Equipment Operator Makes Critical Catch

Check and double-check. That’s what the team at Watco’s Port of Vicksburg does whenever they receive incoming freight to ensure the information on the bill of lading (BOL) matches the ID number listed on each commodity.

It’s a protocol that helps ensure shipping accuracy and ultimately keeps America’s supply chain moving. And it’s what Equipment Operator Willie McRunnels was doing when he noticed a steel coil’s ID number did not match the BOL. This coil had recently been delivered by truck and was set to be stored on-site at the warehouse.

Terminal Manager Kevin Neihaus said, “We store so many steel coils here that the number listed on each one means everything. Willie’s catch ultimately saved the team a lot of time and headache on the back end.”

That’s because once the customer is ready to move the coil from the warehouse, it would be nearly impossible to find since the coil ID was different from what was listed on the BOL.

After talking to McRunnels, Neihaus notified the customer of the error. A week later, they determined what went wrong. The manufacturer had accidentally listed the wrong ID number on the coil.

Neihaus printed the correct coil number, laminated it, and placed it over the wrong label. After that, McRunnels moved it to storage.

Neihaus said, “Willie has worked at the port for more than 51 years. He’s an expert at what he does. His experience, and his commitment to doing things the right way, keeps operations on track and mistakes from slipping through the cracks.”