Out of gauge cargo imports on the rise

United Maritime Logistics
(UML) has reported a
marked increase in out of
gauge cargo from the USA.
Exclusive agents for
Direct Container Line in
the USA, UML has been
operating from North
America to Southern
Africa for ten years now,
not only offering weekly
consolidations for LCL and
out of gauge or breakbulk
cargo, but also a full
container service.
According to director
Claude Nuttall, the
increase in out of gauge
cargo has been evident
over the
past two years.
“Particularly from the
mining industry whose
machinery cannot always
fit into general purpose
containers,” he says.
With the USA especially,
negatively affected during
the 2009 global economic
downturn, the market has
significantly improved
in the past year, says
Nuttall. “American goods
continue to be in demand,
particularly for specialised
goods that are only
produced in the United
States.”
Nuttall says that due to
the increase in shipments
from the South Eastern
USA, UML has added
Atlanta as a consolidation
port in addition to New
York, the traditional port
for US consolidations.
“The increase in
shipments was particularly
notable from Texas,
Georgia, Florida and the
Carolinas,”
“Direct Container Line
also launched a “Special
Projects Division” in the
USA, specifically aimed
at moving out of gauge
cargo such as breakbulk,
flat rack and open top
shipments, says Nuttall.
It has also been
expanding its warehouse
operations in the USA with
the addition of a brand
new facility in Chicago
capable of handling 80
containers at any one time,
with a total of 440 000
square feet of warehouse
space. They have gone
green with energy-efficient
lighting and heating
systems.
Nuttall says with
DCL containers are
closed at cargo source
and the dedicated DCL
staff handles all cargo.
“Terminals are designed
specifically to simplify the
delivery of cargo – off-pier
locations eliminate delay,
confusion, and unloading
charges, yet are close
enough for rapid handling,”
he said.