Shipping Supplies Gets Serious

When J.S. Redpath Limited ships a piece of equipment from its North Bay shops, it just doesn’t load it onto a truck and kiss it goodbye, so to speak, and say “that’s the end of that.”

In fact, it’s quite the opposite, because all of the parts or entire pieces of mining equipment leaving the northern Ontario facility are “packed with pride” in either bubble-wrap in cardboard boxes, shrink-wrapped on pallets, or in wooden boxes and in many cases, in “new” boxes made from specially treated plywood and lumber made in Toronto and shipped 320 km to Redpath in North Bay.

Jeff Davis, Superintendent of Logistics and Inventory Control, explains that Redpath has a worldwide client base and in many places, particularly Australia, there are very strict rules and regulations pertaining to containerization; and that includes wooden boxes.

Contamination through insect infestation in lumber can be devastating and more and more countries are now paying closer attention to the possible sources of potentially harmful insects and pesticides embedded in wood products; and that includes shipping crates, boxes and dunnage.

“Redpath contributes its share to stop the spread of bugs that kill forests,” says Davis. “Crates exported by us have been recognized for their high quality, and in August 2009 our shop in North Bay registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Canadian Wood Pallet & Container Association to join the ISPM15 (International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures) program under the International Plant Protection Convention and is now certified to manufacture heat-treated wood crates and dunnage that is accepted almost anywhere in the world.

“We have dozens and dozens of customers in most countries around the world and throughout an average day there is a constant flow of goods coming in and going out of our warehouse. Year-to-date we have sent around 20 full 20-foot containers to various job sites around the world as well as between 20 and 30 LCL shipments. Routine shipments in a day can include upwards of 10 to 12 pieces of various freight,” said Davis.

To some, shipping steel parts in “new” wooden containers may seem like overkill on the green side of things, but as Jeff Davis explains, Customs Officers in Canada and around the world are very aware of the problems associated with infestation in wood, and when they see containers made from new materials, they’re a little more at ease with the shipment.

“Having the Redpath name stamped on the side of the containers has also served as an assurance to Customs Officers, because over the years they have come to recognize that our company is making every effort to comply with their regulations.

“I won’t say that seeing the Redpath stamp has helped our shipments clear Customs any faster than our competitors, but I do know that delays have been very minimal and, again, I think that’s in part to Redpath’s reputation for abiding by the rules,” said Davis.

The logistics of shipping and packaging is broken down like this: once Redpath receives the goods at its warehouse, they are checked for any damage and, once cleared, they are sent to a staging area where they are packaged according to size and weight.

Redpath’s Logistics Department has evolved to a new dimension over the last three decades from mobilizing projects in North and South America and Indonesia to shipping around the world.

“In the past we shipped 90 per cent of the required material and machinery out of the North Bay facilities not only to set up our projects but in some cases, for instance the Arctic projects, we had to send supply material that would last up to a year, or until they could be reached by barge or winter road,” said Davis.

“Most of the time we had to break down the equipment because the helicopters that were used to fly the equipment to the sites were of limited capacity, and final assembly of the equipment was done on site.

“In those days, when we shipped to a project, all that was needed was a Shipping Document with all items priced and an export declaration. Today, however, the documentation for a single container of material can tie up the project for days or weeks. If any item is not accounted for or the counts are wrong, the shipment is held at Customs until the problem is sorted out.”

A great number of the items that Redpath ships take special care and expertise to move them all around the world, and in many cases “they’re a challenge,” says Davis.

“Whether it’s a Mine Hoist Shaft weighing 60,000 pounds and 38 feet long which has to be secured inside a shipping container, or a special skid built for another Hoist Shaft with a combined weight of 106,000 pounds, these items must be coated with a lubricant to prevent corrosion on an ocean vessel.

“These shafts have to be blocked, braced and fastened in place so there’s absolutely no movement during shipping. The rolling stock such as jumbos and LHD equipment that can weigh up to 129,000 pounds, is usually easier to ship because it can be driven or craned off of the delivery trucks or rail cars and then driven onto a roll-on, roll-off vessel.”

Like other pieces of equipment, rolling stock must also be coated with a rust preservative and the electrical components covered with an anti corrosion compound.

“The largest pieces we have ever moved were three Hepburn winches to Mongolia. We had three drums measuring 122 inches in diameter by 145 inches wide. At 81,000 pounds each, plus all of the frames and accessories to make up the whole unit. We sent five containers and three break-bulk shipments on the first load alone,” said Davis.

“Usually with oversize or irregular pieces, shipping documents are accompanied by special handling recommendations as well as lift points and photos when the items are loaded at point of departure so that the Freight Forwarders can pass them along to the shipping companies and others at the receiving end.”

Davis says that equipment must be shipped inside a vessel’s hold for cross-ocean transport otherwise it would be just a “piece of rust” when they reached their destination.

Clearly, getting a piece of equipment from its North Bay site to the customer involves more than packaging it and following the rules of international shipping and as mentioned earlier, the company is also packed with pride when it comes to what it actually makes and designs for the mining industry.

Dan Kelly, is a 30-year employee of the company and as Manager of Operations he pretty much oversees everything that goes on at the North Bay facility and he says that it’s the company’s 150 employees in the office and 53 in the shops in North Bay, plus another 750 across Canada and another 4000 around the world, who are responsible for making Redpath what it is today.

“Plenty of companies make good products but it’s the people here who make the difference because they’re one big family and are proud of what they do. Wearing the name “Redpath” on a hard hat or overalls is sort of a badge of honour for them and it’s kind of like a fire hall atmosphere around here where there’s a feeling of a brotherhood.”

From the engineers, project managers and site superintendents, to equipment operators and underground workers alike, the Redpath team is known throughout the world and is proud to wave the flag wherever it’s working.

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