Oversized & Heavy Cargo

Oversized cargo creates challenges that standard logistics cannot address:

• Dimensional limits: Width over 2.55m, height over 4.0m, length beyond 13.6m-standard trailers simply cannot accommodate the cargo
• Weight restrictions: Axle load limits and gross vehicle weight regulations require specialized equipment and permits
• Infrastructure constraints: Bridges with weight limits, tunnels with height restrictions, roads with width limitations
• Access requirements: Turning radii at intersections, overhead cables, site approach conditions
• Regulatory complexity: Each country's permit process, each route's specific restrictions, each transport window's timing requirements

Attempting oversized transport without proper planning doesn't just risk failure - it risks cargo stuck mid-route with no legal path forward and no space to turn back.

Oversized transport requires engineering before execution:

• Feasibility assessment: Can the cargo physically reach the destination given infrastructure along potential routes?
• Route survey: Physical inspection identifying every obstacle-bridges, tunnels, corners, cables, road surfaces
• Weight analysis: Bridge capacity verification along the route, ground pressure calculations at loading/unloading sites
• Permit strategy: Sequencing applications across countries to align validity periods and transport windows
• Equipment selection: Matching cargo to trailers that distribute weight and accommodate dimensions
• Escort coordination: Scheduling pilot vehicles and police escorts with timing that respects restrictions
• Contingency planning: Identifying backup routes and response options if obstacles arise

By the time the cargo moves, every obstacle has been identified and every requirement has been addressed.

Oversized cargo requires equipment matched to the specific load:

• Low-loader trailers: Reduced deck height for tall cargo that would exceed height limits on standard flatbeds
• Extendable trailers: Telescopic beds that accommodate extra-long loads while maintaining legal configuration
• Multi-axle modular transporters: Distribute extreme weights across many wheels to meet road and bridge limits
• Beam trailers: Optimized for long, uniform loads like pipes, beams, and poles
• Self-propelled modular transporters (SPMT): For the heaviest, most complex moves requiring precise positioning
• High-power tractors: Capable of pulling loads that exceed standard truck capacity

Abnormal loads require official authorization-standard transport documents don't apply:

• Special transport permits: Authorization specifying approved routes, dates, and conditions
• Bridge crossing approvals: Engineering verification that specific bridges can handle the load
• Police escort coordination: Required above certain thresholds in most European countries
• Utility notifications: Arrangements for temporary lifting of cables or removal of obstacles
• Cross-border permits: Separate authorization required for each country on international routes
• Time restrictions: Night, weekend, or holiday transport often required to minimize traffic impact

Permit processing times vary from days to several weeks depending on country and complexity. We manage applications across jurisdictions, timing validity periods to enable continuous transport.

Safe movement of abnormal loads requires coordinated protection:

• Pilot vehicles: Travel ahead to warn oncoming traffic, check clearances, and verify route conditions
• Rear escorts: Follow the load with warning signs and beacons protecting against rear approach
• Police escorts: Required for exceptional loads, coordinating traffic control through sensitive areas
• Warning equipment: "Wide Load," "Long Load," "Heavy Load" signs plus rotating beacons
• Communication systems: Radio coordination between pilot vehicles, transport, and rear escorts
• Stop/go control: Managing oncoming traffic in narrow sections

Oversized transport rarely exists in isolation-it's typically one element of a larger project logistics requirement:

• Project cargo coordination: Oversized components often move alongside containerized equipment and standard freight
• Site preparation: Access road reinforcement, temporary surfaces, turning area preparation
• Heavy lift coordination: Crane selection and positioning for loading and unloading
• Cargo insurance: Coverage appropriate to the actual value of industrial equipment
• Customs coordination: Import procedures for oversized equipment arriving from outside Europe

We handle oversized transport as part of an integrated project logistics solution, ensuring that the heavy move connects seamlessly with everything that surrounds it.