Project cargo
Project Cargo & Heavy Lift Indonesia
Project cargo covers shipments that do not fit a standard container or standard procedure: production machinery, generators, tanks, steel structures, and heavy equipment exceeding the dimensions or payload of a 40-foot box. What determines success is not the freight rate — it is the route survey, the lifting method, the discharge point, and the permits.
Choosing the method
Cargo is out-of-gauge when it exceeds internal container dimensions but can still travel in the container system on a flat rack or open top. It becomes breakbulk when it moves without a container at all, on a multipurpose or heavy lift vessel. Wheeled units — excavators, cranes, project vehicles — usually travel RoRo.
Each method changes the cost structure completely, so we price the realistic options side by side rather than presenting a single figure.
Where projects actually slip
Schedules rarely slip because of the vessel. They slip because an oversize road permit is still pending, because the crane capacity available at the discharge point was assumed rather than verified, or because a bridge, cable height, or turning radius on the final kilometres was never surveyed.
For units requiring oversize permits and heavy lifting equipment, plan three to six weeks from route study to departure.
Scope
- Route feasibility survey from origin to final discharge point
- Mode selection: flat rack, open top, breakbulk, heavy lift, or RoRo
- Lashing and securing plans, including lifting point calculations
- Crane, lowboy, and multi-axle trailer coordination plus oversize road permits
- Customs and technical documentation through licensed partners
- All-risk cargo insurance with lifting cover, and supervised loading and discharge
Boundaries
- Civil works at site — foundations, access roads, floor reinforcement — are outside our scope
- Machinery installation and commissioning are performed by your technical vendor
- Used capital equipment is subject to Indonesian import rules including age limits; eligibility is verified, never promised upfront
Frequently asked questions
What counts as out-of-gauge cargo?
Cargo exceeding the internal dimensions of a standard container, so it must travel on a flat rack or open top with parts protruding beyond the container profile. It is rated differently because it consumes the slots around it.
How long does project cargo planning take?
Allow three to six weeks from route study to sailing where oversize permits and lifting equipment are involved. Permits and crane availability, not vessel schedules, are the usual constraint.
Can you import used machinery into Indonesia?
Used capital goods are tightly regulated, including machine age limits and verification requirements. We assess eligibility against the HS code and machine specification before quoting, and we do not promise clearance in advance.
Who carries the risk during lifting?
It is allocated by contract and by the insurance policy. For high-value units we recommend all-risk cover with a lifting clause rather than total-loss-only cover.
Have a shipment to price?
Send commodity, volume, and destination. You get a written breakdown by cost component, not a range.
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