How does a heavy transport from Spain to Istanbul work?
A heavy transport from Spain to Istanbul leaves the Iberian Peninsula at the Catalan border at La Jonquera, crosses southern France towards Liguria and enters the Balkan route via northern Italy: Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria as far as the Kapıkule border crossing. Depending on the loading point in Spain, the distance is between around 3,000 and 3,400 km. Several days should be allowed for pure driving time – but the overall transit time is determined by permit chains and escort requirements, not by the mileage alone.
Oversize Transports plans this lane as a self-contained project: we first check feasibility on the basis of weight, dimensions and axle loads, and derive from it the routing, equipment selection and permit requirements.
Permits: several countries, no §29 StVO without Germany
A transport originating in Spain starts with the Spanish abnormal load permit – the “autorización de transporte especial”. In France, the “convoi exceptionnel” follows, covered depending on category by an arrêté préfectoral or a standing permit. Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Turkey each require their own national special permits with their own lead times and route commitments. The German §29 StVO rule (German road traffic regulations) only applies to any German section of the route – on the classic Spain–Istanbul route via France and Italy, Germany is generally not touched.
Customs: T1/TIR from the external EU border
Within the EU (Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia) the consignment moves freely; only at the Serbian border does the external EU border with full customs procedures begin. From there, the transport runs under the T1 transit procedure or under a TIR carnet. TIR allows end-to-end handling across Serbia, Bulgaria and the Turkish border with reduced checks; import clearance takes place in Turkey. We align the documents with the border posts at Bajakovo and Kapıkule in advance so that no waiting times arise from missing paperwork.
Equipment selection and load securing
The equipment choice follows the cargo strictly: for tall components a low-bed or semi low-loader is used, for very heavy compact goods an axle-reinforced modular or boiler-bed trailer. On the Ligurian coast and in the Slovenian and Bulgarian mountain sections, the clearance profile – tunnels, bridges, overhead lines – must be surveyed in advance. Loads are secured by positive and friction locking in line with recognised engineering standards; heavy single pieces are lashed, chocked and secured against tipping.
Escorting along the route
Depending on dimensions and requirements, we accompany the transport with escort vehicles up to BF3/BF4 escort. In France and Italy, officially accredited escorts are in some cases mandatory for wide or long convoys; in the Balkans, individual countries add police escorts, which we coordinate through local partners. Night driving bans, weekend and public holiday rules feed into the scheduling.
Why Istanbul is a special case
Istanbul lies at the crossing point between Europe and Asia; for destinations on the Asian side, the Bosphorus crossing via the approved bridges or by ferry has to be clarified, as not all structures are cleared for heavy loads. At the same time, Istanbul is the gateway to the Middle Corridor towards the Caucasus and Central Asia. Country-specific requirements can be found on our page on heavy haulage to Turkey.
Feasibility study as the first step
Before a single kilometre is planned, we establish feasibility: weight, length, width, height and centre of gravity determine the permissible axle loads and the right trailer. On this basis the route is driven virtually – narrow town passages in southern France, the Liguria passage, Slovenian tunnels and Serbian roundabouts are identified. Only once route, equipment and permit requirements fit together does the project move into execution.
Oversize Transports as an independent project partner
Oversize Transports is the brand of HSNK s.r.o., based in Prague, and acts as an independent heavy haulage forwarder – not as part of a network. For lanes such as Spain–Istanbul we combine feasibility, routing, permits, escorting and customs in one hand and remain your point of contact across the entire route. Send us your project by phone or via the enquiry form – we check feasibility and draw up a robust concept.