6.9M Extra-Long Aluminum Air Freight To Dubai: Key Pitfalls & Tips
Mr. Lu had a batch of extra-long aluminum profiles that needed shipping from China to UAE. Each piece was 6.9 meters long. Not very heavy, but the length made it a typical over-length cargo – much longer than a standard 20‑foot pallet (which is about 6.06 meters). Shipping it was way more complicated than regular goods.
First, the cargo was in Nanping, over 600 km from Shenzhen. Just moving it by truck was a headache. Regular box trucks are usually 4.2–4.5 meters long. Even if you fold the passenger seat all the way forward and let the bars poke toward the windshield, you only get about 5 meters – the back door still won’t close. So we had to use a flatbed or a high‑side trailer with an open deck. We do shipping to Dubai all year round, so we know every truck type, length, and height inside out.
Luckily, we have our own fleet. Our driver, Mr. Liu, has been doing this for over 20 years. He’s hauled plenty of over‑length stuff like lumber and steel pipes, so he knows the drill. I told him aluminum surfaces scratch easily – not as tough as steel pipes. After loading, the cargo stuck out a good 30‑40 cm on both ends. On the road, we made sure to hang red warning flags. The traffic rules allow some overhang as long as you put up clear warning signs. We tied the aluminum down with 4 nylon straps, crossing them front and back, and placed softwood blocks every meter along the middle to prevent shifting. If it moves during transport, even a little rub leaves a white mark – and no customer wants scratched goods.
I told Mr. Liu to watch out for hard braking or sharp turns that could cause shifting and scraping. So he kept the speed at 80‑90 km/h, much slower than other trucks. He stopped twice at service areas to check every strap – tightness, position – and tightened them up. The Nanping‑Shenzhen run usually takes 6‑7 hours, but we took over 9. We left in the evening and didn’t get to Shenzhen until midnight.
I contacted the airport cargo terminal 3 days ahead. I emailed them the length, gross weight, and packing method well in advance. For such an over‑length shipment, they needed time to check if it could even fit into their handling area. At nearly 7 meters, their standard lift‑platform trucks are only 4‑5 meters long – the extra part would have to be manually pushed and supported, requiring extra staff. Also, security screening was a pain. Regular X‑ray machines can’t handle it; we had to go through the oversized cargo channel, where staff used handheld scanners to check each piece individually. It took time and labor, so early preparation was critical.
After the cargo terminal confirmed they could accept it, we prepared an extra‑long steel‑wood pallet – 7.2 meters. Standard pallets are about 1.2m x 1m – way too short. We positioned the pallet, then used lifting slings to hoist each aluminum bar into place. Once aligned, we strapped the profiles tightly to the pallet with packing bands, added edge protectors to keep the straps from being cut. The whole process took over two hours.
For this kind of over‑length cargo shipping from China to UAE, space had to be booked well in advance. I contacted the airline a week ahead to apply for approval. At nearly 7 meters, the airline had to verify if it could fit through the cargo door and whether it would interfere with internal fixtures like limit stops. China Southern’s cargo team confirmed the 747F main deck could take it – sure, the main deck door is over 3 meters wide and high, so entry wasn’t an issue. The main question was where to position it inside. We settled on a pallet position near the door for easier loading and unloading – no point making extra work for ourselves. Also, I specifically noted “over‑length” and “special lashing required” on the booking form. Honestly, there was an extra charge for over‑length, but Mr. Lu needed fast delivery, and the length couldn’t be changed – no way to save that cost.
After the terminal built the pallet and passed security, the shipment got on the plane as scheduled the next day. The customer received the cargo – all in all, exactly 5 days door‑to‑door.