Sao Paulo-based project logistics specialist FOX Cargo do Brasil – a member of the Pangea Logistics Network – has handled the movement of four hydraulic presses and associated equipment from Brazil to Mexico. It says it expects many more such projects in the coming year.
The cargo – weighing a total of almost 700 tonnes – was crated and shrink wrapped by FOX, before being transported overland on 15 swan-neck low-loader trailers from its origin over 150 km from Sao Paulo, to Brazil’s chief port of Santos. The delivery, along a tortuous route with many obstacles, took one week, required special permits and a police escort, and necessitated the temporary reversal of a major highway’s traffic direction.
On arrival at port, FOX supervised the transfer of the cargo – the five heaviest pieces weighing 73 tonnes each and measuring 6m x 4.2m x 2.9m – onto mafi trailers, before loading these onto the roro vessel using mobile cranes.
FOX handled the forwarding to Veracruz, Mexico, and the inland transfer by road to the final destination of Queretaro, 575km from the port – as well as providing surveillance and tracking updates to the customer throughout the entire shipping process.
Says Murilo Caldana, projects director of FOX Cargo: “This could have proven a difficult assignment, due to its size and the challenges of the overland legs. But I am delighted to say that thorough planning from the start, coupled with the experience of our projects team, meant that everything went exactly to plan”.
“This is one of many outsize and heavy projects to our trade partner countries throughout Latin America, which we expect to handle over the coming year.”
Adds Pangea Logistics Network manager Sarah Bidmead: “FOX is an established leader in projects forwarding, and is one of a growing number of the 180 Pangea members which provide heavy logistics services. Despite the challenges in the wider general logistics sector, we are receiving many reports that projects traffic is showing particularly healthy growth; as a result, it’s becoming an ever-more significant aspect of our overall network activity.”