Port handling · Kandla and Mundra
Breakbulk is cargo loaded piece by piece rather than in containers: bags, bundles, coils, machinery and loose bulk. Breakbulk handling covers stevedoring on the vessel, loading and unloading at the berth, movement to the warehouse and local transport. We handle dry cargo, plus bulk edible oil and chemicals, at Kandla and Mundra.
Handling is where cargo is damaged or delayed, so it is planned with the vessel's arrival: labour gangs, cranes and equipment, trucks to the warehouse and the customs filing, all booked for the same window.
What's included
Five dry cargo services and two liquid bulk services, each linked from the Services menu.
Dry cargo
Loading and discharging cargo on the vessel, with labour gangs, hook arrangements and supervision on board.
Cargo moved between the berth and your nominated warehouse, loaded and unloaded with the right equipment.
Cargo sorted, repacked and labelled at the port or warehouse, for buyers' marks or damaged packaging.
Loose and bagged bulk cargo handled at the port and moved by road to local warehouses and plants.
Machinery, steel and project pieces handled at the berth with lifting and lashing planned in advance.
Liquid bulk
Bulk edible oil discharged from tankers and moved to storage tanks, with sampling and quantity checks.
Bulk liquid chemicals discharged and moved with the safety documents and handling the class requires.
Process
Handling is booked around the vessel's arrival. Everything waits on the berth window.
Stowage plan, cargo list and the berth window.
Gangs, cranes, trucks and the warehouse booked.
Bill of Entry filed so cargo can move once discharged.
Stevedores discharge the cargo, tallied at the hook.
Trucks move the cargo to the nominated warehouse.
Damaged bags repacked, lots sorted and labelled.
Released and moved by road to the buyer or plant.
Documents
Handling documents plus the customs set, so the cargo can leave the port once discharged.
Not sure what you have? Send photos of your documents on WhatsApp for a first check.
Send on WhatsApp| Document | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bill of lading | Yes | Proves title and lists the cargo |
| Commercial invoice and packing list | Yes | For customs and the tally |
| Cargo manifest and stowage plan | Yes | Where each lot sits on the vessel |
| Bill of Entry or shipping bill | Yes | Filed by us on ICEGATE |
| Warehouse nomination | Yes | Where the cargo goes from the berth |
| Survey report | Often | Quantity and condition at discharge |
| MSDS | Chemicals | Required for hazardous liquid and dry cargo |
Requirements change with the commodity and the rules in force, so we confirm the list for your consignment with every quote.
Quote
Rates and the document list for your consignment, back within 24 hours.
Cargo types
The way cargo is packed decides how it is handled at the port.
| Type | Examples | Handled by |
|---|---|---|
| Breakbulk | Steel coils, bundles, bagged cargo, machinery | Crane and gang, piece by piece |
| Dry bulk | Coal, grain, fertiliser, salt | Grabs, conveyors and tippers |
| Liquid bulk | Edible oil, chemicals | Pipelines to storage tanks, then tanker trucks |
| Containerised | Cartons, pallets in a container | Gantry cranes, container by container |
Ports
At Kandla and Mundra, the two ports closest to our Gandhidham office.
Industries
Steel, agri bulk, liquids and heavy project pieces.
Related services
A stevedore loads and discharges cargo on the vessel: arranging labour gangs, rigging the hooks, working the cargo in and out of the holds and tallying each piece. Good stevedoring prevents damage and keeps the vessel working to its berth window.
Breakbulk is handled in individual pieces, such as bags, bundles, coils and machinery. Bulk cargo is loose and poured or pumped, such as coal, grain or oil. Each needs different equipment at the berth.
Yes. We coordinate discharge from the tanker to the storage tanks, arrange the quantity and quality survey, and move the oil onward by tanker truck. Customs clearance for the consignment is handled by the same team.
Yes, with the safety requirements for the class. We check the MSDS and hazard class first, then arrange discharge, storage and transport suited to the chemical. For clearing and forwarding chemical cargo, see our chemicals and petrochemicals industry page.
It is recorded at the hook, in the tally and in the survey report, with photographs. That record is what an insurance or carrier claim relies on, which is why damage is noted during discharge rather than found later at the warehouse.
Yes. Torn bags can be re-stitched or replaced, lots sorted for different buyers, and buyers' marks or labels applied before delivery, at the port or at the warehouse.
Kandla (Deendayal) and Mundra. Both are close to our office in Gandhidham, so the team supervising the vessel is the same team filing your customs documents.
Tell us the port and the commodity. We come back within 24 hours with rates and the document list.
