ABSTRACT

This work titled “Container management and security of ship goods in the Douala sea port” had its targeted objective which was to analyse the impact of container management on the security of shipped goods in the port of Douala. Methodologically, we used descriptive statistic to analyze our results. Data was collected using sample and sampling techniques quantitative and qualitative method.   Primary and secondary sources of data collection were used with questionnaires and oral interviews being the main instruments. The data obtained was then analyzed using descriptive techniques and the results presented on tables, percentages to ease decision making. Findings gotten from the field indicated that container management has a positive impact on the security of shipped goods depending on the type of container used to transport the goods the study reveal that they are challenges faced in container management and these challenges affects the efficiency of the port and therefore the security of shipped goods.The more efficient containers are managed at the port the more ship goods become and the lesser the efficiency the less secured the goods. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to the port authority and other stakeholders concerned to curb this challenge among which is that an area of further research can be the role of stevedoring activities on ports performance, since it stevedoring have to do with loading and offloading of containerized goods and other goods and port performance have to with the efficiency of the port.

Keywords: container management, security, shipped goods, seaport.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background To The Study

In the world, shipping activities have been carried out over the years. There have been a number of developments in the industry as time goes on especially in the area of cargo consolidation. Ships, as we know can carry large volumes of cargo. In the earlier days, the goods would be packed into small boxes and these were then manually loaded by individuals who would climb the ship’s ladder (gangway), offloading them into the holds. These goods were stacked manually and the entire operation would take days depending upon size of the ship. With the advent of mechanical means such as cranes and derricks, heavier loads could be easily hoisted from jetty to the ship’s hold. However, the packages were still smaller in size and cranes couldn’t be used to their full capacity(kinwachan, 2003). A substantial cost of shipping went into paying the dock workers for loading and unloading of the cargo. A few docks decided to put cranes and mechanical means to greater effect and for that they needed the packages to be much larger and at the same time to have the same yardstick in size. This was the beginning of Unitization. These bigger units could then be handled by machines such as forklifts and cranes. The advancement in technology through the use of ropes for bundling timber and pallets for stacking and transporting bags or sacks yielded some efficiency gains, but the handling of cargo was still labor intensive even after World War II as it was during the beginning of the Victorian age (Daniel et al.,2013). Because of the bigger size, the number of individual units to be loaded on the ships reduced saving time and effort, increasing efficiency and lowering the chances of late deliveries.

A new method called pre-slinging came into existence to transfer cargoes like large pipes and steel cables. The entire cargo is shipped, along with slings as slung from the port of origin.Another way of unitization is palletization. The next big step in unitization was containerization. It all began as noble idea of a US based businessman Malcolm Mclean, who modified a Second World War tanker vessel to carry boxes known as containers. The vessel was named Maxton and began sailing in the year 1956. The cargo would be loaded into these boxes, which were capable of being placed directly onto the trucks. This saved a lot of time compared to break-bulk carriers. The ship was modified to carry 60 such boxes as deck cargo. By 1970s, container shipping started getting a boost from Europe and Japan, and the rest of the world soon followed suit. There are two standard lengths of containers largely used worldwide. The 20 feet and 40 feet containers also called TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) and FEUs (Forty-foot Equivalent Units) respectively.  Containers were born of the need to reduce labor, time and handling, containerization links the manufacturer or producer with the ultimate consumer or customer. By eliminating as many as 12 separate handlings, containers minimize cargo loss or damage; speed delivery; reduce overall expenditure (Baier and Bergstrand (2001))

