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The Port of Baltimore
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July/August 201 2
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TRAINING
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Rodeo Gets Support of
Shipping Companies
and Manufacturers Alike
S
hipping companies definitely take
notice of the training that occurs
during the Port of Baltimore’s
annual Ro/Ro Rodeo. As Scott Senko,
Area Operations Manager for NYK Line
Baltimore, explained during this year’s
event in mid-May, “Any ro/ro [roll-on/
roll-off] carrier has a vested interest
in the quality handling of the cargo
they’re transporting.”
For David E. Honor, Höegh Autoliners’
General Manager-Baltimore Region,
the interest was not only professional
but personal. David watched from the
registration tent as his 19-year-old son Tom,
a member of International Longshoremen’s
Association (ILA) Local 1429, participated
in the training for the first time.
Hopping from one large piece of
construction, agricultural or forestry
equipment to the next, Tom excitedly
gathered the basic knowledge necessary
to do his job safely and efficiently. “I’m
walking away with the experience I need
to get the work done,” he said. “I love to
be able to drive the cars and equipment
on and off the ships.”
As Maryland Port Administration
(MPA) Deputy Director of Marketing
Joseph M. Greco, Sr. explained, “It’s an
opportunity to have the longshoremen
familiarize themselves with the
equipment in order to reduce damage
and keep production up.”
This year’s 16th annual Rodeo
provided training for the usual 200
longshoremen over the course of two
days. They were assisted by a record
number of 40 technical specialists
representing manufacturers that ranged
from Caterpillar, Komatsu, Wirtgen
and CLAAS to John Deere, AGCO,
Massey Ferguson and Ponsse. “The
manufacturers are really supporting this
event, so you know they see the value in
it,” Greco said.
Product Specialist Jonathan Hume
with Case New Holland noted that not
all equipment is created equal. “Even
something as simple as how to release
the park brake can be handled differently
from machine to machine,” said Hume,
who was on hand with a New Holland
