Hyster Co. (NYSE: HY) has introduced equipment that allows marine terminal and intermodal rail yard operators to handle and stack two empty ocean containers at once.
The Hyster H180-230XD-ECD can lift up to 23,000 pounds, which is more than sufficient to handle two empty 40-foot refrigerated containers at once.
The material-handling equipment manufacturer, which developed the technology at its Big Truck Development Center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, believes the timing is right to introduce its newest double-empty container handler to terminal operators.
“As economies reopen following the peak of COVID-19, the quantity of containers shipped worldwide continues to grow, and operations are responding with increased use of dedicated empty container yards,” said Lyndle McCurley, Hyster’s vice president of big trucks, in a statement.
The company said its new double-empty container handlers could help these facilities reduce congestion and improve throughput by as much as 30%.
The equipment also provides the in-cab operator with visual and sensing technology to safely lift empty containers into stacks nine high.
“Even if difficult weather conditions, local policies or other constraints prevent operations from stacking nine high, increasing stacks from five to six containers with a Hyster empty container handler can still boost capacity by up to 20%,” the company said.
Hyster manufactures its ocean container-handling equipment at its plant in Nijmegen. Pricing of the new double-empty container handlers depends on numerous factors, including truck capacity and stacking height, the company said.
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Click for more FreightWaves/American Shipper articles by Chris Gillis.