Break Bulk Shipping Services
Break bulk is the name for cargo that must be loaded individually. The term covers a wide range of goods, from sacks of flour to drill rigs.
Essentially, break bulk means cargo that is really big or really heavy
Break bulk cargo is pieces of machinery that are oversized or that require heavy lift. Truckers sometimes call the cargo “high and wide”, or heavy haul cargo. Basically, break bulk cargo cannot be containerized because it is oversized cargo unable to be broken down into pieces small enough to be put in a container. It is sometimes also too big for a vehicle (Ro-Ro) carrier.
Our first piece of advice is to do your homework. Do not trust precious break bulk cargo to just any freight forwarder. In theory, moving cargo from Point A to Point B is simple but the work is more difficult and unforgiving than meets the eye. Choosing a freight forwarder that does not know how to ship break bulk cargo could mean disastrous cost overruns and damaged cargo. Ask your freight forwarder a lot of questions. Their knowledge, expertise, experience, connections, and care should be evident.
We Reach the World
Texas International Freight provides break bulk, heavy lift, and project logistics solutions to all corners of the world. We ship break bulk for power companies, crane companies, engineering firms, construction projects, mining operations, OEMs, marine and naval yards. Our cargo includes transformers, power generation goods, massive cranes, turbines, drill pipes and pipe casings, oil rigs, and Capex plants for energy installations.
Texas International Freight ships break bulk cargo from various ports in the US and Canada that include, but are not limited to:
- Houston
- Galveston
- New Orleans
- Mobile
- Savannah
- Jacksonville
- Baltimore
- Philadelphia
- Port Hueneme
- Vancouver
As well as many other smaller ports too numerous to mention.
Texas International Freight ships break bulk cargo all over the world, to destinations including the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Norway, Nigeria, Angola, South Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, China, Singapore, Australia, Vietnam, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Spain, Algeria and many other countries besides.
Our Scope
Heavy lift, out-of-gauge, and over-dimensional break bulk cargo that is going to unusual and unconventional locations is a typical project logistics operation. Texas International Freight has the expertise to accomplish the most complicated project cargo moves. We have deep knowledge and experience in highly complex and sophisticated break bulk moves. Additionally, our great relationships with the break bulk carriers and our freight agents throughout the world ensure that all the bases are covered.
Texas International Freight can handle very specialized projects from point A to point B, whether it is moving thousands of tons of steel casing for a pipeline or the highly complex move of an industrial plant where no two parts are alike, we can take care of it.
As Customs Brokers, Texas International Freight can clear imported cargo at the port of entry. Should you need it, we know the terminals well enough to advise destination terminal handling charges. Next, we can work with the stevedores to load the cargo onto trucks. After loading, we can bring the break bulk cargo to the end destination in the US before, finally, we can offer rigging services for projects to offload cargo from the trucks at the destination.
Texas International Freight provides project cargo, heavy lift, and break bulk services to companies throughout the United States
Our company can pick up cargo from the origin and ship all the way to the destination site on the other side of the world. We complete break bulk shipments to foreign inland locations by means of ship and then truck freight. Texas International Freight ships break bulk cargo by specialized truck equipment and by barge, and we ship heavy equipment by air charter. We have relationships with the major heavy lift and break bulk carriers that 95% of our competition does not enjoy. We can even source bulk carriers – vessels made to ship things like oil, coal, aggregate, fertilizer, etc. – when there is a need. And, we have agents in almost every foreign country that can assist in clearing customs. Moreover, they are all trained and capable of handling special, oversized freight.
Our Expertise
Finally, we are trained and knowledgeable in shipping oversized cargo. Don’t be fooled; there’s not “an app for that.” Booking heavy equipment online might seem easy, but doing the actual shipping of oversized equipment is not. Texas International Freight has years of experience in the business so we know, from the many oversized pieces of cargo we have shipped, that not all shipments are equal. We know the big vessel players who operate in this sphere and, we know the subtleties of the business. Lastly, we know the tiny details that always make the biggest difference.
For example, the ship lines that operate in this market are very sensitive to fluctuations. Just because there are no ships going to a certain port one month, does not mean things cannot change the next month, or even the next week or day. You need a freight forwarder with excellent connections to the ship lines that carry project freight in order to get you the right sailing.
In terms of details, every port in the US operates differently and charges for different things. In fact, even terminals within the same port operate differently than one another. Some charge one rate for crane usage while another may not offer crane usage at all. Some charge one rate for rolling stock and another terminal might not charge at all. These are among the hundreds of small details that matter in break bulk shipping.