INLAND CONTAINER DEPOT OR OFF-DOCK ACTIVITIES

An Inland Container Depot (ICD) is an organization offering entire item-wise package of service activities for handling the temporary empty/laden container storage, loading/unloading general export/import goods, and containers under custom clearance. It is an equivalent of a seaport located in the hinterland. It is also called a dry port or OFF-DOCK. It receives/delivers container and general cargo by road, rail, and waterways. 

 

An Inland Container Depot (ICD)/ Container Freight Station (CFS) may be defined as per UNCTAD: "A common user facility with public authority status equipped with fixed installations and offering services for handling and temporary storage of import/export laden and empty containers carried under Customs transit by any applicable mode of transport placed under Customs control. All the activities related to clearance of goods for home use, warehousing, temporary admissions, re-export, temporary storage for onward transit and outright export, transshipment, take place from such stations."

The function of Inland Container Depot:

An ICD have the following related departments functioned in its own covered area or premises. 

Container Service Department

Import Department

Container Freight Station / Warehouse

Documentation Department

Equipment Department

Transportation Department

Port Removal Department

Trucks/Cover van Parking Station

Direct Yard Stuffing/De-stuffing Department

Container Service Department points to point CSD activities are:

1.     Empty/Import Container Removal List Collection from MLO

2.     Take Necessary removal permission from Port and Custom Authority

3.     Once permission completed CSD Port Team will locate containers from yard or vessel

4.     Once located or traced out the containers the team will send containers to port gate for official formalities file up, and send out from port gate to it to depot toward.

5.     CSD team will receive the containers in Depot Gate and register the EIR and survey

6.     CSD will survey container whether it is damage or sound, they also find out is there any corrosive cargo sticker in the body of container or not, if they will remove or cross marked with the sticker as per IICL guidance and send it to its particular preservation yard for stacking.

7.     Yard Tracer will receive the containers for stacking, tracer will advise to operator to keep the containers as per plan-wise stack/high for smooth delivery or handling, movement’s containers for next available utilization plan.

8.     CSD team will prepare a report of removal containers and send it to concern MLO for their necessary update and further course of action.

9.     Proper Container Yard Stacking planning according to standard high

10.  Maintaining the FIFO utilization as per MLO instruction

11.  Container Maintenance and Repair Department activities  

12.  Sound Container Placement to CFS/Yard

13.  Removing the laden container after stuffing from CFS/Yard

14.  Keep the laden containers in separate yard for smooth delivery as per vessel calling

15.  Container Dispatch other depot/Port or Vice Versa

16.  Empty Container Reposition to Direct Vessel Loading

17.  Coordinate with Vessel Operator for  container receiving and delivery

18.  Coordinate with Vessel Operator for Laden Container Dispatch

19.  Coordinate with MLO equipment concern for collecting the vessel projection for dispatching the laden containers to yard or vessel directly

20.  Coordinate with all depot CSD key concern for pick up or drop the containers as per MLO

21.  Providing the container booking for particular vessel against as per necessary of MLO

22.  Tracer Monitoring

23.  Port Removal Monitoring

24.  Daily three times physical visits the container Yard for keeping the in order all containers stacking in aligned.

25.  Container EIR collection from Documentation Department for Laden Container Dispatch

26.  Daily maintaining Custom Bond register for gate-in/gate out movements container

27.  Collect necessary documents for consignee empty container receiving in the depot as per MLO guidance

28.  Keep monitoring the devanning of import container and report to MLO as usual

29.  Issue gate pass for empty and laden container

30.  All kinds of Equipment monitoring such as Laden/Empty/Forklift etc

31.  Equipment Operators monitoring

32.  Keep all up-to-date information with Port/Custom and necessary related concerns

33.  Communicate with Transport Vendors for removal and dispatching the containers properly. They will supervise the transport activities as the same done by transport supervisor.

34.  CSD will communicate inside depot/port through VHF/mobile with its all related concerns for smooth operation assurance.

Elaborately Explained of Container Service Department Activities:

Container Service Department will maintain the total operational responsibilities of container movements, i.e. container gate-in, and gate-out, and preservation, placement inside the depot and outside of the depot premises. 

