Vessel bridges move 52 ton cable reels

Van der Vlist Modular Transport have recently completed a large project that involved moving 144 large cable reels from Germany to the Delft region in the Netherlands.

Each of the reels measured 3.70 metres wide and weighed 52 ton. With the diameter of the reels at 4.30 metres, the height was the main problem due to the low bridges in Germany and the tunnels in Holland.

The solution was to use vessel bridges or beam trailers; these allow the reels to sit as close to the ground as possible keeping the overall transport height to a minimum. This is a regular configuration for high cargo; however, it does have the effect of making the overall transport dimensions larger. In this case, the overall transport length of each truck and trailer configuration was 25.5 metres. The width was also increased to 4.40 metres due to the size of the beams that the reels sit on, but the overall transport height was only 4.35 metres, just under the maximum allowed to clear the bridges and tunnels! The total weight of the truck, trailer and reel combined was 100 ton per load.


This is another great example of synergy within the Van der Vlist Transport Group. The reels were collected by the modular department and moved to the Van der Vlist Moerdijk Terminal (VTM). They were then unloaded using the terminals portal crane and stored until the final delivery site was ready to receive them. They were then loaded back to the modular vehicles for the final leg of their journey to the Delft region.

Because of the size of each of these transports, Van der Vlist needed to plan the movements thoroughly. By liaising with the police and authorities, two suitable routes were identified, one for the first leg to VTM and then another route for the second leg to Delft.

For further information about Van der Vlist Modular transport please call +31 184 606600 or email info@vandervlist.com

Van der Vlist – The Power to Care