The Port of Felixstowe is committed to seeking innovative ways of providing its customers with the optimum levels of efficiency and service.

As part of the drive towards improving its service to hauliers, the Port has developed the Road Haulage IDEntity System (RHIDES) and a Vehicle Booking System (VBS). Whilst RHIDES aims to secure the integrity of the supply chain, VBS will facilitate the enhanced management of the 4,000 lorry movements in and out of the Port each day.

VEHICLE BOOKING SYSTEM (VBS)

Over 4,000 HGV drivers visit the Port of Felixstowe every week day. Although the Port offers a 24-hour service, 40% of these arrivals occur within a daily six-hour period.

To enable the Port of Felixstowe to improve its service level to hauliers and plan its yard resource more efficiently, VBS is being introduced at its Container Terminals.

By ensuring that drivers pre-book their containers for collection/delivery within certain allocated time slots, VBS will enable a better spread of jobs throughout the working day.

It became a mandatory requirement for all hauliers to have VBS bookings from January 2008, and the system became fully operational in November 2008.

Hauliers can register for VBS by visiting the Port of Felixstowe website at: www.portoffelixstowe.co.uk/vbs

CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTRE (CSC)

The Customer Service Centre (CSC) provides help and information to customers using Trinity and Landguard terminals. The department deals with issues associated with the day to day process of collecting and depositing containers. Located at the North end of the Temporary Holding Area the CSC is the point of contact for hauliers requiring help entering and leaving the port or receiving service in the park.

The department is open 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas and may be contacted on 01394 602644. For non urgent enquiries please send an email to csc@fdrc.co.uk.

A pre-recorded information service for operational and weather information is also available by calling 01394 602669.

ROAD HAULAGE IDENTITY SYSTEM (RHIDES)

The Port introduced its RHIDES initiative in November 2005, in response to the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS). From 1st March 2007, it has been a mandatory requirement for drivers using the Port of Felixstowe to have a RHIDES card in order to gain access to the terminals to exchange containers. The cards do not increase the time taken to process drivers arriving at the terminals, and, importantly, there is no charge to hauliers for registering their drivers for the cards.

Whilst the Port of Felixstowe already has an excellent record in combating container crime, the introduction of RHIDES cards is expected to provide a significant deterrent to container theft. In the longer term, the card could be used as a more secure method of releasing import containers to authorised drivers.

The Port decided upon the use of ‘chip' card technology for RHIDES, which stores the driver's name and some biometric data, in this case a hand-scan, as a means of identification.

Upon arrival at the Port, the driver places the card into a reader and his/her hand on a biometric scanner. If a valid card is presented, the Port's gate system records the number against the container and allows the driver to enter the 'Restricted Area' of the terminal.

Hauliers can register for RHIDES cards by visiting www.rhides.com