Trucks cross the Caspian Sea on Ro-Pax ferries: the main lines run from Baku's port of Alat to the port of Kuryk in Kazakhstan and to the port of Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan; Aktau is also used from time to time. The vehicle is entered into the port queue and the ferry booking and boards the ship together with its driver. It should not be thought of as a fixed-schedule line; waiting times vary with capacity utilisation and weather conditions.
Which lines are there?
The main departure point on the western shore of the Caspian is the Baku International Sea Trade Port, opened in Alat in 2018. From here, ferry services carrying trucks run in three directions:
- Alat – Kuryk (Kazakhstan): The ferry complex Kazakhstan built for truck and railcar traffic is located in Kuryk; a significant share of Middle Corridor cargo passes through this line.
- Alat – Aktau (Kazakhstan): Aktau, the main gateway before Kuryk, can also be used on Baku-linked sailings; which port is served depends on the period and the operator.
- Alat – Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan): Used for trucks heading to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The sailings are operated by operators from the region's countries, above all Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping (ASCO). Most vessels carrying trucks are of the Ro-Pax type; some also take railway wagons in addition to trucks and trailers.
Its place in the Middle Corridor
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) runs from China and Central Asia via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia to Europe. While the Black Sea crossing is optional, the Caspian crossing is the corridor's unavoidable sea leg, and the capacity bottleneck usually occurs here. The overall structure of the corridor is explained in the entry on the Middle Corridor.
The crossing step by step
- Pre-notification and booking: The carrier or its agent notifies the ferry operator of the vehicle registration number, trailer details, cargo weight and port of destination.
- Port entry: The vehicle is admitted to the port area, weighed and placed in the queue.
- Customs exit: Exit formalities from Azerbaijan are carried out; for a vehicle travelling under a TIR carnet, the carnet entry is processed.
- Loading: The vehicle is driven onto the ferry and lashed; the driver travels on board.
- Arrival: In Kuryk, Aktau or Turkmenbashi the vehicle is discharged, and entry customs and transit formalities are carried out.
Who handles the booking and port formalities?
The ferry space is booked not by the driver but by the carrier or its port agent. The agent follows up on the vehicle's entry into the port queue, the freight payment and the documents for loading onto the ship. The cargo owner's task is to provide weight, dimensions and customs documents completely and on time. For vehicles carrying dangerous goods, the ferry operator may additionally require prior approval; the ADR class and UN number are therefore declared at the time of booking.
Waiting and weather conditions
Caspian ferries mostly do not sail to a fixed timetable but depart when the ship is full and the weather is suitable. Sailings may be postponed on stormy days; in busy periods, long truck queues can form at the ports. When a delivery date is given, buffer days should therefore be allowed for the sea leg, and the contract should state who bears the waiting days. For temperature-sensitive cargo, the fuel supply of the reefer unit must be calculated according to the waiting time.
Driver and vehicle documents
- Driver's passport and the visa required for the destination country
- Bilateral or transit permit for Kazakhstan or Turkmenistan
- TIR carnet: the TIR Convention permits transport that includes a sea leg as long as part of the journey is made by road; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are parties to the convention.
- CMR, commercial invoice, packing list and vehicle insurance documents
Common mistakes
- Calculating the ferry crossing as a fixed transit time
- Leaving the cost responsibility for waiting days open in the contract
- Looking for the destination country's permit only after arriving in Baku
- Declaring a weight that does not match the information in the ferry booking
How does Voltim Global support you?
For Central Asia requests, Voltim Global assesses the Caspian leg with partner carriers as part of the international road transport plan. Waiting days in port are also included in the daily follow-up, and the customer can see the vehicle's latest location in the customer panel.