Page 26 - Port of Baltimore Magazine July August 2011

[24] The Port of Baltimore ■ July/August 2011 To subscribe or renew, visitwww.marylandports.com
RO/RO
So no one complained when the early
hours of the Port of Baltimore’s 15th
annual RO/RO Rodeo got a little damp. For
the men and women of the International
Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) Local
333, rain showers just added an extra
touch of reality to the training exercises.
“Whatever the weather, we need to do
the job and get it done safely,” said Omahie
Mitchell, a 10-year member of Local 333.
“Foggy windows can be a problem, and it
gets slippery on the ramps sometimes. You
need to know what you’re doing — keep
your eyes open.”
Joe Greco, Maryland Port Admin-
istration (MPA) DeputyDirector ofMarketing,
noted that Baltimore is the only port
explain new features and review operating
instructions.
“Everybody’s anxious to learn about
the equipment and do the right thing,”
said JLG Training Manager Michael O.
Smith. “They are genuinely interested in
the machine, not just how to drive it. In the
long run, there won’t be as much possibil-
ity of damage because they understand
the machine better and appreciate what
it can do.”
Among the JLG equipment on hand
was a 1350 SJP telescopic boom lift, with
a 135-foot boom and a price tag around
$350,000. “It’s not as heavy as some
other equipment,” Smith explained,
“but it’s long, and that makes for its own
challenges.”
For operators training nearby on
a Case CX 135 tracked excavator, Jon
Hume, a Product Specialist with Case-New
Holland, stressed one important point: “All
of the controls are centered to neutral,” he
said. “So if you get into any trouble, just
let go — it’ll stop.”
During the rainy part of the Rodeo, one
longshoreman used the opportunity to find
the excavator’s windshield wiper control.
Then, when the brief showers subsided and
were replaced by Baltimore’s characteristic
humidity, the longshoremen quickly
adapted. As Hume noted, “They started
asking me where the air-conditioning
is!”
in the United States to host an annual
Rodeo. “We pride ourselves on being
the No. 1 RO/RO port in the country. The
equipment changes on a regular basis,
and the longshoremen need to drive it
on or off the vessel with success every
time. If we damage any equipment, the
manufacturers will start
taking their business else-
where.”
Greco added that Rodeo
participants appreciate the
importance of the event.
“They take it seriously,” he
said. “There’s not a lot of
standing around.”
Held May 24-25 at
the Dundalk Marine Terminal, the Rodeo
gave 200 members of ILA Local 333 an
opportunity to operate some of the large
construction and agricultural equipment
rolling through the Port. Participants also
practiced how to properly lash down an
automobile.
“We try to make people as savvy as
possible in all facets of the equipment,” Greco
said. “We’re not promoting specialists.”
TeoMasing, amember of Local 333 since
1980, noted, “I don’t drive a lot — I’mmainly a
lasher. But if I have a young driver who needs
a hand or there’s something else that comes
up, I need to know what to do.”
Representatives from several major
equipment manufacturers were on hand to
T HE HARD WORK THAT TAKES PLACE EVERY
DAY ON THE PORT OF BALTIMORE’S PIERS
DOESN’T STOP JUST BECAUSE OF A FEW
GRAY CLOUDS. THE EFFICIENT HANDLING OF
ROLL-ON/ROLL-OFF (RO/RO) CARGO WON’T
WAIT FOR WEATHER CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE.
BY BLAISE WILLIG
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL MCALLEN
RodeoREAPS REWARDS
Training Helps
Baltimore Hold
Spot as Top
RO/RO Port