Multimodal transportation services provider C.H. Robinson wrapped up a nine-month project involving ocean shipments of oversized cargo from Portugal to the United States. 

The company noted that the large shipments were completed at a time when the market was extremely volatile due to the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing that shippers are still dealing with the same circumstances. With elevated demand and capacity almost nonexistent, the C.H. Robinson team utilised their scale and information advantage to bring forth creative solutions to keep their customer’s freight moving.

First, the team utilised out-of-gauge flat racks and open top containers to transport the equipment through container carriers. For the breakbulk equipment, they relied on mafi trailers and transported via RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) vessels.

The final shipment involved the two largest pieces, the largest unit measuring 4.63 x 4.36 x 4.44 metres. These units were loaded into the vessel using shore cranes and secured below deck for the ocean voyage. When the ship arrived in Savannah, the team performed a direct discharge onto waiting trucks, ready for inland trucking to the job site.

Due to the size of the largest unit, permits and police escorts were required to travel with the cargo. C.H. Robinson also aided in delivering the project DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) door to door, including customs clearance.