LUXURY TRANSPORT IN THE MIDDLE EAST. WHICH DESTINATIONS?

HOW TO SHIP LUXURY CARS FROM FRANCE TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND VICE VERSA?

When you have to carry out luxury transport from France to the Middle East, there are some considerations to make and which influence the choice of the logistics operator. The first consideration is, surely, on the cost factor. Transporting a luxury car, a work of art, a high-value boat, using a series of carriers, in a varied combination of means of transport which, inevitably, involves an equally varied series of logistical operations, can lead to significant cost variations.

The transport, depending on the routes, the timing, the necessary documentation, the partnership agreements with the territorial referents, the interport hubs, the border crossings, the specific regulations in force in the countries considered, may be more or less convenient.

This is why it will be essential to get a detailed estimate based on the distance travelled, the characteristics of the transport, the conditions of supply and insurance protection. There can be a thousand unforeseen events, delays, inefficiencies that only a logistics operator with great experience can manage and solve in order to fulfill the task by achieving the best results, both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view.

The transport of luxury vehicles from France to the Middle East and vice versa has been managed by Trasauto Logistica, for over fourty years, with the utmost rigor, from the quotation and the related transport plan to delivery. Often finding themselves faced with particular stories, in some cases adventurous and fascinating. Real challenges brilliantly overcome, from a logistical point of view, and which involved different characters.

The latter have sometimes turned to our company to solve problems they had encountered with other operators, previously in charge. Some of these cases are to be considered important focuses for Trasauto Logistica, because they have greatly contributed to the growth of our know-how.

Below, some stories that are worth telling.

LUXURY TRANSPORT FROM FRANCE TO TURKEY

A French manager, Alexis F., tells us about an episode that took place in 2013, on the occasion of the participation of a well-known French luxury brand in the exhibition at the museum of contemporary art in the capital, Turkey (ISTANBUL MODERN). It was a prestigious event that brought together over 74 fashion houses from beyond the Alps. Also present at the event was the then French Minister of Foreign Trade. The manager had to take care of meticulously and accurately organizing all the phases of the display of the garments and the events accompanying the exhibition.

Obviously, shipping an entire collection to Turkey was a bit complicated. Dealing with an international transport from France to Turkey necessarily required to rely on a company that periodically carried out transport in Turkey.

FROM THE STREETS OF PARIS TO ISTANBUL. SAFE AND PUNCTUAL LUXURY TRANSPORT

It was a journey almost 3.000 kilometers long, from Paris to Istanbul. The company agreed with the French manager on a transport that had to guarantee two specific parameters: safety and punctuality. The items in the collection were absolutely not to be ruined and above all unforeseen events and/or delays were absolutely forbidden.

For the long journey, the trucking company decided to undertake various solutions, using combined solutions (road transport/air transport). The first section using road transport, from Paris to Budapest and the second section using air transport, from Budapest to Istanbul.

After about a week, the logistics company agreed on the timing of the transport, attributing a duration of about 36 hours to the overall Paris-Istanbul route. Therefore, it was necessary that in the operations of transferring the load, from the road train to the air cargo, there was no unexpected event.

Everything was ready, including the accompanying documentation and the haulier set off on time for the transport from France to Turkey.

However, the logistics company overlooked a fundamental detail. The necessary rest time to be granted to the haulier.

The latter, once having traveled the Paris-Vienna route, immediately after Vienna, stops for a break. And, sensing symptoms of tiredness, with obvious repercussions on driving, he allowed himself the necessary rest, since he had not yet been able up to that moment, due to the urgency.

As we know, according to the European regulation CE n. 561 dated 15/03/2006, a truck should not be driven more than 9 hours a day, interspersed with breaks for a total of 45 minutes every 4.5 hours of travel. These 45 minutes should be enough to eat a meal or a snack, do some stretching exercises and a short walk to restore good circulation or a short rest to recharge body and mind.

In the subsequent load control activity, preliminary to the restart, upon opening the doors, he found a series of packages, lying on the ground and open, and therefore a series of items from the collection completely ruined.

The rush to deliver everything on time cost both the insurance company and the logistics operator. Not to mention the insured himself, since the relative compensation certainly could not make up for the absence of unique non-replicable items at the exhibition.

