← Critical Product/Equipment/Process: Industrials, Auto & Infrastructure (all topics)
Specialised cargo (tanker/ODC)
What it is
Freight requiring purpose-built equipment - liquid and gas tankers, over-dimensional cargo trailers for transformers, wind blades and industrial vessels, car carriers and reefer trucks
Each needs specific assets, permits, route surveys and trained crew
Impact on industries
- Realisation is far above general freight because the equipment and permits are scarce and the customer has no commodity alternative
- ODC demand is tied to infrastructure and capital goods cycles - wind blades, transformers and refinery vessels all need it
- Assets are single-purpose, so utilisation depends on a narrow demand stream and cannot be redeployed to general freight
- Route surveys, permits and escorts make execution slow and administratively heavy, with delays outside the operator's control