Case
Keeping QTerminals-Kramer moving
”Uniformity in processes is most important to us. Thanks to Hinterland Container Notification Road and Hinterland Container Notification Barge, we work in the same way across all our locations.” – Mike Vos, Manager Operations, QTerminals-Kramer
Uniformity as the key to efficiency
Each year, QTerminals-Kramer handles more than 450,000 empty containers in the Port of Rotterdam, making it one of the leading specialists in this field. With five locations – four on the Maasvlakte and one in the Waalhaven – the company supports almost all major shipping lines with inspection, repair, and storage.
“Uniformity in processes is most important to us,” explains Mike Vos, Manager Operations at QTerminals-Kramer. “Thanks to HCN Road and HCN Barge, we follow the same procedures at every location. For carriers and operators, that provides clarity: the process is identical everywhere, regardless of location.”
The integration of Kramer City Depot and Kramer Distripark Depot marked the final step towards full alignment. For drivers and carriers, this delivers peace of mind and reliability: all documentation is checked in advance, preventing delays and errors at the gate. On the waterside too, uniformity drives efficiency: loading and unloading lists are processed automatically instead of manually, making operations faster and error-free.
Smarter management of container flows
For QTerminals-Kramer, connecting to HCN Road and HCN Barge is about more than just administrative efficiency. The company is working towards a future where empty container flows can be distributed more intelligently. “Our goal is that customers no longer need to spread their containers themselves across our sites,” Vos explains. “We ensure that containers end up where capacity is available at that moment – whether by road or by inland shipping.”
Collaboration with Portbase is essential in this. New initiatives, such as Port Alert, enable better information sharing with drivers and operators and further streamline operations.
Looking ahead
According to Vos, the cooperation with Portbase is excellent. “There is an open approach to improvements and to the technological developments shaping the port. QTerminals-Kramer will continue to focus on optimising processes and keeping pace with the ongoing digitalisation of the port.”
Hinterland Container Notification
Hinterland Container Notification (HCN) Barge makes it easy to prenotify the barge visit and all cargo for your inland vessels to sea and inland terminals and depots, allowing them to prepare for the visit properly so your skipper is finished sooner.
Hinterland Container Notification (HCN) Road makes it easy to prenotify the arrival of your drivers to sea and inland terminals and depots. That way, they can prepare the visit properly and your driver will be finished sooner. In addition, you will receive automatic feedback on the status of your prenotified containers, allowing for timely adjustments and preventing mistakes. More and more terminals and depots also allow you to request a slot in HCN Road at the same time as prenotifying. These terminals and depots can then optimize the deployment of their available capacity on your behalf.
