Oversized Cargo Transportation

We transport oversized and heavy cargo from China and Southeast Asian countries, to and from the CIS, and across Russia by sea, rail, and road transport. We operate our own fleet, and an in-house engineer calculates the lashing and securing scheme. We obtain permits, arrange escort services, and insure cargo. There is no upper limit on weight and dimensions.

Each mode of transport has its own oversized cargo limits. Cargo that travels without issues on a railway flatcar already requires a permit on a lowboy trailer. Check the table to see which case applies to yours.

The height in the table is calculated from the road surface or rail head, including the platform. Less height remains for the cargo itself, depending specifically on the lowboy trailer or railcar. An engineer will provide an exact assessment based on technical drawings.

Weight also has its limitations. In Russia, a six-axle road train with cargo is allowed up to 44 t; in China, up to 49 t. If a vehicle exceeds the weight limit by more than 10%, a special permit is required in Russia, and road damage compensation fees are added to the rate.

For standard container dimensions, please refer to the dimensions guide. If your cargo fits into them, sea container shipping will work for you, avoiding extra charges for oversized cargo. Sometimes, dismantling protruding components at the factory is sufficient.

The company maintains its own vehicle fleet. Specialized equipment tailored to your cargo is sourced from trusted contractors: lowboy trailers, extendable platforms, and modular trailers for heavy cargo. Vehicles operating internationally hold valid cross-border permits, and drivers have active visas. These trucks face no border delays due to documentation issues.

Before dispatch, we inspect bridges, overpasses, overhead lines, and turning radii along the route. If a vehicle with cargo is wider than 3.5 m, it travels across Russia escorted by two pilot cars: front and rear. If width exceeds 5 m or length exceeds 35 m, a traffic management project is required, which we also prepare ourselves. Pilot cars are arranged through contractors and immediately included in the quote.

Cargo travels on standard flatcars, while heavy or long items move on heavy-duty railcars (depressed-center flatcars) or coupled flatcars. A heavy-duty flatcar refers to a railcar with a reinforced frame and a lowered deck. An engineer calculates how far cargo exceeds the clearance gauge. This determines who approves the transportation: the railway of departure or the central directorate of Russian Railways (RZD).

Occasionally, RZD technical specifications do not provide an off-the-shelf securing method for your specific cargo. In that case, our engineer designs a customized lashing scheme with structural calculations, which we approve with the carrier. At the Chinese border, where track gauge changes, cargo is transshipped onto another flatcar. We take this transshipment into account in both the lashing scheme and delivery lead times.

Cargo that fits inside a container in length but exceeds door or height limits is loaded by crane into an open top container (a container without a roof). Wide and heavy items are placed on a flat rack, a platform with end walls. According to Hapag-Lloyd specifications, a 40-foot flat rack accommodates cargo up to 11.6 m long and up to 44 t in weight, provided weight is distributed along the entire length. Cargo may exceed the platform width and height, for which shipping lines charge extra (out of gauge).

Cargo that cannot fit onto a flat rack is shipped as non-containerized cargo: a crane loads it directly into the hold or onto the deck. In maritime shipping, this is known as break bulk. Wheeled and tracked machinery boards Ro-Ro vessels under its own power. In Russia, ocean-borne oversized cargo is received in Vladivostok, Novorossiysk, or Saint Petersburg, depending on the country of origin.

We deliver from China and Southeast Asian countries to Russia by sea, rail, or road via overland border checkpoints. We operate both import and export routes with CIS countries. Across Russia, we deliver from ports, railway stations, or production plants directly to your facility.

Most often, the route is combined: cargo arrives at a sea port and proceeds on a lowboy trailer or rail flatcar. We execute a single contract for the entire logistics chain — this is multimodal transportation.

• Lashing and securing plan. Calculated by our in-house engineer. You receive the approved plan before loading begins.
• Rosavtodor special permit. We submit the application, coordinate the route, and order a traffic management project if required.
• Railway approvals. We coordinate the securing scheme and transportation directly with RZD.
• Escort services. Pilot cars along the route, supervision during loading, transshipment, and unloading.
• Insurance. The cargo is insured throughout the entire route, including transshipments. Insurance is already included in the rate.

Delivery timelines for oversized cargo depend on regulatory approvals more than on distance. A permit is tied to the route, vehicle, and cargo dimensions: if any of the three changes, the permit must be issued anew, while cargo waits at the factory, port, or temporary storage warehouse. The longest delays occur when a bridge along the route cannot support the weight or cargo cannot clear overhead lines. The law does not set fixed statutory deadlines for bridge reinforcement or lifting overhead wires.

Therefore, we prepare transportation before cargo leaves the factory:

1. We take dimensions from drawings and verify them against measurements of the packed cargo.
2. We select routes where cargo passes without road modification works, even if the distance is greater.
3. We obtain the securing scheme and permits prior to the loading date. A permit is valid for up to 135 days, so we issue it aligned with specific dates.
4. We submit customs documents in advance so cargo does not wait for release in storage.

We do not state generic delivery times here, as every route is unique. The contract specifies a timeline that already accounts for all approvals, and we adhere to it strictly.

1. Send a drawing or sketch of the cargo with packaged dimensions, weight, center of gravity location, and lifting points. Include loading and unloading addresses, preferred dates, and for imports — the commercial invoice and packing list.
2. Our engineer will determine suitable transport modes, and we will present an optimal route with a complete calculation.
3. We sign an agreement with fixed deadlines. We prepare securing plans and permits, and reserve specialized equipment.
4. We supervise loading and securing, transport your cargo, and oversee unloading at your site.

The request form is located below on the page.

There is no standard price list for oversized cargo. Two machines of identical weight from different plants will incur different rates, so we calculate each quote individually based on your cargo and route. The rate includes:

• lowboy trailer, heavy-duty flatcar, or flat rack with carrier surcharges for out-of-gauge space;
• permits, and road wear compensation fees for heavy cargo;
• pilot vehicles and traffic management plans, if required;
• fastening materials, crane services, and rigging operations during loading, transshipment, and unloading;
• calculation of the securing scheme and cargo insurance.

Customs duties and taxes are not included in the freight rate: they are paid directly to the state budget.

• Customs clearance handled by our licensed customs representative.
• Rail freight from China and Russian ports for cargo within standard loading gauges.
• Road transport from China for consignments not requiring lowboy trailers.