Over Dimensional Cargo & Project Logistics

Cargo That Will Not Fit in a Container

Some consignments cannot be booked, they have to be engineered. A transformer that is wider than the road, a reactor heavier than the bridge on the approach, a turbine blade longer than the turning radius at a junction. S. K. Agency plans and executes over dimensional cargo (ODC) movements and full project logistics programmes, from the port to the foundation.

We have done this since 1990 for solar, oil and gas, power, petrochemical and infrastructure projects, and because we are also a licensed customs broker with AEO-LO status, the clearance side is handled by the same team rather than handed to a third party mid-project.

What Counts as ODC

Over dimensional cargo is any consignment exceeding the legal limits for length, width or height on a standard vehicle, or exceeding permitted axle load. In practice that means transformers, boilers, pressure vessels, reactors, wind turbine blades and nacelles, cranes, mill housings, prefabricated modules and large fabricated structures. Once cargo is ODC it stops being a delivery and becomes a permitted operation with its own approvals, escorts and timing windows.

How We Run an ODC Movement

• Feasibility study before the order is placed, so you know whether the piece can physically reach site before you commit to buying it.
• Route survey from port to site: road width, turning radii, bridge and culvert capacity, overhead clearances, gradients, final site approach.
• Permits from the transport authority of every state on the route, plus police escort, highway authority permission and utility clearance for lifting overhead lines.
• Equipment selection - low bed and semi low bed trailers, hydraulic axles, self propelled modular transporters (SPMT), and crane planning for lifts at both ends.
• Obstruction management - temporary removal and reinstatement of cables, signage and street furniture where the route requires it.
• Movement execution, usually in night windows, with pilot vehicles and escorts.
• Site delivery and placement, sequenced to the erection programme rather than to arrival order.

The Customs Side of Project Cargo

A project consignment can be physically perfect and still sit at the port because of a classification argument. We handle:

• Project Import registration under Heading 9801, which consolidates an entire eligible project's imports under one concessional duty rate instead of item-by-item assessment. It must be registered before arrival.
• Classification and valuation defence, including Special Valuation Branch (SVB) cases where the supplier is a related party.
• Bill of Entry filing on ICEGATE, duty computation and examination handling, by our own licensed CHA team.
• Duty concessions and licence utilisation under Advance Authorisation, EPCG and RoDTEP.

Getting It to India in the First Place

ODC rarely travels as ordinary containerised freight. Depending on the piece we arrange break bulk or RORO carriage, or charter a vessel where a dedicated sailing is cheaper than waiting for suitable liner space. See also our freight forwarding service for conventional air and ocean cargo.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is over dimensional cargo (ODC)?

Over dimensional cargo, usually shortened to ODC, is any consignment that exceeds the legal limits for length, width or height on a standard vehicle, or exceeds the permitted axle load. Typical examples are transformers, boilers, pressure vessels, wind turbine blades, cranes, reactors and prefabricated plant modules. Because it breaches normal road limits, an ODC movement is a permitted operation rather than an ordinary delivery.

What permits are required to move ODC in India?

An ODC movement needs a permit from the transport authority of every state the cargo passes through, obtained against the vehicle and cargo dimensions and the approved route. Depending on the route it can also need police escort, permission from the highway authority, and clearance from electricity and telecom utilities where overhead lines must be lifted or temporarily removed. Permits are route specific, so the route survey has to come before the permit application.

What is a route survey and why does it matter?

A route survey is a physical inspection of the entire path from port to site, checking road width, turning radii at junctions, bridge and culvert load capacity, overhead clearances such as cables and flyovers, gradients, and the final approach into site. It determines whether the cargo can physically reach the destination, which trailer configuration is required, and what obstructions must be cleared. Skipping it is the most common reason an ODC consignment gets stranded mid-route.

What is Project Import registration under Heading 9801?

Project Import is a customs procedure under Heading 9801 of the Customs Tariff that lets all goods imported for a single eligible project be assessed together at one concessional rate of duty, instead of each item being classified and assessed separately. It has to be registered with Customs before the goods arrive, with the project details and a sponsoring authority recommendation. For a large plant import it usually reduces duty substantially and greatly simplifies assessment.

How is project cargo different from normal freight?

Normal freight is a shipment. Project cargo is a programme. It typically arrives from several suppliers in several countries, on different vessels, and has to reach site in the order the erection schedule needs rather than the order it happens to arrive. It also usually involves ODC pieces, heavy lift equipment, specialised vessels or chartering, and construction site access constraints. The planning matters more than the transport.

Do you handle the customs clearance for project cargo as well?

Yes. S. K. Agency is a licensed Custom House Agent with AEO-LO status, so classification, Project Import registration, Bill of Entry filing, duty assessment and examination are handled in-house alongside the physical movement. For project cargo this matters more than usual, because a valuation or classification query on one consignment can hold up an entire erection sequence.

Send Us the Drawings

For an ODC or project enquiry the useful starting point is the dimensions and weight of the heaviest and largest pieces, the origin, and the delivery site. We will tell you whether it is feasible, what the route looks like, and what the customs position is. Call +91-22-4341 1999, email sanjay@sk-agency.com, or send the details.