Solent Stevedores invests in the future of cruise at Southampton

Jan 2019

Solent Stevedores has recently taken delivery of 33 fully electric counter balance fork lift trucks from STILL Materials Handling in preparation for the 2019 cruise season at the Port of Southampton.

This latest investment by the company which currently provides a service for over 80% of the cruise vessels calling in Southampton, has been made to further improve safety for operators, increase efficiency for customers and reduce emissions.

STILL electric fork lifts at Port of Southampton

The fully electric, next generation fork lift trucks are equipped with the latest safety technology, as well as with additional driver enhancements designed to improve comfort and reduce driver fatigue. This £1 million investment by Solent Stevedores will help to ensure that the company can maintain their excellent level of service delivery and reliability as record growth in cruise at the Port of Southampton continues.

Tom Dynes, Operations Director said:

"We are delighted with the new fleet from STILL Materials Handling. Keeping our employees safe is paramount, and the new safety features on the RX-20 are industry-leading. Our staff pride themselves on providing the highest level of customer service and by investing in the best equipment, we hope to further improve efficiency whilst the exciting growth of cruise at the Port of Southampton continues.

We also continue to work closely with ABP to further reduce the amount of emissions generated by our port operations and we are proud to have an entire fleet of 100% electric fork lift trucks operating across all four cruise terminals. "


It’s estimated that this year Solent Stevedores will provide in-port services for around 370 cruise ships handling around 2.7 million suitcases and loading more than 100,000 tonnes of ship’s stores, cementing the company’s position as one of the top cruise stevedoring suppliers globally.

Nick Smith, STILL UK Managing Director, comments:

"We are constantly striving to improve our environmental impact through the use of recyclable materials in non-harmful manufacturing processes, energy-saving products and environmentally friendly work places.

For many years we have worked in partnership with Solent Stevedores and are delighted to once again announce the latest delivery of thirty-three new RX 20 electric-counterbalance trucks.

We are immensely proud to be able to support Solent Stevedores in their commitment to driving down their environmental footprint. The importance of this shared value is one of the primary reasons for our long-standing partnership and we look forward to working with them now and in the future."

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