Between September 9 and 14, during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Bavaria, Schenker was responsible for transporting the papal vehicles. The leading integrated logistics provider was responsible for the safe transit of the vehicles over more than 950 kilometers from Rome to Germany and to the main venues where Pope Benedict XVI met with hundreds of thousands of the faithful (Munich, Freising, Altötting, Regensburg).
On August 22, 2006, a confidential project commissioned to Schenker began in the Vatican – the transport of the Popemobile (4.5 m long, 2 m wide, 3 m high, 4,330 kg in weight), in which the head of the Roman Catholic Church was transported during public appearances in Germany. The transport from Rome to Dachau in Upper Bavaria was supervised by the Italian police. From the Brenner Pass, police officers from Germany were responsible for the transport convoy.
The Schenker team is a competent partner in the field of general cargo transport. Our daily tasks also include extraordinary transport services that require a great deal of effort related to transport security. – says Michael Korn, Vice President of the Management Board of Schenker Deutschland AG. We are very proud of the fact that we have gained the trust of the Archbishopric Ordinariate in Munich, which, in consultation with the Vatican, entrusted us with this confidential task. – adds Korn.
To carry out the transport of the Popemobile, Schenker used a so-called Megatrailer – this is a semi-trailer with a gross vehicle weight of 24 tons, equipped with a hydraulic loading ramp. To ensure continuous transport, two drivers were employed.
The return transport of the papal vehicles to Rome was scheduled for mid-September. For security reasons, the exact date of the service remained a secret.