Therefore, the control activities must, necessarily, be aimed at ensuring:

• the absolute impossibility of tilting and/or overturning the packaging during movement;
• the perfect fastening of the platforms to the load retaining bars;
• direct and friction anchoring systems suitable for anchoring materials of different volumes and dimensions;
• the distribution of the maximum/minimum loads suitable for each axle.

The securing of the load shall be such as to resist the forces resulting from accelerations and decelerations of the vehicle. Differently, in the specific case, the need for a rapid departure forced an approximation of the preliminary load control operations.

A voluminous package, stuck in the middle of a metal beam, due to the accelerations of the vehicle, broke, spilling the entire contents, irreparably damaged. Having discovered what had happened, the driver informs the transport company. Unfortunately, the item cannot be replaced. The luxury garments, in an exhibition marked by detail and uniqueness, are irreproducible.

The manager told us about this episode, recalling the moments of anger and discouragement. All the more so when it comes to luxury transportation, these mistakes cannot happen. Of little relevance is the fact, reported by the company in charge of the transport, that the load was in any case insured.

And in fact, the manager who, for the continuation, turned to us was absolutely right.

The over fourty-year experience accumulated by Trasauto Logistica would have prevented us from making such a mistake. Because, to ensure efficient road haulage, the driver's health comes first. And the organization of a transport must respect the right timing, from the preliminary control of the goods to the inventory of the delivery at the end of the transport.

This is part of a logistics organization which, even in the event of tight delivery times, and for long distances as in this case, from France to Turkey, must protect the professional in order to offer an always punctual and reliable service.

LUXURY TRANSPORT AND PARISIAN ART. THE FORCED STOP

Another case certainly worth mentioning, comes from an owner of a painting attributed to an artist who, having disappeared for a few years, rose to prominence a few years later, following particularly positive reviews from some art critics.

The owner of the painting, Richard G., wanted to temporarily make it available to a famous museum, the Dubai Museum inside the Al Fahidi Fort, on the occasion of a famous exhibition. He had to rely on a trucking company to ship the work of art to Dubai with a fast and safe transfer.

THE FRENCH OPERA THAT NEVER REACHED ITS DESTINATION

Since it is not so much a question of fragile goods, but of the transport of a work of art, therefore of an asset of cultural significance, the legislation on the circulation of works requires that the interested party provide the transport company with the documentation relating to the circulation.

In this case, since it was a very long journey, a transport from France to the United Arab Emirates, the best mode of transport was considered that of intermodal transport. Using partly road transport, partly sea transport.

The work of art would have traveled by road transport in armored cars, up to Austria, to then continue the section by air transport from Innsbruck to Athens and finally continue by sea transport from Greece to Israel and subsequently continue the section by road from Israel to Dubai.

However, the problem arose when the ship arrived in Greece: in the absence of the temporary export and shipment license, the transport was blocked by the competent Greek authorities. The control bodies, due to the lack of documentary evidence, in addition to the administrative detention, also ordered a pecuniary administrative sanction.

The owner came to us repeatedly recommending that he would never want to relive the terrible experience with another logistics operator.

Trasauto Logistica would not have allowed this to happen. The documentation of a transport is one of the fundamental phases that we take care of, in order to avoid unforeseen events along the entire journey. And it belongs to a way of doing logistics that first of all interprets the customer's needs, guiding them towards the most appropriate choices so that the best result can be guaranteed.

In the specific case, the law provides that the license must be requested for the release of cultural assets, which do not fall under the EEC regulation 3911/92, referred to in Annex A of Legislative Decree 42/04, and for works subject to a ban on export intended for cultural events, shows and exhibitions, subject to authorization by the competent Ministry.

In the absence of said licence, any logistics operator would have had to intervene and request in time what was necessary for the correct execution of the transport. And exactly, in the case of international transport, the following documentation is required:

• The packing slip (the supporting document for the preparation of the bill of lading)
• The bill of lading (also called freight bill, it is used for any mode of freight transport (air, rail, sea or road)
• The letter of instructions to the shipper (the information document on the details of the sender and the consignee, the notified part, the departure and the destination, the description and measurements of the product and other special instructions)
• The carrier policy or insurance (The insurance certificate specifying the details of the carrier insurance or policy, including cover and deductible)
• The air waybill (the transport document required for the shipment of goods by air)
• Proof of collection and delivery (Documents certifying both the collection of the shipment and the successful delivery and the acceptance of the shipment by the sender)

and as in this case:

• Temporary export or shipment license (Issued by the competent Ministry for the export of goods or works, subject to export bans, intended for cultural events, shows and exhibitions).

