I visited a shipping terminal in Newark and saw something wild with the carriers

Was down at the Port Newark terminal last Thursday watching cars get loaded onto a ship. Noticed about 1 in 4 vehicles had their doors left unlocked or windows cracked open. Some haulers say it's to prevent pressure damage, others call it a security risk. Which side are you on with this debate?

2 comments

2 Comments

fox.derek9d ago

Used to side with the security risk people for years, thought it was crazy to leave doors unlocked. But after watching a hauler show me how the pressure difference can actually pop the seals on a locked car during ocean transport, I changed my mind. Saw a brand new sedan with a cracked window that looked fine, but the one next to it was locked tight and had a gap forming by the door frame. Made me realize it's less about being careless and more about keeping the cars from getting damaged on the crossing. Still feels weird to see a row of unlocked cars though.

dianal948d ago

I read something from a marine mechanic once who said the pressure changes on those car carriers are no joke. He explained that when ships hit rough weather or change depth ballast, the air pressure inside the container deck can shift hard enough to actually flex the metal on the cars. Locked doors make the seals act like a drum skin, and the flexing can tear them or even pop the glass out if it's really bad. He said he'd seen a whole row of locked cars come off with cracked windshields from the pressure, while the unlocked ones were fine. So yeah, I get why it looks sloppy but it's basically the car equivalent of cracking a window on a plane.