Empty or Import Container Removal: The depot contractual MLO will provide an empty or import containers list for removal purposes from port to depot. Our CSD port Operation Team will collect the same list for taking the necessary port and custom permission in order to remove the containers from port yard or vessel to depot. After completion permission from concerns bodies’ port team will locate the containers yard/vessel, load the container into transport and send it to port gate for issuing the gate pass, for sending out the containers to toward depot.

Gate-In Containers: The transport will gate-in the container at depot, Gate Security team register the container and ask the CSD team immediately. CSD survey team will come and start cross-checking the removal list to match the containers, whether they picked up the listed container or not. CSD will survey top to bottom all components for preparing an EIR copy to remark the container sound or damage condition. Once survey the container, CSD will advise to the transport driver or helper to move the containers its particular yard for unloading and proper stacking. CSD gate will communicate to the yard tracer for necessary action. Tracer will advise the operator to stack or store the container as per CSD guided planning area.

Container Removal Reports: CSD is held responsible to provide the container daily movements reports to its concerns shipping lines equipment department within a fixed time after the daily movements. The report will be mentioned the containers physical condition whether the container is sound or damage for MLO necessary action. 

Maintenance and Repair of Container for proper utilization:  After getting the reports of containers movement, the MLO will advise to depot CSD for repairing the container (if damage) to keep in order to proper utilization. This repairing MLO can directly handle with its own repair vendor or depot. Whoever repairs the container, MLO will instruct to CSD to place the container in a particular place where to make it repairing. CSD will take the necessary step and make it done for proper utilization. In that case, CSD M&R department concern should be close liaison with MLO repair vendors for smooth cooperation. 

Why A depot sending the Container Movement reports to MLO: Because when MLO got the containers movements, they cross-check their provided list with, whether all containers removed or not, if not, they again send it to depot for further removal. When containers are gated-in depot, the MLO advise the proper guidance of each and every container utilization plan to depot. Some they are restricted to utilization inside the depot, some are restricted for empty reposition/off-hire etc. Normally MLO remove the empty containers from port to depot for their cargo stuffing and storage purposes to save costs.

Yard Planning for Container Stacking: CSD should have the realistic container stacking plan always well in advance to keep all in a particular yard for further removal convenience. CSD can make the plan MLO FIFO/Size/Type and sound/damage condition wise stacking. When MLO instruct the utilization plan for a container, as CSD Tracer can easily move the container without any huge handling hassle or wasting time. CSD always should be more vigilant when they will make the plan for storage the container inside the yard.

Container Placement: CSD is held responsible to place the sound container inside the depot CFS/Yard for stuffing purposes. CFS/Yard Team Leader will advise to place the containers or CSD directly can communicate the CFS/Yard Team Leader for necessary container placement. When CFS/Yard will ask to place the container, CSD will instruct to tracer to place the sound container accordingly. Tracer must check the container to ensure a sound container placement to avoid double activities and wasting valuable times.

After completion the stuffing CFS/Yard Key concern will advise CSD to unload the laden container from the chassis or remove the container from yard for next placement.

CSD will unload the laden container to it is particular yard for smooth laden dispatch according to the vessel projection.

Empty Container Reposition: CSD always ensure the empty reposition as per guidance of MLO. MLO will provide the empty reposition plan for direct loading to the projected vessel, and CSD will take all necessary shipment permission and communicate with the vessel operator for smooth dispatching the containers for loading to the vessel to avoid failure.

MLO can instruct to provide the empty container other depot or vice-versa for necessary, CSD will bound to provide the containers to the same. How they ensure smooth short-while delivery the containers to other depot and vice-versa, CSD must check with particular key concern for instant unloading and get free the transport before sending any container to other depot or vice-versa. If CSD will not do the procedure, the transport will be stuck and hamper the operation planning.

