RBC Terminal in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, has traditionally focused on empty container handling, with over 12,000 containers on-site. Using a combination of empty container handlers and a reachstacker, they move on average 500 containers a day, between the yard, trucks and barges. With an additional pier being built and the expansion of the business into handling hazardous and flammable materials, new equipment was needed with very special requirements.

 “We chose Kalmar K-motion, because fuel is expensive and it promises to lessen fuel consumption,” says Pascal Vermeulen, Technical Manager at RBC Terminal.

Kalmar K-Motion is an innovative drive train system with well-proven efficient transmission technologies – hydrostatic and mechanical – in combination with smart programming. Customer field reports prove fuel and exhaust emission reductions of up to 40%.

Kalmar SmartFleet helps to optimise performance

RBC also wanted to be able to monitor and optimise the performance of their new machine in real time, so they added it to their current Kalmar SmartFleet subscription.

“We see all the information coming out of SmartFleet, and we see 30% less fuel consumption,” Pascal Vermeulen, continues.

 As RBC doesn’t have their own service department, all of the service and maintenance tasks were outsourced to the local Kalmar team. “We are very satisfied with the service and handling of the K-Motion,” Pascal Vermeulen, says. 

Smooth operator

Kalmar K-Motion is also great from the point of view of the driver. The machine is proving to be highly reliable and efficient, with smooth movements, which is critical when handling hazardous materials.

“The drivers trust the machine to do a good job, they like operating it. The noise is less, they listen to music,” says Melvin van de Lugt, Terminal Supervisor at RBC Terminals.

“Kalmar is the Mercedes of reachstackers. The best reachstacker there is,” Melvin van de Lugt concludes.