The port worker – an important link in the supply chain

Jimmy Manninger has been a port worker at APM Terminals since 2016. He drives both straddle carriers and container cranes, while also training a lot of new employees. The work requires a lot of flexibility and sharp customer focus, which have become even more important with the disruptions in the supply chain in recent years.

Dark clouds are moving in over APM Terminals Gothenburg as Jimmy Manninger gets out of the straddle carrier after the first shift of the day.

'Weather and wind can make a big difference to production. Regardless of tough weather conditions, we need port workers to keep up the pace in order to get the ships off on time so that the end customer receives the goods they've been waiting for. This could be companies waiting for industrial parts or important medical supplies’, he says.

Supply chain uncertainties create more work for port workers
In recent years, it's not only strong winds that have put pressure on ports. The global situation in the container market has resulted in delayed ships, increased volumes, and extra calls to APM Terminals Gothenburg.

'Since the start of the pandemic, delivering high levels of customer service has been more difficult than usual. As port workers, we've had to be very flexible with our schedules and be prepared to work unusual hours. We've received ships on Christmas Eve and we've kept our gates open on days when they are normally closed', Jimmy Manninger says.

'We want to show customers that they're doing the right thing by choosing APM Terminals'
Increased volumes and containers that stay in the terminal for too long create more work for Jimmy and his colleagues. However, the frustration over long distances and difficult handling resulting from the high occupancy is overshadowed by his great pride in his work.

"We work at the Nordic region’s largest container terminal and we want to show customers that they're doing the right thing by choosing APM Terminals. In the past, we were probably seen as a 'strikers' port', but we want to get rid of this image and show that customers can trust us. We’re doing what we’ve promised here, and preferably a little more if we can', he says.

An outdated image of port workers
Jimmy Manninger and his colleagues are one of the most important links in Sweden’s trade with the outside world. He states firmly that the traditional view of port workers is far from the reality.

'To some extent, the obsolete image of port workers as being lazy, rough fellas with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths still persists. What I see among my colleagues is a real drive and a desire to go the extra mile. A lot of port workers are now university-educated and it's great to see that more and more women are applying to work on the port. I love my job, and what I appreciate most is the freedom and the fact that every day brings different kinds of challenges', he concludes.