Boxco Logistics lived up to its reputation of being the most dependable heavy-lift logistics provider, even in challenging circumstances. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sudden disruption of life in general. In particular, the transportation of heavy-lift and over-dimensional cargo (ODC), which requires an immense amount of precision planning, was affected by the commencement of a countrywide lockdown from 25th March 2020.
Moving massive heavy-lift and ODC packages on multiple axles on roads in these circumstances has numerous challenges, especially in the initial phases of the lockdown when nothing was allowed to move. Fortunately, the impending disruption was read well by the management, and business continuity plans were in place.
Boxco Logistics takes great pride in being a part of India’s success story for over three decades. The equipment that we deliver ensures that our country’s refineries, power plants, steel plants and other important projects are completed on time. This is our humble contribution to reducing the impact that the pandemic has had on the nation’s economy. When nothing was allowed to move, it was indeed a challenge to convince the security personnel on the ground of the importance of moving these massive pieces of equipment.
However, as has been said many times by many people, nobody alive has seen such a situation, but the teams went the extra mile and used all the available resources to achieve the group’s goal of keeping the wheels moving under any adverse conditions.
To give an example, the first two packages moved during the lockdown were two heavy-lift columns using 16-axle and 12-axle lines, respectively, from the manufacturing facility in Tarapur to Bhatinda, a good 1500 km away.
The lockdown was announced when these packages were already en route at the Sirsa bypass in Haryana. The cargo, however, was critical for the refinery expansion project, and Boxco, as the service provider, was under immense pressure from the client to get the columns moving.
The Boxco Logistics team, with good support from the clients, was eventually able to convince the authorities to allow the movement. One advantage of the lockdown was that the roads were relatively empty.
The remaining distance of 100 km to Bhatinda was completed in 6 hours.
With the first packages delivered, we went about moving the other packages with confidence.
Boxco also successfully delivered a gas phase reactor weighing 85 MT on a 10-axle line along with other packages from Mumbai Port to Bhatinda.
The story does not end here, as Boxco teams are currently moving the top and bottom sections of a reactor weighing 205 and 150 MT, respectively, on 16-axle and 12-axle lines from Tarapur in Maharashtra to Bhatinda.
In the super ODC segment, the team also delivered a 40-metre-long package weighing 621 MT on 24 parallel SPMT lines.
Boxco Logistics takes great pride in its operations team, which is today considered the best heavy-lift team in the country. More importantly, the team members have braved the challenges of the lockdown, convincing numerous authorities and fighting the lack of local support while ensuring they have adequate resources and at the same time ensuring they are safe and protected.
The safety of the operators is paramount for Boxco Logistics, and hence, all the movements were undertaken with the minimum number of experienced staff.
This adds to the long list of ODCs moved in challenging conditions by Boxco Logistics.
The following table lists the packages moved by Boxco during the lockdown.
Boxco also moved a 150 MT granite block to be used for the construction of the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Gurupura in Karnataka. The block was moved on 10 axles.
Amongst Boxco’s varied activities, the Customs Clearance and Forwarding Department is also extensively connected with both internal and numerous external bodies. The C&F department strategised that, irrespective of the lockdown, whatever came within the ambit of Boxco’s functions should continue uninterrupted as before. Thus, vital office systems were carefully taken home by staff. Thereafter, the follow-up of tasks from home offices, on the ground and with other stakeholders was then possible, as circumstances and government stipulations permitted.
The field staff was given clear instructions to minimise risks. Daily coordination discussions helped to optimise staff deployment and travel arrangements. Evening briefings ensured that the team was fully aware of the ground situation and difficulties at various places. Various government departments, including customs, helped to facilitate the processes. The department obtained, as a priority, essential service passes for its field staff right from the start of the lockdown. Also, it set up a protocol for communicating with customs officers by email.
Thus, work that was previously done by people sitting within a few desks of each other is now being seamlessly handled by personnel spread all across the city and hinterland. Boxco has continued to deliver its customs clearance function effectively, as before, limited only by the capabilities of its clients and other organizations. Initially, the team witnessed the surreal atmosphere of vacant and locked customs offices at various places and an almost nil evacuation from ports, and often had to return from the field without having achieved anything although being fully prepared to execute. From the first stirrings of activity to the issues now unfolding due to a shortage of labour and drivers for trucking, team Boxco is geared up to deliver through it all. Clearances, despite the lack of original documents, which are often mandatory, were executed by communicating appropriately with the hierarchy in Customs and Shipping Lines. Solutions were found on a case-by-case basis by making meaningful substitutions and undertakings from the client. Almost all types of cargo, including steel, coils, plates, tubes, project equipment, machinery, sugar, rice and chemicals, and the vessels themselves, have been cleared and delivered during the lockdown across the ports in India, quite often surpassing the expectations of the clients.
The challenges due to the lockdown have been huge, and the extensive arrangements may still have fallen short, but for the strong commitment to deliver made by the team across all levels at Boxco. For now, it seems that the most stringent phase of the lockdown is over, but we are not letting our guard down, and we are further sharpening our operations as we go forward with confidence and pride.
