Good loadout begins with the stow planning

Translog: Journal of Military Transportation Management, May-June, 2002 by Don Dees

Some of the most important steps in achieving the record loadout of the USNS Dahl took place before the ship even arrived: Documentation and stow planning.

The work began with MTMC's automated stowing system: the Integrated Computer Deployment System. The software translated the data it received into a map of the ship, annotating where each piece of cargo was to be placed. The data was the key to accurate documentation.

Loading the Dahl, the 841st encountered some bad data, said Craig Messervy, Marine Cargo Specialist. The errors referenced 76 giant tractor-trailer sets--24 to 28 more than these vessels normally carry.

"The vehicles were actually four-inches wider than represented in the database, so that presented a challenge," said Messervy. "That's been resolved at the Transportation Engineering Agency and they've already issued the new information to the field.

"It doesn't matter if you get the ship all loaded and under way if no one knows where anything is when it arrives on the other side," said Clark Chambers, Chief, Cargo Operations. "When it comes to documentation, we are looking for the 100 percent solution."

Finding and correcting any errors in the database can be labor intensive, said Al Alton, the Chief of Documentation at the 841st.

"Sometimes the data isn't correct," said Alton, "We go measure it so we can be sure it's right."

The legwork fixes any problems in the stow plan, said Alton.

"It prevents Craig (Messervy) from trying to stick a 300-inch piece into a 100-inch hole," said Alton.

It is not as simple as sticking cargo in available space, said Messervy.

"We had to maintain segregation between classes of hazardous material, such as ammunition," said Messervy.

New equipment adds other problems to the documentation process. The data in the stow-planning software did not include the Army's brandnew container handling tractors--12 in all--that the 841st loaded onto the Dahl for the first time, said Messervy.

"He had to create a new `sexy symbol,' as we call it," said Chambers.

The symbols indicated the size and shape of the equipment to be stowed on the ship.

"By customizing the template, I can better show how the pieces fit" said Messervy.

With a solid stow plan finalized, the burden fell on the stevedore contractor to manage the load through the longshoremen, said Chambers.

"We do have some of the best labor on the East Coast," said Messervy.

Longshoremen were assisted by soldiers from the 1182nd Transportation Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Charleston, S.C.

Soldiers on the ship draw what they see, and then each piece is scanned, said Capt. Tracey Williams, an 1182nd transportation officer who recorded the changes into the stow-planning software.

The scanners interface with the documentation software, which interfaces with the stow-planning software, said Williams.

"That gives us a pretty good picture," said Williams. "Then we tweak manually to match it perfectly."

Each piece of cargo is plotted on the software by model and serial number, said Chambers. The method guarantees accuracy and accountability.

"By doing this process, we get it perfect each time," said Chambers.

The idea is that the customer or other units can look at the finalized stow plan and know exactly where each and every piece of equipment is stowed, said Messervy. With that knowledge, the discharge can be accomplished smoothly.