Realogistics Completed Canada to Iraq Multimodal Transport

1. Time

August 2025

2. Main Scope of Entrustment

The client entrusted Realogistics to transport a shipment of project equipment, originating from Alberta in Western Canada, for cross-border transport and final delivery to a project site in Iraq.

3. Cargo Information

• • Cargo Attributes: Project equipment (General Cargo, Non-DG, no batteries, non-magnetic).
• • Cargo Specifications:
• • Initial Data: 2 pieces, Total Weight 1650 KGS, Longest side 3 meters.
• • Final Actual Shipment Data: 1 piece, Total Weight 900 KGS, Length increased to 4 meters (Over-length cargo).

4. Mode of Transport

Road Freight + Air Freight + Sea Freight (International Multimodal Transport)

5. Routing

• • Road Leg: Calgary, Canada → Toronto.
• • Air Leg: Toronto (YYZ) → Istanbul, Turkey (IST) → Dubai, UAE (DWC/DXB).
• • Sea/Final Leg: Dubai → Umm Qasr Port, Iraq → Iraq Project Site.

6. Operational Characteristics & Challenges

This case faced a triple challenge regarding geographical location, cargo changes, and documentation timelines during execution:

• • Remote Pickup Location: The pickup point was deep inland in Western Canada, far from major eastern ports and airports. Air freight via Vancouver (West Coast) lacked subsequent flight resources; transshipment via Chicago (USA) faced complex T&E transit bond procedures and high cross-border trucking costs.
• • Sudden Change in Cargo Data: Near the shipment date, packaging changed from 2 pieces to 1 piece, with length suddenly increasing from 3 meters to 4 meters. This dimensional change meant most passenger aircraft belly holds could not load it, requiring an urgent switch to wide-body freighters.
• • Conflict between Timeline and Documentation: Customs clearance at the destination port required a full set of original embassy-legalized documents, which have a long processing cycle. The client's delivery deadline was tight; following standard procedures (legalizing in the origin country before shipping) would result in missed deadlines.
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7. Realogistics' Solutions

In response to these challenges, the Realogistics team formulated a precise "Space for Time" and "Parallel Processing" strategy:

• • Road Transport Strategy (Solving Inland Pickup): Abandoning the US transit and Vancouver options, Toronto (rich in flight resources) was selected as the departure airport. We coordinated with a local Canadian fleet to arrange an Air Ride Truck. It took 3 days to safely transport the 4-meter precision equipment across the Canadian interior from West to East (Toronto).
• • Air Transport Strategy (Solving Dimension Change): Addressing the sudden change to 4-meter cargo, we quickly adjusted the route planning and secured space on a wide-body freighter capable of handling over-length cargo. This ensured immediate connection to international flights upon arrival in Toronto, avoiding the risk of offloading due to size issues.
• • Transit Strategy (Solving Documentation Timeline): We established Dubai as the core transit hub. We innovatively used the transit time from Canada to Dubai to synchronize the processing of embassy legalization documents locally in Dubai. Once the cargo arrived in Dubai by air, it was immediately switched to sea freight for Iraq. This achieved "Cargo Arrives, Documents Arrive," perfectly meeting the client's delivery deadline while staying within budget.

8. Conclusion

This case is a classic demonstration of Realogistics' global resource integration and emergency response capabilities.

• • Extreme Adaptability and Professionalism: Facing sudden, significant changes in cargo data, the Realogistics team conceived and deduced multiple scenarios within a very short time, locking in the optimal solution the moment final packaging was completed. The ability to quickly adjust emergency plans under pressure and deliver on time convincingly demonstrates Realogistics' deep professional expertise.
• • Strategic Timeline Management: Addressing complex legalization requirements, Realogistics innovatively shifted the document processing workflow to the Dubai transit hub. Focusing on safe cargo departure in Canada while parallel processing documents in Dubai—this "Segmented Focus, Parallel Advancement" strategy ensured a rapid response for the initial air leg while gaining time for the more cost-effective sea freight in the final leg. This move clearly demonstrated Realogistics' strategic layout advantages across different logistics stages to the client.
• • Control over Global Networks: From the icy inland roads of Canada to transoceanic air freight, and finally Middle East sea freight, the entire project spanned four countries: Canada, USA (contingency planning), UAE, and Iraq. Realogistics perfectly mastered the seamless connection of Road, Sea, and Air transport modes. This not only reflects strong business penetration and extensibility in North America and the Middle East but also fully showcases its grand layout capabilities and exceptional end-to-end control in the field of international logistics.