Militzer & Münch transported out-of-gauge wooden boxes, a total weight of circa 28,300 kilograms, from Shanghai, China, to Almaty in Kazakhstan. Much too big for rail transport – but Militzer & Münch offered the perfect solution to transport the huge blower systems for transformers.
For a renowned German technology corporation, Militzer & Münch China has been handling regular transports via rail from China to Germany since late summer. The customer also commissioned the transport of transformer cabinet blowers and cell cabinets from China to Kazakhstan. However, owing to a change in regulations, rail freight was not possible. “We had to explain to the customer that the new Chinese railway regulations that became effective in January 2019 did not allow transporting out-of-gauge cargo via rail,” says Glenn Bai, Managing Director Militzer & Münch China. “So, our colleagues from different Militzer & Münch branch offices cooperated to offer the customer an alternative solution.”
Truck as an alternative means of transport
Militzer & Münch delivered the freight as full truck load (FTL). The Militzer & Münch branch office in Urumqi in north-western China, located near the border to Kazakhstan, made this possible. The cargo had to be transloaded at Khorgos, Kazakhstan, at the border to China, as Chinese trucks are not approved for transports in CIS countries.
The advantages of cooperation
Three Militzer & Münch colleagues worked closely together: Kaka Xu (Account Manager), Anna Elcheva (Trade Lane Manager Russia and CIS), and Guanghua Nie (Manager of the Urumqi branch). The three colleagues also contributed helpful local knowledge for customs clearance. All in all, the transport took only 14 days.
“Our advantage at Militzer & Münch is that we operate numerous branch offices in many countries along the New Silk Road,” says Glenn Bai. “Without this, the transport of the over-dimensioned cargo via truck would not have been possible.”