Barge Freight to Rotterdam
“From Road to Sea” is the driving force at JH Logistik Group. All three teams – JH Logistik, JH High & Heavy und JH Ferry – profit from the synergy from the group’s extensive experience in the field of transport and logistics.
JH High & Heavy specialises in the transport of project cargo, nationally, internationally and worldwide. Organising complex and challenging transports, finding alternative solutions to the high traffic load which comes with a direct transport on the road, is our daily business.
The JH High & Heavy team organises high & heavy transports on a regular basis, on the road as well as via inland waterways and ocean freight.
For this particular project, JH High & Heavy handled the barge freight of seven brewery tanks from Bürgstadt to the sea port of xRotterdam, terminal handling, stevedoring, lashing and securing of the cargo on board and the ocean freight to Manchester, England, which was perfomed by a coaster, chartered especially for this project.
At JH High & Heavy, our focus is on the priorities and requirements of our clients, which is why we offer the highest possible grade of flexibility with every project. In this case, our client handled the delivery from the factory to the inland pier in Bürgstadt with their own trucks. Two mobile cranes were allocated at the pier to lift the tanks off the trailers, directly into the barge.
JH Logistik High & Heavy offers one-stop transport solutions, including trucking from the factory to the inland or sea port, allocation of cranes for cargo handling, barge freight, terminal handling at the port, stevedoring, lashing and securing, ocean freight, handling at the port of destination and oncarriage by truck or barge up to the final destination.
Depending on the type of project, all three teams of JH Logistik Group contribute with their expertise and know-how for each phase of transport.
The tanks were placed in the barge’s hold and continued their journey to Rotterdam port via inland waterways.
Shipping by barge offers the great advantage of not having to deal with lengthy and cumbersome transport permit procedures, looming changes of the transport route due to road works on the highway and traffic control measures because your cargo can simply sail by on the river.
Handling at Rotterdam Port
Upon arrival in Rotterdam, the tanks are lifted from the barge onto the pier for interim storage, by two mobile port cranes in tandem, according to pre-defined handling instructions.
To optimise handling procedures, it is crucially important that the units feature a suitable transport packaging or supporting structure for stability and weight distribution, as well as a means of securing the cargo. Even though project cargo rarely requires packaging in the classic sense, like cases, crates or pallets, giving the matter some thought prior to sending the cargo on its way is beneficial to a smooth and flawless transport.
In this case, a wooden cradle was used, which was attached directly to the cargo. A great advantage because the cradle just went along with the cargo at every step, facilitating handling from one place or vehicle to the next.
The cargo was shipped in two lots, consisting of 3 and 4 tanks for each transport.
For maximum flexibility, JH High & Heavy chartered a small coaster vessel for this project, to ensure that the pre-set loading and discharging schedule could be met right on point.
By choosing the chartering option, the transport could be performed independently from any external schedules by the regular shipping lines. To optimise the transport route, shipping the cargo directly from Rotterdam to Manchester enabled JH High & Heavy to choose the ports closest to the individual starting and destination points.
Two tanks were stowed in the hold, while the third tank was stowed on deck of the coaster. Loading operations in Rotterdam went swiftly and smoothly, thanks to the flawless coordination between the port team, the stevedores and and vessel’s crew.
JH Logistik High & Heavy benefits from longtime experience in the field of maritime transports. Drawing up professional lifting and lashing concepts, tailored especially for each individual project, are just as much a part of our daily work as transport organisation and issuing of the required documentation.
At JH High & Heavy, our clients are part of the team. A good and continuous communication is key, which is why our clients are informed about every step of the project. For each sea transport, we provide a detailed load report including conclusive photo documentation.
Discharge Operations in Manchester
Right on time at the fixed date as per contract, the vessel arrived at the port of Manchester, despite the somewhat unsteady weather conditions. Discharge operations could be performed as planned, directly ex ocean vessel onto the waiting trucks. Once again, two mobile cranes were used for safe handling of the cargo.
The consignee could take custody of the cargo the same evening and the tanks were delivered to the final destination overnight, in accordance with the requirements as per transport permits.
The remaining four tanks of the second lot were shipped in the same manner, shortly afterwards.