A passenger ship sailing in the Pacific near New Zealand required a specialized, costly renovation or replacement of its main engine bearing. The shipowner turned to their agent coordinating the shipyard repairs – the Szczecin branch of Wilhelmsen Ships Service Sp. z o.o. The solution was to source the part from another ship owned by the shipowner (four times cheaper than purchasing a new bearing). The nearest vessel was a ship located at that time in one of the Szczecin shipyards. Both ships featured the same type of main engine and clutch, and the specific design of these parts made it impossible to source them closer to New Zealand.
Initially, it was assumed that the part weighed 700 kg, but after careful verification, it turned out that the weight exceeded 1 ton. Now, it was necessary to find a company that would undertake such an unusual transport: moving oversized cargo to a destination over 17,000 km away and across 10 time zones.
The representative of the Szczecin agent, Radosław Sykuła, chose TNT:
– We send shipments to various corners of the world – to ports where our ships arrive. At TNT, I value professionalism and flexibility: I know that if they cannot reach a place via a standard connection, or if the shipment has large dimensions or weight, I can count on an individually arranged solution. – says Radosław Sykuła – TNT comprehensively handles the entrusted task – from customs clearance at the point of collection to delivery of the shipment to the indicated address – assesses the representative of Wilhelmsen Ships Service.
The bearing was to travel in a wooden crate, which underwent a fumigation process (heat treatment of wood to eliminate the presence of bacteria and fungi), which caused the transport to be extended in time. In mid-August, TNT received confirmation that the shipment was ready for collection, and the Special Services department handled the execution of the service. The collection of the part from the Szczecin shipyard was arranged: the bearing was transported by a dedicated truck to Warsaw’s Okęcie airport. From there, on board a plane, the shipment – encased in additional protective pallets – arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, on August 26. Customs clearance was handled by the local TNT branch, after which – by a dedicated vehicle – the goods were safely delivered to the recipient. The ship was repaired and could continue its voyages.