Collett & Sons, a leading name in heavy transport logistics, has completed the delivery of six 158-tonne diesel engines from Dublin Port to Orion Business Park, North Dublin for a well-respected global project freight forwarder. This operation exemplifies Collett’s expertise in handling complex heavy transport projects with precision and logistical expertise.
Each engine, measuring 13.4m L x 3.4m W x 4.7m H, was initially received at Dublin Port and shunted across to a secure storage location until the scheduled delivery. To ensure efficiency through self-loading and to accommodate the challenging weight and dimensions of the cargo, Collett’s 250Te capacity Goldhofer girder bridge trailer was built around each engine at the port.
Following a carefully planned schedule, the engines were transported using the 20-axle Girder Bridge trailer. Every delivery adhered to a meticulously surveyed route, with Irish police escort, private escorts and night deliveries setting off at 11pm as stipulated by the local authorities to ensure safe passage of the oversized loads through Dublin.
The project was completed in two phases, with Collett transporting three engines in Phase One and the remaining three in Phase Two. All six units were identical in weight and dimensions, following the same route during each delivery.
Route inspections identified several pinch points that required a combination of rerouting and contraflow manoeuvres to navigate tight turns and low-clearance areas, while reducing or, in some cases, avoiding the need to remove street furniture.
Completing the 15-mile route from port to site, each engine was steered into a transhipment area within Orion Business Park. For the final stage of the delivery, a 10-axle SPMT was utilised, a specialist trailer offering 360-degree steering and vertical lifting or lowering of the load. This made it ideal for the short-distance transfer, particularly given the narrow site access. Each engine was carefully positioned onto its final plinth using jacking equipment, carried out by Collett’s trusted subcontractor.
During the transhipment process, Collett’s Girder Bridge trailer was dismantled and returned to the port, rebuilt and loaded with the next engine, ready for the next move in line with the delivery schedule.
Preliminary works, including detailed route surveys and coordination with Garda escorts, local authorities and stakeholders, ensured the seamless execution of each transport phase.
Requirements such as street furniture removal or modifications, preparing a site car park for transhipment, preparing the ground to support the load and building a new access gate for the engines to enter the site via SPMT from the transhipment area were identified during route surveys and carried out by the Collett team as part of the preliminary works.
