Traditional wooden racking systems did little to improve the PR of containerised vehicle transport, due to their high instances of collapse and damage to vehicles in transit.
Thankfully, this gave innovators the opportunity to get creative and, wind the clock forward twenty years and the picture looks very different indeed. Cost effectiveness is one of the main benefits of the new generation of steel racking solutions, but safety is also paramount. Here are five safety benefits brought about by steel racking:
1) Less Vibration Damage
Vibration damage gives the automotive shipping industry a hefty annual price tag. Whether it’s from rolling waves or simply from the ship’s engines, transglobal voyages are filled with bumps that can damage vehicles.
High-grade steel racking solutions such as the R-Rak and El-Rak use a combination of tactics to keep vehicles safe. These include a design that prevents movement of the vehicle as well as supporting straps that absorb vibrations, something that is not possible on RoRos.
2) Reduced Risk Of Theft
Theft has always been a problem for RoRo vehicle transport. The fact that vehicles have to be driven onto the ship, combined with the fact that many voyages require multiple changes of vessel, leaves cars highly vulnerable to ending up in the hands of the wrong dealer.
Containers are completely secure. The vehicles are secured at Point A, and the box remains locked until it reaches its final destination. Even if thieves managed to pry open the shipping container doors, what they’d find are vehicles completely immobilised within sturdy steel racking – no easy task to disengage without drawing attention from security personnel.
3) Ease Of Use
Some racking solutions are either complex or poorly designed. This can lead to mistakes being made by the ground team or corners being cut. Either can result in damage to vehicles, delays with loading and unloading, and generally increased costs.
The racks from Trans Rak are highly intuitive to use. Training is quick and easy, and anyone can be taught how to do it safely and efficiently.
4) Covid-Safe
The pandemic has brought a plethora of changes to how goods can be moved. Several relate to shipping, including the use of wooden racks, which is now being phased out across much of the world. Easy to trace to a single team of individuals, containers are also an admin-friendly solution to shipping in an era where person-to-object contact requires monitoring.
High-grade steel racking solutions can be easily sanitised, whilst the containers themselves prevent vehicles coming into contact with large numbers of people.
5) High-Grade Steel
When it comes to a racking solution, quality matters. Flimsy racks limit the type and size of vehicle that can be transported, increase the risk of damage, and reduce the ROI through their shorter life-cycle.
Racks from Trans Rak are constructed from high quality steel that will not buckle, tarnish, or dent during their ten-year lifespan. The racks can be easily adjusted to secure any car, regardless of its make or model.
Next Steps
At Trans-Rak, we are committed to offering proactive solutions for the safe transport of vehicles. For more information about how our racks work, request a call back through our online contact form.
Image source: Pixabay
