When a damaged conveyor belt brought operations to a halt at Westshore Terminals in Vancouver, the clock started ticking. Efficiency doesn’t wait — and neither did Mammoet.
The breakdown at the coal export terminal demanded urgent action. Conveyor systems are the backbone of bulk terminals, and downtime translates directly into lost throughput. Mammoet, called in for the heavy-lifting job, mobilized quickly to ensure the new belt was in place before the disruption became costlier.
The operation was anything but routine. The new belt had to be transported from its fabrication site on Annacis Island. For that, Mammoet’s crew deployed 24 lines of Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs), maneuvering the oversized load with the kind of precision only experience can bring.
Tidal conditions complicated the timing. With just one suitable tide per day to execute the barge load-out, there was no room for error. The team had to align every step — from movement on the island to barge loading — with tight time windows dictated by nature.
The barge made its way down the Fraser River, reaching the offloading point in the early hours of the following day. From there, the belt was carefully rolled off and hauled along a winding inland route to Westshore Terminals.
This wasn’t just about moving cargo — it was about recovering lost time. Every hour saved in this operation shortened the terminal’s downtime and helped stabilize export volumes. The operation highlights how logistics isn’t just trucks and steel — it’s timing, teamwork, and a little bit of tide watching.
