Exporting 40 Tonnes Of Refrigerated Trailer Parts From Melbourne To South Africa

The Challenge

ICE were engaged to coordinate the export of specialised trailer components for GRW Engineering, a leading designer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art tankers and trailers.

The shipment involved three large pieces: ferroplast kits comprising roofs, sidewalls, and floors used to build refrigerated trailers, with a combined weight of 40,000 kg and total volume of 228m³.

Given the oversized nature of the cargo, ICE was tasked with proposing tailored shipping options balancing cost, handling complexity, schedule reliability, and equipment availability.

Our Solution

We conducted a comprehensive costing analysis and presented two options to GRW Engineering:

1. Split shipment: transporting some of the cargo via a Roll-On/Roll-Off (RORO) service and the remainder using flat racks in a separate shipment.
2. Consolidated shipment: moving all cargo together via a RORO service.

ICE recommended proceeding with the full RORO option, as the cost difference between the two options was marginal and the consolidated RORO solution provided greater schedule reliability, reduced handling risks, and better equipment availability.

As part of the planning process, we arranged for a site visit with the shipping line’s load master to visually inspect the cargo at GRW Engineering’s Melbourne facility. This pre-inspection ensured that the lashing and loading plan aligned with the shipping line’s requirements and provided confidence that the cargo could be safely secured onto MAFI trailers at the port.

The execution phase included:

• Booking the freight and scheduling the logistics chain
• Loading the cargo onto an extendable semi-trailer at the client’s site using franna cranes
• Transporting the cargo to the port terminal
• Transferring the cargo via crane from the truck trailer onto MAFI trailers at the port
• Securing and lashing the cargo aboard the vessel for safe ocean transport

Results

The cargo was successfully shipped to Worcester, South Africa, with all operations executed smoothly and to the client’s satisfaction.

• Exported 40 tonnes of oversized refrigerated trailer components
• End-to-end project management delivered by ICE
• On-site cargo inspection ensured secure loading and compliance
• Smooth, damage-free delivery to South Africa