Container stuffing unit speeds POV shipments. (POV shipping).

Vehicles are moving faster than ever through the Military Traffic Management Command's vehicle processing center in Baltimore.

The cause for the cuts in vehicle shipping time is the center's new container "stuffing" unit.

Now, center employees can load vehicles directly into outgoing shipping containers. Conversely, they can also move vehicles directly out of incoming containers.

"We have increased our efficiency," said Carlene Jack, Operations Manager for The Pasha Group, a Global POV subcontractor.

"Things are a lot better. We can meet our required delivery dates from, say, Puerto Rico."

Vehicle shipments from Puerto Rico were often delayed. The vehicles in 40-foot containers would arrive on time by ship in Philadelphia. The delay began when the containers were transshipped by truck to a contractor's yard at the Dundalk Terminal in Baltimore.

The containers belonging to bigger shippers went first--resulting in delay to MTMC containers.

"There were a few occasions when the contractor did not even know he had our containers," said Jack.

No longer.

In June, the ocean-shipping vehicle processing center joined others operated by American Auto Logistics, Inc., Monroe, N.Y., in having a container-stuffing capability. Other centers with similar facilities in the United States include Portsmouth, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; and Harrison, N.J.

"This is added service," said Sandy Santianna, Chief, Customer Services & Logistics, of American Auto Logistics. "We think it's great. It reduces overall damage and overall handling."

Formerly, vehicles belonging to MTMC customers had to be driven four miles through the port by the center's employees, from the contractor container-stuffing site to the vehicle-processing center.

Now, truckers arrange an appointment with the center and deliver the container directly to the site. Employees with The Pasha Group are cross-trained to load and unload the containers.

To add flexibility to the operations, The Pasha Group acquired an adjustable ramp, which may be quickly adapted to vehicles of varying heights.

The ramp has been a long-term goal of Earl Hansen, who is Vice President and General Manager of The Pasha Group.

Each year, American Auto Logistics moves an average of 75,000 privately owned vehicles on a global basis for the Military Traffic Management Command.