When Om Freight Forwarders needed support to transport critical components in the oil and gas industry quickly and safely from India to Colombia, they turned to the experience of Höegh Autoliners.
The freight forwarder was tasked to transport three 52-tonne mud pumps and accessories from Mumbai, India to Cartagena, Colombia. The cargo is an important part of equipment used in the oil well drilling, so ensuring its safe transportation was vital.
Competitive transit time
With a direct liner service from India to the Caribbean, it allows customers to plan their shipments, reducing risk.
Atuldutt Sharma, Breakbulk Sales Manager in India explains: “The customer had a specific deadline to ship the critical cargo from Mumbai to Cartagena. With our regular liner service to the Caribbean, it not only offered the best transit time, but also the possibility to plan for the important shipment.”
Innovative solution
The 4.50-metre height of each of the mud pumps could have posed a challenge with the height clearance of our vessels, which are around five metres. However, over the years we have developed Höegh handling equipment to give the Company greater flexibility in the type of cargo they are able to transport.
Atuldutt explains: “To transport higher breakbulk cargo, we have developed the Superlow rolltrailer concept. Through our expertise in transporting high breakbulk cargo, together with our specialised handling equipment, we were able to transport the mud pumps and its accessories on our regular vessels in this service.”
The customised handling equipment is only 47cm high and is designed to transport cargo that is 23-30cm higher than what Höegh Autoliners were previously able to transport on their regular vessels.
Safe underdeck
RoRo (Roll-On Roll-off) vessels are designed for cargo to be stowed and lashed safely underdeck. This is particularly important for sensitive cargo as the climate controlled decks keep the delicate cargo safe from exposure to salt water, changing temperatures and high humidity, reducing the risk of damage during transit.
With cargo safely stowed underdeck it reduces packing costs for the customer and ensures the cargo reaches its final destination in the same condition it was handed to Höegh Autoliners in.
Customer feedback
Om Freight Forwarders Pvt. Ltd. General Manager for Projects, Vishal Joshi shares:
“Höegh immediately supported us with our requirements on carrying our cargo on time to its destination with minimum transit time. Höegh Autoliners is always accommodating our requests and come up with innovative solutions for carrying our breakbulk and project cargo.”