Hendrick Logistics Ireland has successfully completed a temperature-controlled trucking operation from Ireland to the United Arab Emirates, crossing 13 countries over 8,000km under the TIR customs transit system while keeping the shipment in a single vehicle throughout the journey.

According to HGV Ireland, the cargo, consisting of baby food, travelled through Ireland, the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Türkiye, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with continuous GPS tracking providing end-to-end visibility across the entire route. The operation was completed in 20 days, significantly faster than the more than 70 days typically required via traditional maritime routes.

Vijay Ajerla, managing director UAE at Hendrick Logistics, said: "This journey demonstrates what can be achieved when innovation, planning and international cooperation come together. Our objective was not only to successfully deliver the shipment but also to demonstrate the viability of a direct Europe-to-GCC road freight corridor capable of supporting temperature-controlled cargo with complete visibility and security."

Rami Karout, TIR and Transit Development senior manager at IRU, said: "For temperature-sensitive products, maintaining a stable cold chain is one of the most critical aspects of transport operations. The successful movement was the result of coordination among operators and customs across Europe and the Middle East, facilitated by the TIR system."

Unlike multimodal solutions involving multiple handovers, transshipments and cargo transfers, the goods remained in the same vehicle for the duration of the journey. This approach preserved product integrity, reduced handling risks and ensured uninterrupted cold-chain continuity across all 13 countries and their respective customs jurisdictions.

The TIR system, administered by the IRU, enables secure customs transit across multiple borders through a globally recognised carnet, reducing the administrative complexity and delay typically associated with cross-border freight movements involving numerous separate jurisdictions.

Hendrick Logistics Ireland is currently transporting a further shipment of temperature-controlled products from Ireland to the UAE under the TIR system, indicating that the initial operation has progressed from proof of concept to an active commercial corridor.