At some point we all have the experience of needing to get work done on a much shorter deadline than usual. When the oncoming lockdowns of the pandemic began to appear in Q1 2020, it was clear that life was going to stop in almost every way, and for an uncertain amount of time. ​​​​​​​


Locked down at the quay


In March 2020, Mantrac Vostok had secured a contract with AO “Rusal Achinsk” (JSC) for the shipping of machinery to their site in Siberia. This machinery constituted nine items in total split between 7 Cat 777 mining trucks and 2 Cat 6015 mining shovels.


The project, which covered the machines coming into the St. Petersburg Marine Port, before being moved, disassembled and delivered to the Siberia site, was overseen by regional sales head Alexey Sukhorukov and Alexandra Chistaleva, sales representative in Ukhta.


In line with normal lead times, work completion was set for mid-April.
In early March it started to become clear that the COVID-19 virus was travelling quickly between countries and that lockdowns were going to come into effect. By early April, the vast majority of federal subjects, including Moscow, had imposed lockdowns. This brought with it severe curtailment of movement and working processes that would potentially have a severe impact on the delivery of Rusal’s machinery which was, by now, in the restrictive customs area of St. Petersburg Marine Port.


Putting a team together


To maximise the time available to work on Rusal’s machinery, a dedicated team was put together to work on the project directly within the customs area. Headed by Yakov Shutov from Bor the team consisted of eight service engineers from different branches of the Volga region: Sergey Kondratov from Ukhta, Evgeniy Luchkov and Alexander Ryabinin from Bor, Alexey Sibiryakov, Mikhail Treskov, Alexander Kiselev and Vladimir Rubtsov from Vorkuta.


With unknown risks from the pandemic alongside regional lockdowns and the closing of offices, this team had one focus, to complete the job in time.  It would require hard work, efficient processes and smart management if they were to complete the work in time.


Making it work


Transporting the machinery effectively required it be disassembled, checked and packed. Doing this in a free environment with a comfortable timeframe presents its own challenges for workflow and efficiency.


But with this project, time was short, which naturally increases the complications. Working from within the customs area at the docks also brought an interesting set of challenges.


All work was performed under strict supervision from customs officers and armed security guards. Working processes for the team were strictly defined between Mantrac Vostok and the port authorities and customs representatives. Any changes in work process had to be submitted and approved before they could be enacted. Where process changes were needed this restriction took time.


Detailed reporting of the machinery and the process being followed was also required for the customer. These reports keep the customer abreast of progress. Within the customs area, no photography is allowed at all. This is to protect the security of the area and while it made our reporting less detailed, it was a restriction we understood and had to work within, while explaining the lack of imagery to the customer.


In addition to prohibition of photographic equipment the team were also unable to fully utilise Mantrac Vostok equipment such as cranes to assist in the disassembly process. Initially completely prohibited, the team managed to get the port and customs authority to allow the limited use of industrial machinery in the process.


Taking the time


To combat the time constraints and operational restrictions, the team worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to get the machinery ready for onward shipping to Siberia.


In an astounding display of hard work and dedication, the team completed the work within just 18 days. A process that would normally have taken over a month and been conducted in a more purpose-built environment.


Thank you to the Mantrac Vostok team for undertaking such a difficult task, particularly in a difficult and uncertain time, and thank you to Yakov Shutov for his detailed management of people and processes throughout this time.


The dynamic processes put in place from the assembly of the team to the completion of the work is a fantastic example of what sets Mantrac apart from our competitors. We don’t just sell machinery, we sell dedication, problem solving, hard work, knowledge and success.