TERMINAL OPERATIONS: VBS
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH VBS A number of parties suggest the full benefits and unfolding powers of the modern Vehicle Booking System are not fully recognised until post system implementation. John Bensalhia reviews the innovative supply sector
8 More innovation is expected in the use of smartphones, apps and VBS – standardisation is also an issue
Norbert Klettner, Managing Director, RBS EMEA, says that a major benefit lies in the data delivered before trucks arrive. “Gate automation coupled with slot booking will drive gate efficiency because you can allocate the required resources much more efficiently. This,” he says, “is good for productivity as well as for a reduction of environmental impact. Matching equipment to a known workload delivers these and other benefits.” Drivers today have the possibility to register themselves prior to the arrival at the terminal, minimising waiting time through a reduction of queuing time and completing other formalities associated with container pick-up/drop off. “Systems nowadays are more and more integrated with Terminal Operating Systems (TOS)/Port Community Systems which facilitates efficient data interchange between parties involved with the operational process as well as other local interests,” explains Daniele Labate, DSP Team. “Also,” he elaborates, “terminal customers and trucking companies have more visibility of what is happening in a real-time manner, allowing bookings and planning of the next phases quickly.” Jan Bossens, CEO, Camco Technologies, concurs that the main changes happening today are taking place upstream of terminal gates – the processes before gate access, typically involving truckers’ apps and vehicle booking systems (VBS). “Truck appointment systems,” he notes, “allow upfront registration of bookings, increasing terminal efficiency on a broad scale.” He too points out the linkage of such systems to TOS as a mainstream driver of terminal efficiency, citing many of the afore mentioned advantages but also the ability to flatten out peaks in terminal traffic and on the trucking company side the ability to achieve better fleet management, expedited truck turnround and for the driver less hassle overall.
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Rok Štemberger of the Port of Koper, Slovenia, confirms the usefulness of VBS to flatten out traffic peaks and generally better handle high traffic flows. “In the Port of Koper,” he explains, “we are handling around 330.000 trucks annually and managing this traffic flow is very important for the internal logistics of the port, terminal productivity and to relieve the roads around the city. Our Vehicle Booking System (VBS) is an online platform, developed by Luka Koper, for making truck appointments, checking cargo status and scheduling plans, recording truck entries in the port and reviewing the validity of annual permits for port entry.” SYSTEM EVOLUTION System supplier 1-Stop Connections, says that the very nature of what a port vehicle booking system (VBS) is, has evolved over the last few years. “Historically, a VBS is seen as an appointment or time slotting system – which couldn’t be further from what a true VBS is today. 1-Stop’s VBS,” the company explains, “has turned into a fully-fledged capacity management tool that matches terminal resources with landside demand and ultimately drives efficiencies across the Supply Chain. A true VBS,” 1-Stop emphasises, “is a solution that interconnects the entire Supply Chain from the Quay Line to a customer’s door by improving efficiency and creating more certainty.” The company further points out that vehicle booking systems have evolved to cover all cargo types, not just containers as they have typically been used for in the past. 1-Stop is another party to tick the boxes of VBS in terms of its ability to improve yard productivity, optimise yard planning, streamline gate processes, and even create paperless exchanges. It underlines, however: “The most significant benefit a VBS implementation creates is the ability
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