Vehicle Types & Loading · Irkeshtam Port Heavy Vehicle Guide

About Irkeshtam Port

Irkeshtam Port is located in Wuqia County, Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang. It is China's westernmost land port, bordering Kyrgyzstan, and a core hub for road transport connecting Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan).

Using Irkeshtam Port as its base, Xier International Logistics integrates flatbeds, skeleton trailers, car carriers, reefers and special flatbeds to provide stable cross-border road transport and port transshipment services.

Note: The specifications below are reference values for common Chinese / Kyrgyz heavy vehicles at Irkeshtam Port. Individual vehicle conditions vary; actual dimensions, volume and load capacity are subject to the dispatched vehicle.

Quick guide: which vehicle for which cargo

Even for the same truckload, choosing the wrong vehicle makes a big difference: loading light bulky goods on a flatbed wastes volume; forcing equipment components into a van means oversized items won't fit and you need a second transfer. Below are vehicle recommendations by common cargo type at Irkeshtam Port — pick the vehicle from the images first, then check the detailed specs and photos below.

Yijiezi (single-section van)

General cargo workhorseEnclosed vanLTL consolidation

The most common enclosed general cargo van at the port. Preferred for general merchandise, building material fittings and loose cargo sensitive to moisture or loss; for consolidated loads, stack in layers by unloading order — load last-to-unload first.

Inner 13.6 × 2.5 × 2.7 m | Volume 90–100 cbm | Tare 15–17 t

Datongdao (high-volume van)

Largest volumeLight bulky cargoBest for volume

The largest-volume class of van, suited to moving light bulky cargo such as garments, footwear and household goods that take space but not weight — saving freight on the same volume.

Inner 16 × 2.5 × 2.8 m | Volume 100–125 cbm | Tare 16–17 t

Erjiezi (two-section van)

Max volumeFull truckload directTwo-section loading

A tractor plus trailer with two van sections, giving the highest volume ceiling — suited to full truckload direct shipping of large batches of light bulky cargo. Note the two sections must be loaded separately and balanced front-to-back to avoid uneven load.

Tractor 7.7×2.45×3 / trailer 8.8×2.45×3.1 m | Volume 120–130 cbm | Tare 16–17 t

13 m flatbed

Oversize / overheightEquipment & componentsTarpaulin & lashing required

An open platform with no van height limit, suited to oversize and overheight equipment and components. After loading it must be covered with a tarpaulin and lashed at multiple points — inspections are frequent en route to the port.

Deck 13 × 2.5 m | Tare 16–17.5 t

13.75 m flatbed

Wider deckMachinerySteel structures

Deck widened to 3 m — choose it for over-width machinery, steel structures and large molds. Confirm port and Kyrgyz road restrictions in advance for over-width items.

Deck 13.75 × 3 m | Tare 16–17.5 t

16 m flatbed

Over-lengthProfiles & pipesLong cargo

Deck extended to 16 m, purpose-built for long cargo: profiles, pipes, long-shaft equipment. The protruding part must be clearly marked and declared.

Deck 16 × 3 m | Tare 16.5–17.5 t

Skeleton trailer

Container-onlyNo restuffing20/40 ft

A dedicated chassis for 20 ft / 40 ft containers. Choosing it for full container loads avoids a second handling — suited to high-value, damage-sensitive cargo you don't want restuffed.

Deck 13.95 × 2.5 m | Tare 14–16 t

Car carrier

Vehicle transportComplete vehicle exportDouble-deck cage

A double-deck cage structure dedicated to transporting cars / complete vehicles (new and used vehicle export). Loading is arranged by wheelbase and vehicle height, with upper and lower decks secured separately.

Inner 13.7 × 2.55 × 3.6 m

Reefer

Cold chain / temperature controlFruit, vegetables & frozenPharma & food

Fitted with an independent refrigeration unit, dedicated to temperature-controlled cargo such as fruit and vegetables, frozen goods, food and pharmaceuticals. Pre-cool before loading, leave air channels when stacking, and keep the unit running during port inspection.

Inner 13.6 × 2.45 × 2.65 m | Volume 86 / 88 / occasionally 92 cbm | Tare ≥17.5 t

Special flatbed

OversizeConstruction machineryIrregular shapes

Special structures such as hydraulic and low-bed flatbeds, handling excavators, engineering equipment and irregular large items. Specifications and transit windows must be confirmed case by case — submit plans in advance.

Specifications subject to the actual dispatched vehicle

Four loading principles

Cross-border transport via the port involves an extra transfer step, so loading matters more than in domestic transport. These four points are where problems most often arise in practice:

Heavy cargo by ton, light cargo by volume

Choose by cargo nature first: for heavy cargo like steel and equipment, calculate load capacity first; for bulky cargo like garments and general merchandise, calculate volume first. Most under-utilization comes from squeezing bulky cargo into a small vehicle.

Heavy not on light, large not on small

Heavy cargo at the bottom, light on top; isolate fragile items to avoid crush damage over long hauls and during transfer.

Center of gravity centered, balanced front and rear

Symmetric left to right and balanced front to back — this affects driving safety and directly determines whether port inspection goes smoothly.

Declare oversize in advance, always lash flatbeds

Over-width, over-height and over-length items must be confirmed in advance against Chinese and Kyrgyz road restrictions; all flatbeds must be covered with a tarpaulin and lashed at multiple points.

How to estimate volume: don't treat rated capacity as actual load

The volume stated for a vehicle type is theoretical; actual loading is less. TakingYijiezi 90–100 cbmas an example: deduct loading access and stacking gaps, and usually apply a 15% reduction (85%)factor to estimate usable volume; if cargo is irregularly packed or palletized, apply a further 10% reduction. That works out to roughly 70–80 cbmof usable space.

Conversely, if you have heavy cargo, the volume will never be used up — the constraint is load capacity, not volume, so switch to “configure by ton and prefer a vehicle with lower tare weight”.

Note: the loading advice in this section is based on each vehicle's body structure and deck dimensions, and is a selection reference only. Actual load capacity, volume and condition vary per vehicle; the dispatched vehicle and current port restrictions prevail. For oversize and special items, confirm the transit window with dispatch in advance.