Maintain Friendly Relationship: CSD should have to have the friendly relationship with its all operational MLO, clients, competitors and all business partners related key concerns, as they can easily solve any kind of troubles, problems, obstacles, barriers, unwanted issues with mutual understanding. They should be kept communication through mobile/physical visit during their operational free times, or as per their personal technical good way of communication. As an examples, if MLO restricted a container for particular utilization, but it happen right opposite, then it must be solved minimum possible loses.

CSD should maintain close connection with all depot concerns and keep the good relationship with them. If CSD send or pick-up a container from other depot, CSD must follow up to make it within shortest possible time for loading and unloading the containers from that particular depot.

Equipment Department Control: Why CSD should maintain and control the equipment department? Yes it is necessity for operation smoothness. CSD always is the first concern to get the container movements inside depot or outside depot. So that they need the equipments to handle or movement the containers, they need in order equipment, need available equipments operator running smooth operation without any kind of hassle.

CSD will systemize the equipment operators roster and send it to their department head to be guided accordingly.

CSD start its operation: Shipping Container Lines will provide the empty/import container list for removing the containers from port/vessel/other to depot. The CSD will take the necessary permission from port and custom authority for removing the containers from port to concern depot as advised by the Main Line Operator (MLO). According to the list Depot will locate the containers as per MLO given list, and send it out from port gate to depot for temporary storage or necessary loading utilization plan.

After gated-in empty or import containers, the necessary CSD surveyor will survey the containers; they will cross-check with the removal permission list first for matching the container number, survey top to bottom it component damage or sound declaration, and send it to the particular empty and import yard as per pre-planned container stacking preservation. CSD can stack the containers MLO wise, or its own better operational plan-wise for easy handling or movement in next utilization of empty and for smooth chassis delivery or direct delivery import containers to the purposes of its consignee.

After Gated-in container- the CSD will send a report to its concern shipping lines for necessary update and further utilization instruction. CSD will mention the sound/damage conditions report in that particular reporting for further necessary course of action.

Individually CSD or Import Department can send the report of import removal reports to its consignee or shipping lines.

CSD responsible Team Leader will daily visit the yard to follow up the container proper stacking storage. They will strictly monitor that all containers are stacked properly as per the plan they advised to tracer or not. They will carefully look the all containers high/stacking are in aligned or not, if not, they will immediately solve it out to avoid any unwanted dangerous situations.

CSD responsible Team Leader will visit to the Equipment Department daily for updating all equipments are in order to work or not. The Equipment Department should be supervised under control of CSD. CSD have the available container movements planning, so that they can properly guide to this equipment department to carry the necessary job daily in course.

CSD will directly contact with warehouse or CFS and Yard key concerns for daily stuffing container placement. CSD concern will be liable to place and remove the containers from CFS/Warehouse and Yard according to CLP.

CSD will place the sound container for necessary stuffing in Yard/CFS, after completion of stuffing, CSD will remove the containers and bring it to load yard for further course of action. CSD will coordinate with CFS/Warehouse or Yard key concern will inform after completion of stuffing the container for removal to it particular stack and free the station for another empty container placement purposes.

CFS/Warehouse or Yard Key concern can provide the daily stuffing plan, or CSD can directly communicate with them and collect the stuffing plan.

FIFO Utilization: CSD will maintain the FIFO utilization i.e. First-In, First-Out the containers as per MLO Principal guidance.

Equipment Monitoring: CSD will keep maintenance of all kinds of Laden/Empty or Forklift etc.

As CSD get the all container movements’ instruction from its related business concern to removal or dispatch movements. So that CSD should keep all equipments in order to handling the containers inside the depot.

CSD Team Leader should make a roster of all equipments operators, container tracers for running the operation smoothly to avoid unwanted situation.

CSD should be kept close liaison with all shipping liners for container removal and dispatching whether it is empty or laden. CSD will also keep the coordination with vessel operators for loading and unloading the containers to avoid any shut-out.

CSD should be monitoring the maintenance and repairing for keeping the containers in order to proper utilization. CSD will follow up with MLO equipment Key concern for maintaining M&R department activities.

CSD will close monitor with transport vendor for necessary removal/dispatch/placement as per MLO guidance program activities.