Heavy haulage to Turkmenistan: demanding, but plannable
Turkmenistan is among the most demanding destination countries in project logistics: strict customs and entry rules, a limited number of border crossings and long desert stages meet an economy that continuously imports heavy equipment for oil, gas and infrastructure projects. Oversize Transports, a brand of HSNK s.r.o., plans and runs heavy haulage and abnormal load transports of up to 200 tonnes to Ashgabat, Turkmenbashi, Mary and project sites across the country – via the sanction-free Middle Corridor with a Caspian ferry.
Scope of services for Turkmen projects
- Feasibility study of the entire route, including ferry capacities Baku–Turkmenbashi and a route survey within the country
- Permit management: German road traffic regulations (StVO §29) plus special permits for all transit countries and Turkmenistan
- Low-loaders, semi low-bed trailers and modular trailers for packages up to 200 t
- BF3 / BF4 escort vehicles (German escort classification) within the EU, escorting and, where applicable, official escort under national law
- Customs and transit handling: T1, TIR carnet, ATA carnet and the strict Turkmen import clearance
- Crane and loading coordination, in particular for the ferry transhipment at Alat and Turkmenbashi
How it works: feasibility, permits, transport
We first check the dimensions, weight and centre of gravity of your load against the actual route – with particular attention to the ferry connection across the Caspian Sea and the formalities at the port of Turkmenbashi. You then receive a fixed-price quote. Once the order is placed, we apply for permits, book ferry slots, prepare the extensive Turkmen documentation and accompany the run with dedicated project management, available 24/7.
Route: via Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea
The sanction-free way runs through Turkey into Georgia and Azerbaijan; at the ferry port of Alat near Baku the cargo is transhipped onto the Caspian ferry to Turkmenbashi. From the port it continues by road – to Ashgabat, for example, or to the gas and industrial projects inland. The desert stages with summer heat and the limited number of routes cleared for oversize loads call for conservative stage and schedule planning, which we set out in the feasibility study. Alternative overland routes via Iran or Russia are ruled out for most consignments on sanctions or risk grounds. Within Turkmenistan we align driving times and convoy requirements closely with the authorities, as escort obligations and driving bans can vary from route to route.
Customs: the strictest clearance in the region
Turkmenistan is neither an EU nor an EAEU member and requires particularly comprehensive import documentation: the commercial invoice, packing list, technical descriptions and, depending on the goods, additional certificates must be complete and free of contradictions. We move consignments on T1 up to the EU external border and on a TIR carnet through to the customs office of destination; for temporary imports with re-export we assess the use of the ATA carnet case by case. Experience shows that the quality of preparation determines the waiting time at the port of Turkmenbashi – which is why we check every document file before departure.
Sanctions
The northern route through Russia is ruled out for many goods by EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus; the route via Iran is subject to its own far-reaching sanctions regimes. We therefore run Turkmen traffic exclusively via the Middle Corridor Turkey–Georgia–Caspian Sea. For technically sensitive goods the rule is: export control rests with the exporter – we review the route, procedure and documentation for each shipment and carry only permissible goods under permissible procedures.
Typical goods and costs
We frequently carry equipment for the oil and gas industry, power plant and compressor technology, construction machinery and plant modules. The focus regions are the greater Ashgabat area and the gas fields in the east of the country. We quote costs as a non-binding indicative range – depending on route, weight and permit situation – and fix them as a fixed price after the feasibility study.