A small but relevant part of the handling traffic at VTE is the handling of special loads that, because of their dimensions, weight and shape, can’t be stowed inside a container. This cargo is called break bulk and includes high-value goods that require great professionalism to handle the goods with total security in every phase of the handling. The most common loads at VTE consist of crates and industrial parts, followed by yachts, catamarans, large-diameter industrial pipes and helicopters.
For its non-standard nature, handling of this type of cargo is examined on a case by case basis. The crates and industrial parts, for example, must be provided with suitable lifting points and must have a balanced center of gravity, so that it can be lifted without the risk of losing balance during the handling. Thanks to the new quay cranes, VTE can handle this type of cargo traffic with up to 65 tons of weight. Beyond this limit, the use of special cranes provided by one of our external partners is required. Yachts and catamarans, on the other hand, have a weight limit of 45 tons.
The boarding/unloading mode of break bulk goods can be direct or indirect. With the first, the cargo is loaded/unloaded directly onto/off of a truck, barge or ship. The second, on the other hand, presupposes that the cargo is temporarily positioned in special high-capacity trailers (called “mafi”) sitting in special areas of our terminal and waiting for the ship on which it will be loaded, or, in the opposite case of unloading, from the truck or train that will carry it to its destination.
VTE possesses the equipment necessary for the correct handling of Break Bulk cargo, including 11 Mafi with a capacity up to 90 tons, two spreader beams capable of lifting boats of up to 45 tons, two hooks and two cross-members with a capacity of up to 57 tons each, tubular fasteners, flat strips and adjustable length chains.
In order to not damage the loading and unloading yields, a maximum of two Break Bulk handlings per ship is expected.
For more information on Break Bulk cargo at VTE, please write to our email address, marketing@vte.it.
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