Costa Solutions is an expert in handling containers coming out of the Port of Houston. We are the regional specialists in Houston for this style of labor and unloading. Costa partners with various importers and large companies in the greater Houston area. There is a lot that goes into the process of unloading containers and lots of variables to consider. There are several definitive ways that set Costa apart from the competition when it comes to unloading containers. One of those ways is through constant and thorough communication.
One of the most important factors for success is clear communication between us and our customer. Depending on the client, working with ports and containers can be unpredictable, so we must have visibility into when shipments are on the water and scheduled for delivery. With strong communication, manpower fluctuations can be managed effectively. It can be very frustrating to receive a last-minute call that there are 10 containers to unload when there are only enough workers for three—or, on the other hand, assembling a team only to find out there are no containers that day. Keeping both sides well-informed is essential to ensuring operations run smoothly and efficiently.
Effective communication is crucial for manpower planning—the more information available, the better. When we handled coffee shipments, we received container numbers as they arrived at the port. The team provided us with a detailed report weeks in advance, outlining expected arrivals before scheduling deliveries. This early visibility allowed us to anticipate workload, ensuring we could adjust manpower as needed rather than reacting last-minute. Having this kind of foresight is key to maintaining smooth operations and avoiding unexpected staffing shortages or inefficiencies.
Another crucial factor tied to communication is understanding the TI X HI specifications and each vendor’s palletizing requirements. Setting expectations upfront is essential because sometimes containers arrive without this information, forcing us to redo the work. Few things are more frustrating than double-handling a task that could have been done correctly the first time. Our goal is to get it right from the start, ensuring smooth operations and allowing us to move efficiently from one load to the next.
These are just some of the things that are taken into consideration at Costa. Communication is one of the most important parts of the operation. Costa has lots of experience in this field and knows how to handle each step of the process to guarantee success.