Out of Gauge, Breakbulk and Project Cargo
If a piece is too long, too wide, too tall or too heavy for the inside of a standard 20 ft or 40 ft container, it stops being a routine booking. We arrange the ocean leg for that kind of freight: single oversized pieces, breakbulk consignments and multi-piece project cargo.
What counts as out of gauge
Three terms get used interchangeably and should not be.
- Out of gauge (OOG) — the cargo still travels on a container-type unit, but protrudes beyond it: over-height above the top rails of a flat rack, over-width past its sides, or overhanging the ends. It is stowed with that protrusion accounted for, which is why a carrier will not confirm space on estimates.
- Breakbulk — the cargo is not containerised at all. It is lifted aboard piece by piece and secured directly in the hold or on deck: steel structures, pipe, transformers, tanks, prefabricated sections.
- Project cargo — one indivisible unit, or a set of pieces that has to arrive together and in a defined sequence because it is assembled on site.
Equipment used for oversized ocean freight
Flat rack
A container floor with end walls and no sides or roof. Cargo is loaded from the side or lifted in from above, then lashed down to the deck rings. Anything wider than the platform overhangs it and is booked as out of gauge. Collapsible-end versions fold flat when empty, which is why they are easier to position on some routes than fixed-end ones.
Open top
A standard container with a removable tarpaulin over a steel bow frame instead of a fixed roof. It suits cargo that fits within the container’s length and width but cannot be manoeuvred in through the doors — it goes in from above by crane. Over-height pieces travel with the tarpaulin off and the shipment is treated as out of gauge.
Breakbulk stowage and roll-trailers
Past flat rack dimensions, cargo moves as breakbulk on conventional or multipurpose tonnage, or on a roll-trailer if it can be rolled aboard instead of lifted. Machinery on wheels or tracks is very often better served by RO-RO shipping than by any container solution.
Why we ask for measurements before anything else
An out of gauge rate is not a list price you look up. It is built from the space the piece actually occupies on the vessel, the equipment it needs, the lifting gear available at each end and the stowage the carrier is willing to approve. To get that far we need, for every piece separately:
- length, width and height as the piece will actually be presented — including the skid, cradle, crate or protective frame it sits in;
- gross weight;
- the position of the centre of gravity, and the marked lifting and lashing points if the piece has them;
- whether it can be dismantled, laid down or rotated. A unit that is in gauge lying on its side and out of gauge standing upright is two completely different shipments;
- drawings or photographs where they exist.
Estimated dimensions are the single most common reason an oversized booking gets re-quoted or rolled to a later vessel. Measure the cargo, not the drawing of the cargo, and measure it after it has been crated.
Paperwork and planning
- a packing list broken down per piece with dimensions and weights, not one consolidated total;
- a commercial invoice and whatever export declaration applies at origin;
- a lifting and lashing plan where the carrier asks for one — for heavy or awkwardly balanced pieces it usually does;
- an IMO/IMDG dangerous goods declaration if anything in the consignment is classified. Machinery shipped with fuel in the tank, oil in the sump or batteries fitted very often is. We do carry dangerous goods — but they are declared before booking, never discovered afterwards.
Routes
We arrange ocean transport internationally, and out of gauge enquiries reach us for plenty of destinations that are not on the busiest container lanes. What is actually available on any given routing depends on which services call there and what equipment is free at the time, so we check both against your dates rather than promise them in advance.
What to send us
Origin and destination, the per-piece list above, the date the cargo will be ready, and whether anything in the consignment is hazardous. That is enough for a useful answer. Use the form on this page, or contact us directly.
Related services
- RO-RO shipping — for machinery and vehicles that roll aboard on their own wheels instead of being lifted.
- Shipping cars overseas — vehicles in containers or on RO-RO vessels.
