By Renzo Soressi, General Manager at Mauro International Services Srl

OOG shipments have a way of becoming complicated before the cargo gets anywhere near the port.

A few extra centimetres of width can change the type of trailer required, the permits needed for the road movement and the time of day the cargo is allowed to travel. Add flat racks, heavy-lift handling and a destination with limited sailing options, and the planning starts long before the vessel booking is confirmed.

That was the case for a recent project handled by Mauro International Services Srl in Italy and SQL Shipping LLC in Egypt, involving 16 cases bound for Benghazi, Libya.

Five of the cases were out of gauge. Together, they weighed 27.7 tonnes gross, with the largest measuring six metres in length, the widest reaching 3.95 metres and the tallest standing four metres high.

Renzo Soressi and the Mauro International Services team handled the Italian side of the operation, working through the equipment, inland transport, permits, port arrangements and flat-rack loading while coordinating the shipment with Magdy Nofal and SQL Shipping.

Choosing the Right Equipment and Route

The first part of the job was working out how 16 cases with very different dimensions could be moved efficiently.

The final equipment plan consisted of four 40-foot high-cube containers, two 40-foot flat racks and one 20-foot flat rack.

Cases one and two were loaded together on one 40-foot flat rack, cases three and four on the second, while the fifth OOG case travelled on the 20-foot flat rack.

The five oversized pieces measured:

• - 5.20 x 3.95 x 3.80 metres, 6,200 kg gross
• - 5.40 x 2.50 x 3.80 metres, 5,000 kg gross
• - 3.70 x 3.30 x 3.90 metres, 4,200 kg gross
• - 6.00 x 3.00 x 4.00 metres, 6,000 kg gross
• - 4.00 x 2.95 x 3.30 metres, 6,300 kg gross

Finding the right containers was only one decision.

Mauro also compared the available ports based on freight rates, transit time and free time at destination. Ravenna was the more convenient port from the loading location, but the sailing options to Benghazi were limited and involved a longer transit.

The team therefore planned the inland movement to Genoa, where the cargo could connect to the selected service to Benghazi via Marport, with an estimated transit time of around 25 days.

That decision meant accepting a longer and more demanding road movement in Italy in exchange for a better ocean freight option.

Moving a 3.95-Metre-Wide Case Across Italy

The inland leg brought its own set of requirements.

At 3.95 metres wide, the largest case occupied close to two lanes on a standard road. Moving cargo at that width required exceptional transport permits from several Italian authorities, including ANAS, Autostrade per l’Italia and local provincial authorities.

Technical escorts were also required along the route.

For the Mauro team, this meant coordinating the road movement around permit conditions, route restrictions and the physical space needed to move the cargo safely toward Genoa.

The size of the cases left little room for improvisation once the trucks were on the road. The route had to be checked in advance, permits secured and escort arrangements confirmed before the movement could begin.

Night Operations at the Port of Genoa

Reaching Genoa did not mean the difficult part was over.

The cargo required night assistance to enter the port, where cranes and other heavy-lift equipment were used during the handling operation.

The flat racks then had to be prepared for the sea voyage.

With cargo extending beyond standard container dimensions, the weight distribution and securing arrangement had to be checked carefully. Mauro arranged for an engineer to inspect and certify the lashing operation, including the distribution of the cargo across the flat racks.

Each unit needed to remain stable throughout the ocean movement while also meeting the carrier's requirements for OOG acceptance.

By this stage, the operation had already involved road authorities, technical escorts, port personnel, heavy-lift equipment and engineering oversight before the containers were ready to sail.

Coordinating the Shipment Between Mauro and SQL

Mauro International Services managed the full Italian process, from equipment planning and permits through to the final flat-rack preparation at the port.

At the same time, Renzo kept Magdy Nofal and the SQL Shipping team updated as the operation progressed, sharing information and photos from the loading point through to the completed flat racks.

For a shipment with this many moving parts, those updates kept everyone working from the same information as the cargo moved through each stage.

The value of the partnership was in the consistency of that coordination. There was no major last-minute problem that forced both teams into emergency mode. The shipment progressed because the work had been planned carefully from the beginning and the communication continued as each part of the operation was completed.

Ready for Benghazi

By the time the cargo reached the vessel, much of the difficult work had already taken place inland.

Sixteen cases had been divided across seven containers. Five OOG pieces had been matched with three flat racks. The team had assessed different port options, arranged exceptional road permits, coordinated technical escorts, organised night access into Genoa and completed an engineer-certified lashing operation.

The shipment was then ready for the approximately 25-day sea movement from Genoa to Benghazi via Marport.

For Mauro International Services and SQL Shipping, the project showed what a reliable partnership looks like when OOG cargo is involved. Mauro took control of the Italian side, while SQL stayed closely connected as the shipment progressed toward Benghazi.

There was a lot happening behind the scenes, but the operation moved forward because both sides had confidence in the work being carried out and the information being shared.

That is one of the real strengths of a freight network. When you know you can rely on each other across borders, even demanding project cargo becomes easier to manage with confidence.

Freyt World Blog Contributor

Renzo Soressi

General Manager, Mauro International Services Srl, a member of the Freyt World Network

Freyt World is a global logistics network uniting members from around the world. Our mission is to revolutionize global logistics through collaboration and innovation. Our platform goes beyond networking, enabling members to excel and grow together, featuring articles by logistics professionals for their peers. This series will cover industry-relevant issues and news, providing valuable insights for professionals in the field.