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Out-of-gauge and heavy-lift shipments planned from the lifting point backwards: dimensions, permits, equipment and route surveyed before anything is booked.
Project cargo is what happens when a shipment stops fitting the standard unit. Once a piece exceeds the internal dimensions of a container or the legal limits of a road vehicle, price stops being a rate per cubic metre and becomes a function of four things: the real dimensions, the weight and where it sits, the permits the route requires, and the equipment available on the day. We plan these shipments backwards — from how the piece will be set down at destination, not from how it leaves the factory.
| What we need | Why it decides the price |
|---|---|
| Dimensions of each piece | Length, width and height including skids, crating and any protruding part. A 30 cm overhang can move a shipment from flat rack to break bulk. |
| Gross weight per piece | Decides crane capacity, chassis type, axle configuration and whether the route needs a bridge assessment. |
| Centre of gravity | An off-centre load changes lashing, the lifting arrangement and sometimes the vessel. Marked on the piece by the manufacturer in most cases. |
| Lifting and lashing points | Certified points, or a statement that there are none. Without this the terminal will not plan the lift. |
If you can send a general arrangement drawing and a photo of the piece on its skids, most of this is answered in one message. Where the data is incomplete we say so rather than quoting a number that changes later.
| Option | Typical fit | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Flat rack | Pieces wider or taller than a box but still liftable by terminal gantry | Out-of-gauge surcharges are charged on the slots the cargo blocks, not on the piece |
| Open top | Over-height pieces loaded from above | Tarpaulin is weather cover, not protection; crating still matters |
| Break bulk | Pieces beyond any container envelope | Sailing frequency is lower — the schedule, not the rate, usually drives the decision |
| Ro-Ro | Wheeled or trailer-mounted units, Türkiye to Italy and Spain | Deck height and ramp limits decide feasibility before weight does |
| Special road transport | Europe and the Caucasus by low-bed, extendable or modular trailer | Permits and escorts add days to the plan, not hours |
| Air charter | Time-critical replacement parts where downtime costs more than freight | Door dimensions of the aircraft type govern, not floor area |
On special road transport the permit is the schedule. A Turkish special transport permit is issued for a defined route, a defined vehicle configuration and a defined validity window — change any of the three and the permit is reissued. Where height or weight is close to a limit we run a route survey first: bridge clearances, overhead lines, roundabout radii and the final few hundred metres into the site, which is where most project shipments actually fail.
We do not promise a permit timeline we cannot control. What we do commit to is telling you the realistic window before you commit to a delivery date, and flagging the points on the route that are likely to be the constraint.
Oversized shipments are often inspected physically rather than documentarily, and an inspection on a piece that needs a crane to move is expensive. We handle customs clearance with the same team that plans the transport, so the classification, the values and the packing list are consistent before the truck or the vessel is booked. For shipments crossing Türkiye to a third country, the piece can move under transit without being imported at all.
Any shipment that cannot travel as a standard containerised or full-truckload unit — because of its dimensions, its weight, its shape, or because it needs a special lift or a permit. There is no single threshold; the first piece of information that decides it is the dimension sheet.
It depends on the route and the configuration, and it is issued by the General Directorate of Highways, not by us. Straightforward routes are usually a matter of days; routes requiring bridge assessments or escort arrangements take longer. We give you the realistic window at quotation stage and update it as the application progresses.
Usually yes. A general arrangement drawing with dimensions, weights and lifting points is the fastest way to a firm number. Where the drawing is missing the centre of gravity or the lifting arrangement, we quote the transport and flag the lift as provisional rather than burying the risk in the price.
Not always. Out-of-gauge surcharges are charged on the container slots the cargo blocks on the vessel, so a piece that overhangs in two directions can cost more on flat rack than the same piece as break bulk. We compare both when the dimensions are near the boundary.
Stowage and lashing on a vessel are performed to an approved plan under the carrier and terminal arrangements; on road movements the securing is the carrier’s responsibility to a documented method. We coordinate the plan and, where the cargo value justifies it, a marine warranty surveyor. Responsibilities are set out in writing before loading rather than assumed.
Yes, and on project shipments we recommend it without exception. Standard carrier liability is limited by weight and will not approach the replacement value of a piece of plant. Insurance is placed separately, with the sum insured based on the invoice value plus freight.
Yes. The piece can be held in a bonded warehouse without being imported, which also defers import duty and VAT until the goods are actually released. For open-air pieces we arrange yard storage with appropriate protection.
We coordinate it as part of the delivery where the site does not have its own lifting capability, working from the weight, the lifting points and the site access survey. On sites where the client’s contractor is performing the lift, we align the delivery window to their mobilisation instead.
Send the dimension sheet, the weight per piece and the delivery address — with a drawing if you have one — and we will come back with a route, a mode and a cost, including the parts of the plan that are still open. Get in touch or request a quote.
Share your cargo details and we will come back shortly with a clear price.