Partner with Experienced Freight Forwarders in Europe

When a geo-equipment manufacturer needed to move a customized Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) crawler from Hillegom, Netherlands, to a survey site near Totnes, England, they partnered with Lubbers Road Transport, an AIT Worldwide Logistics company, for a solution that combined heavy-haul capability with regulatory expertise. 

The $500,000 CPT crawler, a specialized tracked vehicle designed for maneuverability across soft or uneven terrain, weighed nearly 50,000 pounds (22,500 kilograms). Its weight and compact design required precise load balancing on a semi-trailer, essentially creating an oversized “seesaw.” Lubbers deployed a robust semi-trailer with ramp plates to ensure safe loading and secure transit. 

Beyond the transportation requirements, Brexit-related regulations added complexity to the project. The customer needed a partner capable of managing customs clearance for both EU export and U.K. import. 

In collaboration with customs experts from AIT’s vast global network, the team provided end-to-end clearance, ensuring compliance and avoiding delays. 

Speed was critical. The initial inquiry arrived Sept. 23, and Lubbers delivered a quotation the same day. After finalizing details, the crawler was collected Oct. 2 and delivered to the site by Oct. 6—less than two weeks from the initial inquiry to completion. 

By listening to understand the customer and offering multiple options, our team delivered a comprehensive solution. This allowed the client to focus on their core business while trusting Lubbers to seamlessly handle the logistics. 

Moving a 49,000-kilogram excavator across Europe without breaking the bank? Challenge accepted.

By combining AIT-Antwerp’s ocean freight and customs services with the out-of-gauge marine transport expertise provided by Lubbers Logistics Group, an AIT Worldwide Logistics company, our teams collaborated to deliver an efficient ocean shipment solution from Brecht, Belgium, to the project site in Valencia, Spain. 

While the typical plan would be to transport via road, our experts determined that such a massive cargo shipment would require a variety of permits, which would be both costly and time-consuming to obtain. Thinking outside the box, the team formulated a much more cost-effective solution to ship via sea on a roll-on/roll-off (aka “roro”) vessel for the main leg of the journey. 

By avoiding complex overland permitting while delivering an on-time, on-budget shipment, this project highlights how our integrated network simplifies heavy equipment moves for the marine industry. 

To help a global energy technology company avoid costly rig downtime, the projects and services experts at Lubbers Logistics Group, an AIT Worldwide Logistics company, executed a time-critical charter shipment, transporting a nine-meter-long replacement pipe from Norway to Ghana in just 48 hours.

From the moment the request came in, our team moved fast, presenting two delivery plans for the oversized radioactive component, including customs clearance, within just 90 minutes. The client selected a charter solution, and the shipment was airborne within days. 

The complexity of the dangerous cargo, which required a radioactive permit and compliant packaging, added another layer of complexity. Thanks to seamless collaboration between AIT teams in Denmark and the United Kingdom—and close coordination with the client and local authorities—our logistics pros delivered flawlessly. 

This shipment reinforced AIT’s reputation as a trusted partner in the energy sector and underscores our position as a charter logistics specialist. Since then, the client has entrusted us with multiple follow-up charters, recognizing our ability to deliver under pressure. 

A critical shipment of human serum samples, destined for groundbreaking clinical trials, traveling from Europe to North America in just 20 hours! AIT’s life sciences logistics experts made it happen.

As part of our biotechnology customer’s work on a potential cure for type 1 diabetes, they needed to quickly move the samples from a university in Sweden to their lab in the United States.  

AIT's hand carry (also known as “on board courier”) service ensured that these vital samples were delivered promptly and safely, clearing customs much faster than a typical shipment, and eliminating chain of custody concerns.  

From scheduling just-in-time pickup immediately after a major holiday to providing shipment packaging and dry ice, AIT’s life sciences logistics pros meticulously managed every detail to guarantee success. 

We are incredibly honored to have played a role by providing same-day transatlantic delivery for this potentially transformative research. 

Our global aerospace logistics experts recently completed an oversized shipment for an aviation customer, transporting aircraft parts and engines from the south of France to Arizona via ocean shipping between Antwerp and Los Angeles. 

This door-to-door, multi-modal solution for out-of-gauge equipment included trucking from France to the Port of Antwerp, coordination to load three flat racks at the port, and securing special permits—all while ensuring the cargo was protected every step of the way, including the ocean voyage and final delivery. 

With the first 1,128-kilometer leg completed in just five working days, this is far from a one-off success. Since this first shipment, our team has completed multiple additional deliveries for the same customer with high-quality results. 

Thanks to AIT’s meticulous planning and seamless execution, we’re helping aerospace customers keep their operations soaring.