In the past weeks and months, the workshop team of Dinges Logistics has been busy with a somewhat special project in addition to the day-to-day business. A tank container that had been taken out of service was converted into a walk-in training container. This is to be used specifically to provide a comprehensive insight into tank container logistics and to make complex aspects more tangible through a strong practical orientation.
The training container is a 30,000-liter swap body tank container. Among other things, it is equipped with a stack pipe, three baffles, a gas pendulum connection, and a 2-inch and a 3-inch flange in the dome cover area. Previously, the tank container was used for the transport of liquid goods. In order to convert it into a training container, various measures were implemented. First, it was cut open at the side to make it accessible on the inside. Furthermore, a piece of the container was cut out to reveal the insulation and the container construction. The last steps for completion were the installation of a railing on top of the container, the incorporation of the floor and the positioning of the stairs. Thus, the training container is not only accessible from the inside, but also from the top.
The container is used in combination with a wide range of fittings, couplings, seals, bottom valves, additional cross-sections of the superstructure and other accessories, covering a large spectrum of information. This is a great opportunity not only for our own employees from all areas of the company, but also for external interested parties to gain exciting impressions and thus refresh, deepen and expand their knowledge in this area.
Ingo Dinges, Owner and Managing Director of Dinges Logistics, considers a basic background knowledge of all employees to be critical to success. Insightful, practical training can help to ensure that interrelationships are better understood and operational processes are thus optimized, which is why he initiated the tank container conversion. He is also convinced that raising awareness of the complexity of tank container logistics is crucial. With regard to the conversion of the container, he is particularly proud of the fact that the entire project was realized by his own team.
Just in time for the completion of the training container, a roadshow was recently carried out in which the container was used for the first time. In addition to the training container in combination with the tank container equipment, other aspects of tank container logistics were addressed at the event as well – for this purpose, a tractor unit was provided with a ground-operated standard ISO tank container connected to a heating or cooling block, as well as a tractor unit with a chemical tank semitrailer including special equipment such as a hydraulic pump, on-the-road heating as well as a limit value transmitter and ANA system. A vacuum test device was also provided. Based on that, several stations with different focal points were created. The total of almost 40 people attending were guided through the individual stations in groups. To complete the event, the storage and retrieval process of a tank container in the container terminal was simulated for each group using a reachstacker.
Both the participants as well as Dinges Logistics drew a very positive conclusion with regard to the roadshow. The main topics were very interesting and, above all, fundamental for all participants – as a result, a number of aha experiences were achieved. Due to the positive feedback of all participants, this concept will be realized again in this form at Dinges Logistics in the future.
