Out-of-gauge cargo, also referred to as OOG cargo, is too large to fit in a standard shipping container or trailer. The shipping challenges are magnified when the cargo is both out-of-gauge and highly sensitive, like manufacturing equipment. This article will review key considerations when shipping large machinery via ocean, air, and over the road.
OOG cargo: key considerations
Before we dive into the specific details of shipping out-of-gauge, large machinery via specific modes, let’s examine some general characteristics of this type of shipment.
First, you’re going to pay more – for handling at terminals, for special equipment like heavy duty forklifts and cranes, for specialized truckers. Shipping large machinery is not a place to pinch pennies. Added costs are well worth it to ensure proper handling of this very expensive, fragile cargo.
A foundational element of OOG cargo shipping is providing transportation partners with detailed and accurate information on the equipment – height, width, length, center of gravity. These specifications will determine the equipment needed to transport it and how it should be loaded and secured.
For instance, at the port crews that lift cargo on or off ships need accurate specs on center of gravity and lift points. If your details are wrong or vague to a crane operator, the load could tip.
There’s a lot of math involved in shipping sensitive machinery. Pictures are helpful, as are equipment diagrams. If you’ve got that detail, share it with your specialized transportation partners.
Machinery is not only big and heavy, it can be quite delicate. It’s necessary to closely monitor the equipment during the route for any impact or movement of the machine that could affect its performance upon installation. Monitoring devices include shock watches to measure sudden impacts and “tip and tell” indicators for tilting.
Cargo insurance is a must when shipping manufacturing equipment. The insurance cost dwarfs what you’d pay to replace damaged equipment.
Now let’s dive into some of the nuances of shipping large machinery via specific modes.
Shipping OOG cargo via ocean
Since the advent of the steel shipping container in the 1950s, the container shipping industry has been built around uniformity. OOG cargo is, by definition, non-standard, so it will cost more. Still, the cheapest way to move the freight is via ocean container.
With ocean freight, your options for types of shipping containers will be open top container (similar to a standard container without the roof), a flat rack container (has front and back walls but no side walls or roof) or Roll-On/Roll-Off (RORO) vessels.
Open Top – Good for over-height machinery. Securing the load is easier because you don’t have to follow National Cargo Bureau (NCB) standards. But you’ll need an overhead crane to load the cargo if you don’t want to remove the door header.
Flat rack – Accommodates wider equipment. Because its floor is thicker than the floor of an open top container, it may raise the cargo enough that you’ll need a special road permit for extra height, as well as extra width.
RORO vessels – RORO is typically used for cargo on wheels like trucks, cars, etc, However, machinery can be rolled onto the vessel on a wheeled MAFI trailer. Some shippers of sensitive equipment prefer this method because RORO cargo travels on enclosed decks, sheltered from weather elements, thereby reducing the need for extra packaging.
When shipping sensitive machinery via ocean, it’s incredibly important to secure the machinery to flat rack containers. How that’s done depends on the dimensions and weight but straps chains and even lumber to fill empty space are used. The task is made easier if the machinery ships in a large wooden crate, as much of this type of cargo does.
Improper blocking and bracing can cause you to miss your sailing date. In the US, before flat racks are loaded onto a vessel, inspectors check to see if equipment is secured to NCB standards. If you fail inspection, you’ll have to pay an expert to redo it so it’s acceptable.
Dimerco Express Group works with Tech-Long Packaging Machinery to regularly ship bottling systems that can be 40-feet long and weigh up to 20 metric tons (44,000 pounds). The machinery ships from China to various locations around the world, carefully guarding against damage in transit. Read the case study.
When it comes to getting your equipment to its final destination from the port, remember that the trucker will charge you to return the empty container to the port. Unless the consignee is very close to the port, it’ll be cheaper to transload your OOG cargo to a specialized truck chassis for the final leg.
Shipping large machinery via air freight
While the vast majority of large machinery shipments, like manufacturing equipment, ships via ocean container, air freight is the mode of choice for certain industries, like semiconductor.
The semiconductor manufacturers themselves are anxious to get production equipment installed and running as soon as possible because of the huge revenue they get from churning out the silicon wafers used to make the chips that power our phones, computers, cars and homes. Dimerco regularly coordinates shipping of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to foundries, typically from the US into Asia. The average shipment is anywhere from 18–30 crates, weighing 26–40 tons.
Some nuances to keep in mind when shipping highly sensitive, expensive tech manufacturing equipment:
- Ideally, you want to arrange direct flights with no transfers to minimize touch points and the potential for damage.
- If equipment does not fit on a standard unit loading device (ULD) used in air freight, it’s going to require a nose loading freighter aircraft.
- Tech equipment has special requirements during the route to or from the airport on a truck. Extra plastic wrapping of crates is always wise, particularly during the rainy season in Asia.
- Small details, like covering trailer floors with a tarp, are important since a speck of dust can create problems for super-sensitive equipment.
- Strong trucking partnerships are key. Often truckers get special permission to drive onto the tarmac for plane side loading and unloading. This is done to speed the process and minimize handling.
When shipping OOG cargo via air, it’s wise to work with an experienced air freight forwarder.
Shipping OOG cargo over the road
in many ways, the trucking leg of a global shipping project for OOG cargo is the most complicated since regulations are not uniform country to country or state to state. On a trip from New York to Chicago, depending on the equipment’s weight some states may require a special permit for the cargo and some may not. You’ll have to do the research to find that out.
Here are some things to keep in mind when arranging OTR services for sensitive manufacturing equipment:
- Air ride trucks are a must for sensitive equipment. That’s not a problem in markets like the US. But these can be much harder to source in markets like Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Work with a forwarder that has these relationships in place.
- Weight distribution is tricky with factory equipment that can be shaped irregularly, with more weight concentrated in some parts than others. The more OOG cargo weighs, the longer the chassis it requires, with more axles underneath. Even if your dimensions and weight are correct on a trucker’s permit, a weigh station inspection can still pull the truck off the road if the weight distribution is off.
- OOG cargo may have restrictions on what time it can be transported. One recent Dimerco-managed load in Canada could only travel from midnight to 5:00 AM, adding many days of transit time. Very large loads may require an escort and a detailed route plan.
NOTE: Just because a carrier says they can handle oversized loads doesn’t mean they can. Lean on your freight forwarder to direct you to a proven partners that are properly licensed and permitted.
OOG cargo shipping: lean on experts
The risk involved in shipping large, heavy, multi-million dollar equipment across continents is simply too great to entrust to anyone but an experienced OOG shipping professional, like Dimerco Express Group.
The value of an experienced forwarder is in recommending the right shipping strategies for your cargo type and having a vetted network of carriers and specialty providers – plus, of course, coordinating it all from door to door.
Do you need an experienced partner for shipping large machinery, such as sensitive manufacturing equipment – particularly to and from Asia? Contact the Dimerco today and let’s start a conversation.
