Breakbulk Shipping

Our clients come from all different industries so they naturally have a variety of shipping needs. When your cargo is not suited for container shipping, we can coordinate breakbulk shipping to assure that your product arrives safely to its final destination.

What is Breakbulk Shipping?
Breakbulk shipping, originating from the phrase “breaking bulk,” is the term used for cargo that is shipped outside of a traditional container. Instead, the cargo is transported in bags, boxes, crates, drums, barrels, or other handling equipment. In some cases, and especially for extremely large cargo, items are rolled, lifted, or pushed directly onto a ship or barge.

This style of shipping used to be the most common in the industry and only started to decline in the 1960s when containerized shipping started gaining in popularity. The benefit of container shipping is that moving one container full of multiple items is more efficient than moving smaller lots which allows ships to spend less time at the port and more time at sea.

While containerized shipping is the most popular, it simply doesn’t work for all types of cargo. Some of the most common breakbulk goods include reels and rolls, steel girders, structural steel, heavy goods, oversized goods, manufacturing equipment, construction equipment, and vehicles.

Western Overseas Client Success Story
Western Overseas received a breakbulk shipping order that many other shipping companies weren’t able to handle. The commodity being transported was a cylinder-tapered media/casting separation chamber with a 1000 MM long tapered extension, measuring in at 128” L x 112” W x 114” H and weighing 4023 kgs. A flatbed truck was arranged to be sent to the shipper’s facility. The shipper then used a crane to load the cargo onto the flatbed truck and the trucker took the cargo to the shipping line terminal. Western Overseas coordinated the ocean move with RTM lines which is specifically used for breakbulk cargo. The item safely made it from the shipper’s door in St. Peters, Missouri all the way to Adelaide, Australia. The full transit only took about 43 days in total!

Why Western Overseas
Not all cargo can fit in containers, but that doesn’t mean it can’t safely be shipped to wherever you need it to go. If you have an oversized or unique item that can’t be shipped in a traditional container, breakbulk shipping could be a great option. Breakbulk shipping requires special arrangements and our experienced team will take care of every detail and can assure you that your cargo will make it safely to its final destination.

Another benefit of breakbulk shipping to consider is you can reduce the time you would have to spend deconstructing and reconstructing your oversized cargo. Instead, with breakbulk shipping, the item or items will arrive ready for dispatch. Since the products are not shipped in a container, they can be shipped separately, and in many cases, they can enter smaller ports that wouldn’t be available for larger container ships or tankers.

If you are looking for a reliable and experienced team to handle your breakbulk shipping needs, contact your Western Overseas representative today.