Voltim Logistics

Project Cargo

Project cargo transportation is the physical movement of oversized, overweight and high-value industrial units — power transformers, reactor components, wind turbine blades, cranes and plant modules — using specialised trailers, heavy-lift vessels and engineered securing systems. Voltim Logistics, building on its experience in Turkey's first nuclear power plant logistics, executes these operations in the field: route surveys, permit-backed escorted convoys, port handling, multimodal transfers and crane placement at the installation point.

What equipment is used to transport project cargo?

The transport unit is chosen by weight, dimensions and route profile. Low-bed trailers carry construction and mining machinery; extendable trailers handle long steel structures; hydraulic modular trailers distribute extreme axle loads across dozens of independently steered wheel lines. For the heaviest moves, self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) are combined side by side and end to end — according to manufacturer specifications published by Mammoet and TII Scheuerle, modern SPMTs carry roughly 40 to 60 tonnes per axle line, so multi-module configurations can walk loads of well over 1,000 tonnes at controlled crawl speed. Voltim operates project moves with low-bed, modular trailer and dedicated wind-blade carrier equipment, matched to each cargo through dimension and weight analysis. See our oversized and heavy cargo page for equipment selection in detail.

How are nuclear reactor components transported?

Nuclear components are the benchmark of project cargo operations because they combine extreme mass with zero tolerance for damage. A VVER-1200 reactor pressure vessel — the type installed at Türkiye's Akkuyu plant — weighs about 330 tonnes, measures 12 metres in length and 4.5 metres in diameter, according to World Nuclear News; vessels for Akkuyu travelled roughly 3,000 km by water on special barges after a factory-to-pier road move. Akkuyu itself comprises four VVER-1200 units with a combined capacity of 4,800 MW, expected to meet around ten percent of Türkiye's electricity demand according to plant operator Akkuyu Nuclear. Voltim's role in Turkey's first nuclear power plant logistics is covered on our dedicated nuclear project transportation page.

What does a route survey involve on the ground?

Before an out-of-gauge convoy moves, the route is physically driven and measured. Under Turkish road regulations, standard vehicles are limited to 2.55 metres in width, 4.00 metres in height and 40 tonnes gross weight (44 tonnes for six-axle combinations); anything beyond these values moves only under a special OOG permit. The field survey verifies bridge and culvert load ratings, tunnel and overpass clearances, ramp gradients, roundabout swept paths and overhead power or catenary lines. Where obstacles cannot be cleared, the team plans detours, temporary sign removal or utility line lifting. Voltim coordinates the police escort, border-crossing approvals and timing windows — heavy convoys frequently run at night to minimise traffic disruption — as part of its road transport operations.

How are wind turbine blades moved by road?

Blades are light for their size but extremely long and fragile, so the constraint is geometry rather than weight. IEEE Spectrum notes that in most parts of the world roughly 70 metres is the practical upper limit for moving a blade over land before tunnels, overpasses and road curvature block the way; when an 88.4-metre blade — the world's longest at the time — was moved 218 km by road across Denmark in 2016, manufacturer LM Wind Power reported that it cleared some bridges with only 3 centimetres to spare. Operationally this means telescopic blade carriers or blade-lifter adapters that tilt the blade up to 60 degrees to swing past buildings and slopes, front and rear escort vehicles checking the swept path, and turn-by-turn choreography rehearsed during the route survey. Voltim runs these moves with purpose-built wind-blade carriers within its multimodal transport setup.

How do heavy-lift port operations work?

The port is where road and sea legs meet, and where most project cargo risk concentrates. Break bulk units are lifted by heavy-lift geared vessels or shore cranes — the heaviest pieces in tandem lifts under a lift plan — while rolling stock and trailer-mounted units drive aboard RoRo vessels over stern ramps. Before loading, each unit sits on an engineered cradle or transport frame, and lashing and securing calculations are prepared for the sea state expected on the voyage, since forces at sea differ fundamentally from road transport. Voltim designs lashing, cradle and accessory arrangements per shipment and manages port handling as one continuous operation. Vessel options are described under sea freight.

How are power transformers delivered to site?

