Port Tire Demand Grows As Shipping Industry Pressure Mounts

Scurrying around the Pierce County Terminal in Tacoma, Washington—serviced by Everport Terminal Services—at 18 miles per hour, dozens of Noell straddle carriers look like massive ants, each carrying a 40-foot-long cargo container between its spindly steel legs. At ground level, 42 feet below the operator’s suspended cab, each of a carrier’s eight wheels is capable of steering, allowing the machine to execute tight turns and precise maneuvers as it shuttles containers between flatbed railcars and a waiting freighter.

Straddle carriers are extremely tough on tires, notes Ed Cornish, maintenance and repair manager for Everport in Tacoma. He and his team are responsible for …

Source: Tire Review