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Bussed in Time

Against stiff competition from several multi-national forwarders, India-based IFLN member Associated Container Line Pvt. Ltd, India (ACLPL) won the contract for shipping 81 buses to the Ministry of Economy & Finance in Niger. The shipment is valued at USD 5.00 million and the total volume is 7,200 cubic metres.

The movement of this cargo required special attention and handling skills. The vessel could carry only 72 buses, but by making best use of space, it was possible to load all 81 buses on board.  This required the removal of the side mirrors from the buses, which were then carefully packed to prevent them breaking during transit.

Since the date of arrival of the vessel was not confirmed until the last minute, space had to be made available outside the port to hold the cargo pending arrival of the vessel. It took 5 days to load the 81 buses and seven drivers had to be on call 24 hours a day so that the buses could be brought to the wharf as and when required.

The shipper also requested careful inspection of the cargo during loading because of the varied nature of the consignment, which included air-conditioned buses, mini buses, and  large buses with curtains, fans, tool boxes, etc.

Loading was made all the more problematic, since the vessel was not a ro-ro vessel, and all the vehicles had to be loaded using a crane. This had to be done with utmost care and ACLPL are proud to say that all 81 buses were loaded without damage.