When it does not fit a trailer
Project cargo and abnormal loads
Some loads cannot simply be booked. A press line, a transformer or a silo needs a route survey, permits from every authority along the way, the right trailer and sometimes a crane at both ends. We plan all of it.
At a glance
- Standard width limit
- 2.55 m, beyond which permits apply
- Standard height limit
- 4.00 m in most of Europe
- Standard gross weight limit
- 40 t, 44 t in combined transport
- Permit lead time, Romania
- 3 to 10 working days
- Permit lead time, multi-country
- 2 to 5 weeks
- Typical low loader capacity
- Up to 100 t on modular equipment
A shipment becomes abnormal the moment it exceeds the legal limits for weight or dimension on public roads. In most of Europe that means over 2.55 metres wide, over 4 metres high, longer than about 16.5 metres or heavier than 40 tonnes gross. Past those limits, transport stops being a booking and becomes a project with a schedule of its own.
The planning is the service. Before anything moves we survey the route for bridge clearances, weight restrictions, roundabout radii and low cables, then apply for permits in every country and often every region on the way. Permits take time, sometimes weeks, and a route that looks obvious on a map frequently is not viable for a four metre high load.
We handle the lifting as well as the driving. That means specifying the crane or the heavy forklift, agreeing lifting points with the manufacturer, arranging the securing plan and, where the load is genuinely exceptional, coordinating police escorts and overnight movement windows.
What we take care of
- Dimensional and weight feasibility assessment
- Route survey, including physical inspection where needed
- Permit applications across every jurisdiction on the route
- Selection and booking of specialised trailers
- Crane and heavy lift equipment at load and discharge
- Lashing, securing and load plan documentation
- Pilot and police escort coordination
- Project insurance arranged to the declared value
What we do
Route survey and feasibility
Physical and technical assessment of clearances, bridge capacities and turning radii before anything is promised.
Permits and authorisations
Abnormal load permits applied for in every country and region along the route, with realistic lead times stated up front.
Specialised equipment
Low loaders, extendable and modular trailers, flat racks and open top containers, matched to the actual dimensions.
Lifting and securing plans
Crane specification, lifting point agreement with the manufacturer and a securing plan that survives the whole route.
Escorts and movement windows
Pilot vehicles, police escort where required and night movement windows arranged with the authorities.
Multimodal project moves
Combined road, rail and breakbulk or roll on roll off sea legs where the load will not travel one way alone.
How it works
- 1
Send drawings and weights
Dimensions in all three axes, gross weight, centre of gravity and lifting points. Drawings are more useful than descriptions here.
- 2
Feasibility and route study
We confirm whether the move is possible as specified, and where it is not, what would have to change.
- 3
Permits and scheduling
Applications go in across each jurisdiction and the movement is scheduled around the windows we are granted.
- 4
Execution and supervision
Loading, securing, escorted transit and discharge, supervised throughout rather than handed to a subcontractor.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I plan an abnormal load?
Start the conversation as early as you have drawings. A single country move inside Romania can often be permitted within a week or two. A multi-country move to western Europe realistically needs four to six weeks, because each authority issues on its own timetable and some routes require a bridge assessment before a permit is granted at all.
What information do you need to quote?
Length, width and height of the load as it will travel, gross weight, centre of gravity, whether it can be tilted or dismantled, and the exact loading and delivery addresses. Approximate figures produce approximate quotes, and on abnormal loads the difference between 3.9 and 4.1 metres high changes the entire route.
Can the load be dismantled to avoid permits?
Often, and it is worth asking the manufacturer. Bringing a load back within standard dimensions turns a permitted project move into a normal truck booking, which is dramatically cheaper and faster. We will always tell you when the dismantling cost is lower than the abnormal transport premium.
Who is liable if the load is damaged during lifting?
It depends on who specified the lift and who operated the equipment, which is exactly why we agree lifting points with the manufacturer in writing before the day. Project moves should always carry insurance to the declared value rather than relying on standard carrier liability, which would not come close.
Related services
Industries we serve with this
Tell us what you need to move.
Send the supplier city or port of loading, the volume and weight, and the date the goods are ready. We will come back with a landed cost and a realistic transit time, usually within one working day.