At the close of 2023, our Heavy Industry Logistics (HiLOG) team was tasked with transporting 8 x Bell ADTs and 2 x CAT 374 excavators from Mombasa to a gold mine in Northeastern DRC. What would usually be a straightforward movement of some plant equipment, this time, presented a number of challenges.
Height Restrictions
The height of the ADTs posed a challenge as we travelled through northern Uganda en route to DRC. With a height of 4.05m, the ADTs, when coupled with the trailer, needed to be offloaded at specific points to navigate under obstacles before reloading. Fortunately, we knew about this well in advance and planned for our operator to meet the convoy on arrival. Securing advance approvals from The Uganda Revenue Authority and Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) ensured the convoy could continue with only a slight delay.
Weight Restrictions: Adapting to Unexpected Regulations
The excavators were 74 tonnes each, which ordinarily is not a problem. However, without any notice, a shift in regulations by UNRA meant they became very strict with the issuance of over-weight permits, causing some cargoes serious delays at the Uganda border. Following consultation with the client about the options available, we decided to dismantle the excavators in Mombasa to bring the weight of the main unit down to an acceptable amount and therefore avoid the delays at the Uganda border.
Rapid Response and Resilience
Our team immediately sought approval from the Kenya Revenue Authority to dismantle the units, adjust our load plans, and obtain all necessary permits for Kenya and Uganda, to get the units back on the road! Despite a minor delay in Mombasa whilst the dismantling took place, both excavators arrived safely at the site and undoubtedly much sooner than they would have done if we hadn’t dismantled them.
Lessons Learned: The Importance of Regional Knowledge
This is an interesting example of the importance of having detailed knowledge of the region in which we operate, good advance planning, and the ability to react quickly and decisively to a curveball thrown at the last minute. HiLOG were nimble enough to respond quickly to an issue which has affected a lot of businesses in East Africa in the last 6 months.
Continuing the Journey: Embracing Challenges
Back in October 2023, we moved 2 x 83T transformers from Mombasa to Burundi via Uganda and we were amongst the first to see the effect of this change from UNRA. Fortunately, on this occasion, we managed to squeeze them through unscathed! Watch the video here.
