GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 22, 2026
Container handling
When a container vessel berths and cranes swing into action, container handling is underway.
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Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Containerumschlag
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Logistics Concept
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When a container vessel berths and cranes swing into action, container handling is underway. The term covers all loading, unloading, and transshipment operations for standardized boxes between vessels, trucks, trains, and occasionally inland barges: mechanical lifting and positioning, yard stacking, weight and damage inspection, documentation, and internal terminal tractor movements. Terminal operators bill for these services through the Terminal Handling Charge (THC), invoiced per container as a separate line item to forwarders and shippers. Container handling is not the same as container transport: transport describes movement between terminals, while handling refers to the transfer operations at the terminal itself.
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