Break Bulk & Project Cargo Shipping UK
Carrgo moves cargo that does not fit in a standard container — oversized,
overweight, out-of-gauge and heavy-lift consignments loaded individually rather
than in a sealed box. Get a quote in 2 hours or
contact the team.
What is break bulk cargo?
Break bulk cargo is freight loaded onto a vessel as individual pieces — crated,
palletised, drummed, bagged or strapped — rather than inside a shipping container.
It is handled piece by piece with cranes or ship's gear. Break bulk is used when
cargo is too large, too heavy or too awkwardly shaped to containerise, or when the
destination port lacks container-handling equipment.
Break bulk or bulk cargo — what is the difference?
They sound similar and mean different things. Bulk cargo is
unpackaged loose commodity poured or pumped into a hold — grain, coal, ore, cement,
liquids. Break bulk is individually packaged units handled
separately: machinery, steel sections, crates, reels, vehicles. Bulk is measured by
tonnage of a single commodity; break bulk is counted in pieces.
What counts as project cargo?
Project cargo is the movement of large, high-value or complex consignments that
need engineering and planning rather than a standard booking — typically capital
equipment for construction, energy, manufacturing or infrastructure work. A project
cargo move often combines several modes, route surveys, lifting plans, permits and
escorts, and is scheduled around a site delivery date rather than a sailing.
Typical project cargo we handle
Industrial plant and production lines, generators and transformers, construction
and agricultural machinery, tanks and pressure vessels, structural steel, wind and
renewable-energy components, and relocation of complete factory equipment.
When do you need break bulk instead of a container?
Use break bulk or out-of-gauge handling when any dimension exceeds the internal
limits of a 40ft container — roughly 12 metres long, 2.3 metres wide and 2.3 metres
high — or when the piece weight exceeds what a container floor and standard lifting
can safely take. Cargo that is slightly over can sometimes travel on a flat rack or
open top, which is cheaper than full break bulk, so send dimensions and weights
before assuming which method applies. See
container shipping for standard
equipment options and the
container size guide for internal
dimensions.
How is break bulk and project cargo priced?
Unlike container freight there is no per-box rate. Pricing is built from the
cargo's actual dimensions and weight, the lifting equipment required at each end,
port handling and storage, any specialist inland transport, permits and escorts for
abnormal loads, marine insurance, and the customs entry. Because each move is
engineered individually, a firm price needs the real figures — length, width,
height, weight per piece, and the collection and delivery points.
Send those and we will quote.
What information should you send for a quote?
- Dimensions and weight of each piece, not just the total
- Number of pieces and how they are packed — crated, skidded, loose
- Collection address and final delivery site postcode
- Whether lifting equipment is available at either end
- Any fixed deadline, such as an installation or shutdown date
- The Incoterms your supplier quoted — see the
Incoterms guide
Which UK ports handle break bulk and heavy lift?
Not every port can take out-of-gauge or heavy-lift cargo — it depends on crane
capacity, quay strength and laydown space. Port choice also affects inland routing,
because an abnormal load needs a viable road route from the quay to the site. Carrgo
publishes live conditions for 17 UK and Ireland ports on the
port congestion tracker, with
weekly movement data in the
UK port congestion report, and
you can compare two options with the
port comparison tool.
Does Carrgo handle customs on project shipments?
Yes. Break bulk and project consignments need the same customs entry as any
import, and often additional documentation for temporary imports, returned goods or
equipment coming in for a fixed project period. Carrgo handles the declaration and
the duty and VAT position as part of the move — see
customs clearance.
Related Carrgo services
Sea freight ·
Container shipping ·
Road freight ·
Air freight ·
Warehousing ·
Logistics ·
Construction