Machines cutting tools and measuring equipment in metalworking
From forklift and reachstacker to straps yokes and the container's corner fittings
Most goods at a terminal are too heavy to move by hand. Therefore machines and lifting equipment are your actual tools and knowing them — and their limits — is part of the craft. Here is the equipment you encounter most.
§Machines for moving goods
The forklift is the workhorse for pallets and smaller units. For containers, reach stackers are used, which can lift and stack containers, and terminal tractors, which pull chassis around the yard. At large ports, tall container cranes lift directly between ship and quay. Each machine has a task it's good at and a capacity it must not exceed.
§PLACEHOLDER_85
When goods must be hoisted or lashed, you use lifting gear: straps, chains, shackles, yokes, and tensioning bands. All lifting gear has a marked load capacity and must be inspected for damage before use. To secure cargo during transport, you use lashings, wedges, and supports so nothing can shift. Incorrect or damaged lifting gear is serious danger—so inspection is not something you skip.
§The container and its standard
The container is not just a box. It has fixed external dimensions and standardised corner castings so cranes, spreaders and chassis can grip it at the same places every time. It is this standard that makes a container travel from ship to train to truck around the world without needing to be repacked. If you understand the castings and dimensions you understand why the machines at the terminal look the way they do.
| Equipment. | Used for |
|---|---|
| Forklift | Pallets and smaller units over short distances |
| Reachstacker | PLACEHOLDER_74 |
| Terminal tractor | Pull chassis and trailers around the terminal |
| Container crane | PLACEHOLDER_64 |
| Straps and chains | Hoist and lash goods with known load capacity |
| Spreader | Grip the container's corner castings when lifting |
§Different types of goods different tools
Not all goods are containers. Bulk goods like grain, coal or gravel are handled with grabs, suction or conveyor belts. Rolling goods like cars and machines are driven aboard. General cargo can be anything from pipes to large machinery parts. Each type requires its own equipment and technique, and a good terminal worker knows which tool fits which goods.
§Why inspection and maintenance are part of the job
A machine or strap that fails under heavy load is life-threatening. That's why daily inspection — checking forks tires brakes hydraulics and lifting equipment — is a fixed part of the work. You report faults before they become accidents and do not use equipment that is discarded or lacks inspection. Taking care of the equipment is taking care of yourself and your colleagues.
“It is not the machine that determines what you can lift — it is the marking on it and on the rigging, and you must know it before you lift.”