29 4 2021

From snow to the desert: a request for an international heavy load shipment

Our client, an Italian company that is part of a multinational specialized in oil field services, contacted Avion for a series of exceptional transports from America to North Africa.

The assignment was very challenging and presented us with two key issues:

  • The high risk of unforeseen events, given the large distances to be covered.
  • Reliable equipment for the oversized dimensions of the goods, in terms of both height and width.

For oil and gas well drilling operations on land and at sea, the client company uses heavy and bulky platforms and surface equipment, often located in places with very challenging environmental conditions.

The request for the shipment of heavy equipment and vehicles:

In February 2020, the customer entrusted us with the shipment of heavy equipment and vehicles from the United States for oil well stimulation operations in Tunisia.

The shipment included a large truck (14×2.5×4.3 m – 28,940 kg), which demanded a particularly efficient transport and support solution.

The solution: multimodal transport

Loaded on a low bed trailer in Calgary, Canada, the truck was transported over snow-covered ground before being loaded via RO-RO at the port of Houston, Texas, and transportation to its final destination in Tunisia, across the desert!

The entire process was completed successfully, but was not without unforeseen events. The truck, which had been standing still for some time, suddenly presented some technical issues during transit, which required prompt intervention on site by specialized personnel.

Speed was needed to minimize service interruption, solving a fault by identifying operators capable of intervening on a very old vehicle, such as this truck, and overcoming the difficulties in sourcing spare parts.

We are proud of the special gratitude shown to us by the customer, who particularly appreciated Avion’s coordination and assistance.

Whenever it is necessary to come up with an alternative to the pre-established itinerary or an emergency solution, Avion’s international network is ready to cope with unexpected circumstance and urgencies.

Request a quote for your international goods shipment: we will study a personalized solution.
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