Gateway Terminals India Ltd (GTIL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), as part of its ease of doing business has introduced continuous gate-in service for exports resulting in a cost benefit of Rs.2,000 per container.
With this, GTIL has become India’s first terminal to offer such a facility. It means that exporters can deliver containers instantly at the terminal for the next shipping cycle, even when there is an existing vessel docked at the terminal for the current cycle.
Weekly cycleGenerally, terminals close their gate-in services for the next shipping cycle for about 24-36 hours when a ship is docked and till the loading and unloading process is completed for that vessel.
Shipping cycles are weekly. So terminals allow container cargo for the current shipping cycle to be delivered at a particular cut-off time. Once the unloading and loading process is completed for the docked vessel and only upon sailing of the vessel, the gate-in facility the next vessel cycle opens.
But GTIL has changed that. “Now a truck loaded with a container need not have to wait either on the road side or at the buffer parking lot for the shipping cycle. It can come directly and drop the box and go. The gate is open 24 hours and free of cost. We are the first in India to introduce this facility,” Ravi Gaitonde, COO said.
“In the last three months post the pilot, we have received 2123 containers through this service and this has resulted in a cost saving of approximately Rs.2,000 per container,” he added.