Large power transformers are among the most demanding single units in project cargo. The US Department of Energy reports that large power transformers typically weigh between 150 and 400 tons — up to 410 tons for the largest units — and cannot ride standard railcars, whose capacity is around 100 tons. On the road they travel on hydraulic modular trailers with axle loads spread to protect pavement and bridges; at the substation, where crane access is often impossible, the unit is jacked and skidded onto its foundation. Voltim coordinates this final placement — on-site delivery, crane operation and positioning at the installation point — together with custom project cargo insurance per shipment, under ISO 28000 supply chain security and ISO 45001 occupational health and safety certifications.

Key facts: project cargo transportation

Under Turkish road regulations, loads exceeding 2.55 m width, 4.00 m height or 40 tonnes gross weight (44 tonnes for six-axle vehicles) require a special out-of-gauge permit.
Modern SPMTs carry roughly 40–60 tonnes per axle line, according to manufacturer specifications from Mammoet and TII Scheuerle.
Large power transformers typically weigh 150–400 tons, up to 410 tons, according to the US Department of Energy.
A VVER-1200 reactor pressure vessel weighs about 330 tonnes and measures 12 m by 4.5 m, according to World Nuclear News.
Akkuyu NPP comprises four VVER-1200 units totalling 4,800 MW — about ten percent of Türkiye's electricity demand, according to Akkuyu Nuclear.
An 88.4-metre blade — the world's longest at the time — was moved 218 km by road across Denmark in 2016, clearing some bridges by just 3 cm, according to LM Wind Power.

Related services

Project Logistics — planning, engineering and project management perspective
Nuclear Project Transportation
Oversized & Heavy Cargo
Sea Freight — break bulk and heavy-lift
Road Transport — low-bed and modular trailer
Dangerous Goods (ADR) — special class transport
Project Cargo Insurance

To scope equipment, route and vessel options for your next heavy or oversized move, contact us for a project cargo transportation consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is project cargo transportation and what types of cargo does it cover?

Project cargo transportation is the end-to-end planning and transport of heavy and oversized loads that require special engineering beyond standard logistics. It covers industrial machinery, power plant equipment, wind turbines, transformers, cranes and ship parts. Voltim Logistics handles power plant projects (nuclear, gas, wind, solar), industrial facility installations such as refineries, cement and steel plants, mining and construction equipment transfers, and port equipment (STS, RTG cranes), building on its experience in Turkey's first nuclear power plant logistics.

What are the stages of the project logistics process?

The project logistics process consists of five main stages: feasibility and route survey (equipment dimension and weight analysis, route reconnaissance, bridge–tunnel–ramp calculations), permit management, engineering (lashing, securing, cradle and accessory design, cargo safety planning), multimodal transport (port handling, RoRo, low-bed and modular trailers) and assembly coordination (on-site delivery, crane operation and placement). Voltim Logistics manages all of these steps under a single end-to-end project management structure.

Which permits and documents are required to transport out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo?

Out-of-gauge cargo transport requires road OOG permits, police escort coordination where mandated, and border-crossing approvals for international movements. The permit process is based on equipment dimension and weight analysis and a route survey; bridge, tunnel and ramp calculations form the technical basis of each application. Voltim Logistics manages the entire permit process in project cargo operations on behalf of its clients, from application through escort coordination.

How is pricing determined in project cargo transportation?

Project cargo pricing is determined by a project-specific feasibility study rather than standard tariffs. The main cost drivers are the equipment's dimensions and weight, route survey results, required OOG permits and escorts, engineering needs such as lashing and cradle design, the transport modes selected (RoRo, low-bed, modular trailer) and assembly coordination. Because every project is unique, Voltim Logistics prepares a tailored quotation once the route and scope are defined.

How are risks managed in heavy and oversized cargo transport?

Risks are managed through pre-transport engineering: lashing, securing, cradle and accessory design, and a cargo safety plan for the sea and road legs. Because every project is unique, custom project cargo insurance is designed for each shipment. Voltim Logistics applies standardised safety protocols across high-risk project cargo operations through its ISO 28000 supply chain security and ISO 45001 occupational health and safety certifications.

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FCL and LCL sea freight at competitive rates with regular sailings on all major port routes.

Project Cargo

What equipment is used to transport project cargo?

How are nuclear reactor components transported?

What does a route survey involve on the ground?

How are wind turbine blades moved by road?

How do heavy-lift port operations work?

How are power transformers delivered to site?

Key facts: project cargo transportation

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