Career
A lighter doesn’t strike an average user as anything special, especially not in terms of how it traveled into his pocket from the factory. Shipping this simple item, however, requires only slightly fewer permits than are required to ship a nuclear reactor. To handle a highly complex transportation project involving moving lighters over long distances, one client relied on AsstrA.
A large consumer goods distribution company came to AsstrA with a request to quickly ship a batch of lighters from a temporary storage warehouse in Moscow to the final warehouse in Novosibirsk. Lighters are classified as class-2 hazardous cargo, i.e. “gases.”
Every detail is taken into account when organizing the transportation of dangerous goods. Packaging, labeling, how cargo is secured, and vehicle parameters are all important to ensuring the safety of the transported goods and the environment. Taking into account all the input parameters – e.g cargo features, costs, and timing – the client chose rail transportation from all of the options proposed by AsstrA experts.
In accordance with the ADR, SMGS, and CRTD – a European agreement concerning the international road carriage of dangerous goods, an agreement on international goods transport by rail, and a convention on civil liability for damage caused during carriage of dangerous goods by road, rail and inland waterways, respectively – transportation of goods classified as dangerous requires appropriate documents and permits. The transport of dangerous goods is possible only if the vehicle can safely transport them and the driver has received special ADR training.
Under the terms of the contract, comprehensive door-to-door transportation was to be carried out, so AsstrA acted as the sender of the cargo. Company specialists took over handling the transportation paperwork, including product insurance. To pick up the container from the temporary storage warehouse in Moscow, AsstrA experts chartered customized vehicles with permits for the transportation of dangerous goods, issued the required accompanying documents for the import of the container to the departure station, and also provided the container markings necessary for the transportation of dangerous goods.
"Working with dangerous goods requires obtaining many permits. For example, loading and delivery of dangerous goods to a given station requires the permission of its top management. We were able to have the necessary permits and documents issued within a week, which allowed us to meet the time frame stipulated in the contract. In addition, an AsstrA representative at the Kuntsevo-2 railway station passed a special Russian Railways exam so as to facilitate this project. Passing the exam allows you to send dangerous goods from a particular station during the year," says Gleb Goncharov, Trade Lane Manager in the AsstrA Rail Freight Transportation Department.
After the 40-foot container full of lighters arrived at the station in Novorossiysk as part of a container train, AsstrA specialists ensured the delivery of cargo by means of a container ship to the final warehouse. In total, delivery from the temporary storage warehouse in Moscow to the warehouse in Novosibirsk took 5 days.
"The more specific a product is, the more nuances are usually involved in the delivery process. Rail transport minimizes risks and ensures accurate delivery times. AsstrA specialists’ competence allows customers to take full advantage of rail transportation for all categories of goods. AsstrA handles all key decisions and ensures safe and timely delivery. Our customers get their logistics taken care of without all the headaches," summarizes Andrew Sulla, Deputy COO for Rail Freight Transportation at AsstrA.
