The Client Didn’t Need a Cheaper Route. They Needed One That Wouldn’t Damage the Cargo.

About This Project

How AGF Shipping moved three large refrigeration units from the UK to New Zealand by rethinking the shipping method itself — not just the route.

The Brief

A client needed three large refrigeration units moved from the UK to New Zealand:

– 15.24m x 3.05m x 3.60m / 14,000kg
– 6.06m x 3.80m x 2.90m / 6,800kg
– 15.24m x 4.05m x 3.34m / 11,000kg

Sizeable, heavy, out-of-gauge cargo — the kind of job that typically defaults to flat rack shipment as standard practice.

The Problem

The client had shipped similar cargo on flat racks before, and it had cost them: accidental damage occurring during securing and lifting, made worse on services involving transhipment, where cargo is handled more than once between origin and destination.

They came to us not looking for the cheapest option, but an alternative that would actually protect the cargo.

The Solution

Rather than default to the standard flat rack approach, we proposed shipping the units as MAFI trailers on a RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) service instead.

The difference matters: RoRo cargo is driven on and off the vessel rather than lifted and re-secured at each handling point, removing much of the risk that comes from repeated crane lifts and rack securing — particularly on routes involving transhipment. Working closely with the team at SCH Southampton, we arranged the units to move this way for the full UK-to-New Zealand route.

The Outcome

The units arrived without the recurring damage the client had experienced on previous shipments — solved not by a different carrier or a cheaper quote, but by questioning whether flat racks were the right method for this cargo at all.

Why This Matters to You

The obvious shipping method isn’t always the right one. If cargo you’ve shipped before has arrived damaged, or a “standard” approach keeps causing the same problem, that’s worth a second look before booking the same way again. Sometimes the fix isn’t a better price — it’s a different method entirely.