Schmidbauer is among the finalists for the 2026 Heavy Lift Awards in the “Overland Transport Provider of the Year” category. This is a big honor for our team and the project we submitted.
The Heavy Lift Awards are among the most prestigious international accolades in the heavy-lift and project logistics industry and are organized by Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International (HLPFI). We are particularly pleased to be on the shortlist as one of nine finalists worldwide in our category.
The nomination is based on the transport of a 374-metric-ton power transformer from Regensburg to Datteln.
This project presented our team with numerous technical and logistical challenges. The transformer was transported by rail, road, and inland waterway—with the heavy-haul transport overland serving as the central link in the entire transport chain. Every single phase of the project required precise coordination between the various modes of transport and the utmost accuracy in planning and execution.
Right at the starting point, the transformer was pulled with millimeter precision from the building onto a specially prepared rail system and then loaded onto a 32-axle flatbed trailer system. After safe transport by rail, the transformer was transferred to an inland waterway vessel at the Port of Regensburg using an LR 1800-1.0 crawler crane.
At the destination port, the transformer was transported further using an 18-axle InterCombi with a Power Booster before it was finally positioned precisely in its final location with the help of our SBL 600 lifting frame system.
The heavy loads and complex conditions along the entire transport route posed a particular challenge. Extensive load-bearing capacity calculations, route analyses, engineering planning, and specially developed solutions for challenging ground conditions and load distributions were crucial to the project’s success. Even for the final positioning of the lifting frame system, customized solutions had to be developed in collaboration with structural engineering firms and the plant operator.
Thanks to the close collaboration of our project teams, state-of-the-art heavy-lift technology, and meticulous preparation, the entire transport was completed on schedule, safely, and without incident.
This nomination is a special honor for us and, at the same time, a recognition of the daily work of our employees. It demonstrates what is possible when engineering expertise, experience, and teamwork go hand in hand.
A big thank you to our entire team as well as all project partners who contributed to this success. We are proud of this international recognition and are keeping our fingers crossed for our team.