Maritime containers were first introduced in the 1960s. Since then, liner shipping went through a high growth phase, almost independent of the world economy. The rapid growth and globalization in container shipping market gave rise to intense competition among key players such as shipping lines, port authorities, and logistics agents. In order to survive competition and gain more business, these players are forced to adopt innovative, productivity enhancing and cost-cutting strategies. At an operational level, a very important cost-cutting strategy is to efficiently and effectively manage the container fleet. Container fleet management is complicated due to dynamic operation, uncertainty and demand imbalance. Dynamic operation is the nature of the shipping industry. Uncertainty exists in customer demands and container processing activities such as consolidation, movement, handling, discharge, maintenance and repair. Demand imbalance is a particularly important problem in container shipping. For example, on the Europe-Asia trade route, European ports are experiencing a high surplus of empty containers, while Asian ports are facing severe shortage. Important decisions in container fleet management include fleet sizing, container leasing, laden container distributing and empty container repositioning. These decisions are highly related and should be carefully managed. (Dong, 2009).

Africa’s ports account for 4% of global containerized trade volume, much of which comprises imports of manufactured goods. Africa’s shipping and ports do not always match global trends and standards. Apart from four container terminals in Morocco, Egypt and South Africa, no other African port was featured in the 2016 list of Top 100 global container ports. (UNCTAD/PRESS/IN /2018/006).

The port Tanger Med I in Morroco has two container terminals with a total rated capacity of 3 million TEUs. The first container Terminal  (TC1) started operations  in 2007 followed by a year later by the second containers terminal (TC2) these two terminals  allowed the port Tanger Med I  to become    an important container transshipment hub in the west of the Mediterranean. This place continues to strengthen thanks to the good performance of the major shipping lines operating at the container terminals such as Maersk Line, CMA-CGM, Hapag Lloyd., ARKAS, etc.(  Rajae and Ayachi, 2019).

In Cameroon, the port of Douala has been used as a trading port for Cameroon and its neighboring landlocked countries since the mid-19th century, and due to increases in cargo volume, various kinds of improvements have been carried out to its port facilities, mainly through assistance from the World Bank. All through the first half of the 1980s Cameroon showed favorable economic development at an annual rate of 7.5%, and the volume of cargo handled at Douala Port reached to 3.92 million tons in 1983. Given this situation and the background in which ports were increasingly moving toward containerization with their significant economic and safety advantages, there was a growing need for Douala Port to upgrade its container facilities, in order to be prepared for increases in cargo volume. (Douala port modernization project).

On June 28, 2004 a joint venture between APM Terminals (44%) and Bolloré Ports signed a concession agreement with the Port Authority of Douala (PAD) to manage, operate and develop container handling at the port.2005, investment has helped modernize infrastructure, increase container storage areas, acquire new equipment, and optimize the terminal operating system. Between 2005 and 2018 the volumes at the terminal have more than doubled from 131,994 TEU to almost 378,758 TEUs. This equates to average annual growth of 15%.

Containers are the most vulnerable when static, and hence ports and other terminals are key locations in insuring the integrity of containers. Container transport chain monitoring is needed both for supply chain management and security reasons. Authorities demand increased freight visibility in order to assure compliance with the regulations and to avoid import of illicit goods. Possible solutions are adding monitoring equipment, such as e-seals and tracking devices, monitoring the environment using cameras, improved gate processes. The optimal use of these technologies requires sharing of information between different stakeholders. Based on the assessment of the different measures, a set of recommendations to improve container security related to the implementation of the technologies will be provided.

1.3 Research Questions

1.3.1 Main research question

Ø  What is the impact of container management on the security of shipped goods?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. What are the various type of containers used in the port of Douala?
2. What are the types of handling equipment that are used in container handling in the port of Douala?
3. What are the problems faced in container management?

1.4 Objectives of The Study

1.4.1 The Main objective

• To investigate the impact of container management on the security of shipped goods.

1.4.1 Specific objectives

1. To examine the various types of containers used in the port of Douala.
2. To explore the types of handling equipment that are used in container handling in the port of Douala.
3. To evaluate the problems faced in container management.

1.5 Research hypothesis

H1:  There is a significant problem faced in container management

HO: There is no significant problem faced in container management

H1:There is a significant relationship between handling equipment and container management.

HO: There is no significant relationship between handling equipment and container management