Trasauto Logistica, has been involved in organizing the transport of goods internationally outside the EU for over fourty years. And it does so, aware that these are complex systems, governed by laws that vary from country to country.

In fact, thanks to the numerous partnership agreements and in compliance with the various customs regulations, Trasauto Logistica allows the goods entrusted to it to move safely, with the correct documentation and the relative insurance coverage.

THE ARABIAN RUMBLE ARRIVES IN FRANCE. LUXURY TRANSPORT FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

In this case, the transport we will describe is dedicated to another type of goods, it is the transport of luxury cars. Entrepreneur Hassan A.H., owner of a well-known car manufacturer in Tel Aviv, Middle East, needed a trucking company to transport luxury cars to France. The intent was to sell all or part of the shipment at a prestigious car fair, which was already largely optioned by French tycoons. Except possibly in the event of failure to sell, the remaining cars must be repatriated to Tel Aviv.

It was therefore necessary to ship 14 cars, including supercars and luxury cars, and arrange for shipment within 30 working days. Hassan contacted Trasauto Logistica directly. But let's read the details of the luxury shipping.

ARAB ENTREPRENEUR HASSAN HAS AN IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT IN PARIS

Since this was not an easy transport and required combinations of different means, it was necessary to plan a customized solution to ship cars safely.

The transport from Israel to France was planned as follows: from Tel Aviv to Ankara by car transporter, from Ankara to Palermo by air cargo, from Palermo to Montpellier by ship, and finally, to Paris again by car transporter. In express delivery, Trasauto Logistica estimated 11 days (264 hours).

Most of these intercontinental transports are carried out with the help of sea transport. The latter is a fundamental variant when it comes to intermodal transport, since, for such long and complex routes, maritime transport becomes a solution that is not only economically sustainable, but also essential for containing the environmental impact.

It is advisable to provide in time without the time variable affecting planning, since, if this were the case, to guarantee delivery times, the sea component would have had to be reduced in favor of other faster and certainly less convenient solutions.

A determining factor in the reliability of the logistics operator, in these cases, is the exact calculation of the time required for delivery, which can only depend on a correct analysis, result of careful planning.

Planning an intermodal transport requires checks after checks, which obviously, if carried out by qualified personnel, operating in structures with many years of know-how and consolidated partnerships, is an activity that can be performed in a short time.

However, the benefits of shipping by sea are undeniable. We always offer this possibility to customers who, like Hassan, have to move goods in considerable quantities and volumes and can combine the parameters of speed and cost-effectiveness. To get to offer the service closest to their expectations.

As far as the logistical calculation of delivery times is concerned, Trasauto Logistica always maintains a prudent attitude. Also because the ship is the slowest means of transport and, consequently, also the transport and the relative delivery. And, in this case, for the Israel – France transport, which took longer than expected for the roll on/off in Palermo, Hassan A. H.'s supercars arrived on time, in exactly 260 hours to be exhibited at the renowned French automobile exhibition for luxury cars.

TRANSPORT OF VEHICLES TO AND FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

HAVING CARS TRANSPORTED TO AND FROM THE MIDDLE EAST IS CONVENIENT WITH TRASAUTO LOGISTICA

For many years Trasauto Logistica has been providing a personalized luxury transport service which includes the transport of luxury cars, transport of vintage cars, transport of supercars.

Even if cars have to be transported by ship, Trasauto Logistica efficiently calculates all the times necessary to avoid delays of any kind. The large network of partners makes it possible to plan the shipment in every aspect. And being equipped with a team that works accurately so that the shipment arrives at its destination on time and in the right conditions, Trasauto Logistica can be considered, to all intents and purposes, the most reliable logistics partner for both individuals and professionals.

We operate in diversified territorial contexts, in Europe and all over the world to transport goods of any type to and from the Middle East. The ability to always guarantee a service that combines professionalism, speed and convenience is part of our DNA.

If you need to transport luxury items or vehicles, just fill in our contact form. The staff in charge will quickly draw up a detailed quotation, suitable for determining the amount that you will have to spend in order for the transport to be completed with maximum efficiency.

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Or for personalized assistance, you can call our offices in Italy at: +39 (0) 828 1818150  or request more information also by e-mail: info@trasauto.com