8
B ULK D ISTRIBUTOR
Tank Containers
May/June 2019
Stolt sees
Q1 drop
The Modalis 40ft fl atcars can
carry two 20ft loaded containers
S
Modalis boosts fl eet
by acquiring fl atcars
F
rance-based Modalis has procured a fl eet of 40ft fl atcars,
specially designed to carry two 20ft heavy loaded
containers. The equipment rentak and trading company will
take delivery of a further batch of railcars with a different
confi guration during the second half of 2019.
Modalis says it is developing nicely with a yearly increase in turnover
of 20 percent. The development refl ects requirement for innovative
intermodal solutions in order to optimise goods fl ows.
As a response to the fast-growing demand for such solutions, the
group also recently invested in containers designed to suit the
building industry, civil engineering and public works.
CEO Bernard Mei commented: “We are convinced of the numerous
advantages a fl atcar combined with the appropriate UTI can offer
compared with a conventional wagon and have launched a big invest
programme adding intermodal railcars to our product range.”
Moreover, Modalis has been certifi ed as an ECM (Entity in Charge of
Maintenance) since 2017.
Today’s fl eet covers silo containers, dry bulk containers, liquid and
gas tanks as well as swap-bodies, box containers and curtainside
swap bodies, open top containers, coil carriers, chassis, tipping
chassis, fl at racks, and tipping chassis. Modalis also equips its fl eet
with telematics enabling worldwide track & trace.
Yvonne Janssen, commercial director, said: “During transport logistic
we are taking the opportunity to show a few of our latest
developments in terms of intermodality at the outdoor exhibition
area.”
www.modalis.com
JJAP Tank up and running
H
aving started operations just over year ago, Jingjiang
Asian-Pacifi c Logistics Equipment Co, Ltd (JJAP Tank) says
the new tank manufacturer is progressing as planned.
The company’s production facility is located in Jingjiang National
Economic Development Zone, Jiangsu Province, China. JJAP Tank
says it has a superior geographical location and regional advantages
in relation to port connections.
Most of the staff have been involved in the tank manufacturing
industry for more than 10 years, and being equipped with advanced
facilities ensure products are of the highest quality.
“Our factory has four workshops and two depots with an annual
production capacity of 5,000 units for the time being,” said a
spokesman. “JJAP Tank has the capability to build various types of
products, such as: 20/30ft ISO, swap body, wide body, lined tank,
heating/cooling tank, and offshore tank, to name a few. Moreover,
the production line of U-stamp tanks and T50 gas tanks will be put
is due to come into production this summer.
The scope of service includes repair, refurbishment, parts &
accessories supply, technical support and logistics service with a
depot network in Rotterdam, Singapore, Houston and Melbourne.
www.jjaptank.com
tolt Tank Containers (STC) reported fi rst-quarter revenue
of US$124.1 million, down from $133.6 million in Q4 2018.
The decline in revenue was driven by a 4.7 percent decrease in
shipments, resulting in a 5.7 percent decrease in transport revenue
and a 17.8 percent decrease in demurrage revenue. The fi rst quarter
is STC’s seasonally weakest period, with the turning point typically
following the celebration of Chinese New Year, which this year fell
on 5 February .
In addition, market conditions remained soft in the quarter, with
intensifying price competition, the operator said. The total number
of tanks in STC’s global fl eet — consisting of owned, leased and
managed assets — was essentially unchanged at 39,462.
STC reported a fi rst-quarter operating profi t of $15.7 million,
down from $18.1 million in the previous quarter, refl ecting the
decreases in both revenue and operating costs resulting from the
decline in shipments.
Stolt Nielsen’s 2018 annual report shows that full-year revenue at
STC rose to US$551 million, with operating income increasing to
$71 million, driven mainly by increased shipments, higher
demurrage billing, and lower repositioning costs.
In 2017, revenue was $513 million, with operating profi t at $54
million.
Total shipments were up 1.8 percent on the year, with a 14
percent increase in food-grade shipments. During 2018, STC
successfully reduced the weighted average lease rate on its leased
fl eet, resulting in savings of nearly $7,000 per day. Fleet utilisation,
however, slipped to 72.1 percent, from 72.5 percent in 2017,
refl ecting the impact of second-half market weakness and an
increase in STC’s fl eet size.
STC president Michael W Kramer said that during the year, the
operator continued its long-term strategy focused on improving
competitive advantage through the implementation of new
technologies.
Over the past two years, STC has used technology to reduce costs
and enable staff to focus on value-added operations and service.
During 2018, STC also continued to make improvements to its
online tool mySTCtanks.com that allows customers to manage their
tanks better, reduce costs and drive supply-chain improvements.
mySTCtanks has an increasing number of regular users, said
Kramer.
While the number of depots in STC’s global network held steady at
21 in 2018 – after adding new facilities in Thailand and Italy in the
previous year – substantial progress was made on the fi rm’s three
joint-venture depots in Saudi Arabia. At the Dammam depot,
capacity was quadrupled, while adding both a new cleaning system
and a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility.
At the Jubail depot – the largest depot in STC’s network at 50,000
sqm – the fi rst phase of planned construction was completed, with
room to expand to a total of 105,000 sqm. The Dammam and Jubail
facilities were both commissioned at the start of 2019. Jeddah, the
third facility, will also be upgraded with modern equipment.
As for the outlook, Kramer added that market conditions softened
in the second-half of 2018, which took many in the industry by
surprise. “That said, while the ultimate impact of ongoing political
turmoil, possible trade wars and volatility in petroleum prices remain
to be seen, the long term fundamentals of the tank-container
business remain strong.
“Stolt Tank Containers’ strategy remains unchanged: continue to
focus on delivering superior customer service at the lowest cost by
leveraging STC’s global scale, by using technology to drive
continuous improvements in operational effi ciency, and by operating
in a manner that is safe for people and the environment.”
TANK CONTAINER LEASING
www.gemcontainers.com
+44 (0) 1892 825050
+44 (0) 7782 275839
[email protected]
The Modalis 40ft fl atcars can carry two 20ft loaded containers