the ship had been kept waiting beyond the agreed timescales.
Due to the complexity of the different pipes that were being imported, Cockfield Knight maintained constant contact with both Douglas Maritime and the ships owners, and provided revised cargo plans that could accommodate the full load. This meant that all parties involved were able to work as one team and build a strong relationship with the ship owner.
The team at Cockfield Knight and Douglas Maritime spent time configuring stow plans and reworking them until they found the optimum solution for the customer, ensuring all cargo would be accommodated.
This resulted in a cost-effective solution, by using the best sized vessel for the cargo and enabled the cargo to be delivered on time to meet the client delivery dates.
SERVICES USED:
- Ship chartering
- Transport co-ordination
- Cargo planning
- Port agency
- Specialist logistics
- Vessel operations