Hendrick Logistics Ireland has successfully completed a temperature-controlled trucking operation from Ireland to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), seamlessly crossing 13 countries in the process.

The 8,000km shipment of baby food travelled through Ireland, the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Türkiye, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE under the TIR system, enabling secure customs transit across multiple borders and jurisdictions.

Unlike multimodal solutions that involve several handovers, transshipments and cargo transfers, the goods remained in the same vehicle throughout the journey. This preserved product integrity, reduced handling risks, and provided end-to-end visibility through continuous GPS tracking.

The operation took only 20 days, compared to more than 70 days via traditional maritime routes.

“This journey demonstrates what can be achieved when innovation, planning and international cooperation come together,” said Vijay Ajerla, Managing Director – UAE, Hendrick Logistics.

“Our objective was not only to successfully deliver the shipment but also to demonstrate the viability of a direct Europe-to-GCC road freight corridor capable of supporting temperature-controlled cargo with complete visibility and security,” he added.

“For temperature-sensitive products, maintaining a stable cold chain is one of the most critical aspects of transport operations,” said IRU TIR and Transit Development Senior Manager Rami Karout.

“The successful movement was the result of coordination among operators and customs across Europe and the Middle East, facilitated by the TIR system,” he added.

Hendrick Logistics Ireland is currently transporting another shipment of temperature-controlled products from Ireland to the UAE under TIR.