The Logistics Plus Project Cargo Team recently completed another significant project cargo shipment. On behalf of a Fortune 500 power and energy company, and with coordination by the Logistics Plus Turkey division, we safely delivered a 200-ton stator (the stationary portion of an electric generator) from Gdynia, Poland to the Yatagan Thermal Power Plant in Mugla, Turkey. The animated image below shows the team in action on this important project; and just below that is a short video presentation.
What is Break Bulk Shipping? The term break bulk comes from the older phrase “breaking bulk” which is the extraction of a portion of the cargo on a ship, or the beginning of the unloading process from the ship’s holds. In modern context, break bulk is meant to encompass cargo that is transported in bags, boxes, crates, drums, or barrels – or items of extreme length or size. To be considered break bulk, these goods must be loaded individually, not in intermodal containers nor in bulk as with liquids or grains.
Break bulk was the most common form of cargo for most of history. Since the late 1960s, break bulk cargo has declined while containerized cargo has grown significantly. Moving containers on and off a ship is much more efficient than having to move individual goods. This efficiency allows ships to minimize time in ports and spend more time on the sea. Break bulk cargo is also more susceptible to loss, theft and damage.
Loading and unloading break bulk cargo can be very labor-intensive. Generally such cargo is brought to the quay next to the ship, and then each individual item is lifted on board separately – oftentimes using heavy-duty cranes from the boat or by the dockside. Once on board, each individual item must be secured and stowed separately as well.
Examples of commonly shipped break bulk cargo commodities include:
Bagged or sacked cargo
Bailed goods
Barrels, drums, and casks
Corrugated and wooden boxes or containers
Reels and rolls
Equipment, vehicles and components
Steel girders and structural steel
Any long, heavy or over-sized goods
The biggest challenge when shipping break bulk cargo is that it requires more resources and coordination – longshoremen, loading and unloading cranes, warehouses, specialized ships, transport vehicles, etc. That’s why working with an experienced and capable break bulk logistics company can make all of the difference in the world. Logistics Plus has 20 years of break bulk and project cargo experience. We’ve shipped every sort of break bulk cargo imaginable: locomotives, airplane components, tugboats, pipes, tanks, transformers windmills, and so much more! Some people call this type of cargo “the big, the bad, and the ugly” … but that’s exactly the type of logistics project we love to handle!
If you have any upcoming break bulk shipments, just click the banner below to give us a try … or email us at projectcargo@logisticsplus.com!
The Logistics Plus Marine Projects Logistics team provides complete solutions for the entire Maritime and Shipyard Industry.
A couple of our recent logistics projects include:
Transporting a 6.5 meter high RRM vertical ruel tank from Norway to Istanbul
Moving 30 meters long, 24 meters wide 17 meters high, and each 1,014 metric tons, 4 x NH3 vessel gas tanks from South Korea to the USA
The Logistics Plus Marine Projects Logistics team will plan, manage and undertake special logistics projects of any scale from start to finish. However challenging the geography, however complex the lift, our Marine Projects Logistics team works closely with our engineering and contractor customers to ensure that every project is planned, delivered and completed on time and to exact specifications.
The many services we provide include:
Tug, Pilot, Mooring, Crew, Dredger Motor Barge Transportation
Yacht, Catamaran, Ferry Transportation
Barge / Floating Crane Operations
Cargo inspections including loading and discharging
Transport of Spare Parts
Customs Brokerage
Vessel agency and husbandry
Feel free to click the image above to download a PDF copy of our Marine Projects Logistics brochure. View a full gallery of our many project cargo photos at www.logisticsplus.com/ProjectPhotos. To inquire about our services for your next cargo project, please email us at projectcargo@logisticsplus.com or click the button below.
Are you going to the 2016 Breakbulk Americas Conference? Be sure to stop by and visit us at booth 451!
