Oil Patch Bits: Crowley fleet to add 500 new containers in 2011

Crowley Maritime Corp. said April 18 that its liner services group is adding 500 new containers to its already robust equipment fleet in order to better serve the growing needs of its customers in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and throughout Central America. Once the new containers are received, the company’s equipment fleet will include over 46,000 pieces.

The new containers meet and exceed all new and amended ISO Standards for freight container door security applications. Not only is all door hardware secured to the doors with special round-headed huckbolts, each of the four handle locations are designed to accept high-security seals with an additional seal location that will allow the right-side door to be locked to the door frame. The doors feature heavy-duty plates at the top and the bottom, with the bottom plate designed to accept an additional security device. New features this year are the addition of a heavy-duty plate on the inside of the left door and cast-door handles with anti-theft design features. The combination of these security enhancements and upgrades deters and prevents unauthorized access to containers and loaded cargo. Shipment integrity, from point of origin to delivery, is a premier requirement for customers and government anti-terrorism programs.

Since 2003, Crowley has invested close to $240 million dollars to modernize its equipment fleet by nearly 24,000 units.