Project Cargo & Abnormal Loads

What counts as project cargo

Project cargo is anything that will not fit inside a standard shipping container: transformers, pressure vessels, tanks, silos, boats, industrial crushers, structural steel sections and complete production lines. These shipments are typically one-off or low-frequency, high-value, and require individual planning rather than a standard rate card.

The defining feature is that the item's size, weight or shape dictates the equipment and route used, rather than the item being adapted to fit standard freight equipment. That makes early engagement essential, since a shipment planned only after a sale is agreed can run into avoidable constraints on vessel space, port cranes or road clearance.

Shipping methods for out-of-gauge cargo

Flat rack containers suit items too wide, tall or heavy for a standard box but still manageable in length, with the load lashed to a container base frame rather than enclosed. Open-top containers work for tall items that can be lowered in from above by crane. Breakbulk vessels, which load cargo individually rather than in containers, suit the largest and most awkwardly shaped items, while a RoRo deck on a mafi trailer offers an alternative for wheeled or trailer-mounted loads that can be driven or towed aboard.

Choosing between these options depends on the item's exact dimensions, weight distribution and whether the destination port has the crane capacity to handle it, which is why a proper survey comes before any equipment is booked rather than after.

• Flat rack containers for wide, tall or heavy items
• Open-top containers for tall items loaded from above
• Breakbulk vessel space for the largest or most awkward shapes
• RoRo mafi trailers for wheeled or trailer-mounted loads

Survey, weight and lift planning

We survey the item in person or from detailed drawings to confirm actual weights, dimensions and centre of gravity, since these figures determine which equipment can be booked and what lashing or cradling is needed. Getting the centre of gravity wrong can affect both the stability of the load during the sea passage and the safe working load of any crane used to lift it.

Lift planning covers the lifting points on the item itself, the cradle or seafastening structure built to support it, and coordination with the carrier's own engineers where the item is large enough to need sign-off before loading. This planning happens well before the collection date, not as a last-minute step at the quayside.

UK abnormal load transport

Where the item exceeds standard road transport dimensions or weight limits for the UK leg to the port, we arrange abnormal load notifications with the relevant highway authorities, and where required, a route survey to check bridge heights, weight limits and turning circles along the intended path. Police or pilot escorts are arranged for loads that require them under the notification.

Route surveys sometimes reveal that the shortest route is not actually usable because of a low bridge or weight-restricted road, in which case an alternative route is planned and the notification updated accordingly, all before the collection date is confirmed.

Customs and export documentation

Project cargo needs the same export customs declaration as any other shipment, but often with more detailed technical descriptions and valuations given the specialist nature of the goods, and sometimes an export licence where the item or its destination is subject to trade controls. We prepare this documentation alongside the lift and route plan rather than treating it as a separate, later step.

Certificates covering seafastening, lashing and, where relevant, structural certification for the lifting arrangement are also compiled, since these are frequently requested by the carrier, the insurer or the receiving port before the item is accepted for loading or discharge.

Pricing structure for project cargo

Pricing is built up from freight, UK abnormal load haulage, survey and engineering costs, port handling and crane charges, and any escort or route survey fees, since these individually can be significant on an oversized shipment and are often what separates an accurate quote from an optimistic one. We include all of these from the outset.

Because every project shipment is different, we do not offer a standard rate card for this service; instead, we build a specific costed plan once the survey and route work is complete, so the final invoice matches what was quoted rather than accumulating surprise charges along the way.

Transit times, insurance and destination handling

Transit times depend heavily on vessel availability, since breakbulk and heavy-lift vessels sail less frequently than standard container or RoRo services, and lead times of several weeks to a couple of months between booking and sailing are common. This makes early planning particularly important where a project has a fixed installation date at the far end.

Given the values and complexity involved, marine insurance is strongly recommended and is usually arranged to cover the full chain from lifting at origin through the sea passage to discharge and inland transport at destination, where our agent coordinates the final delivery and any site access requirements with the receiving party.