Mega Shippers

Across the globe there is a hidden army of workers keeping the world's cargo moving 365 days a year. Whether it's high value or high volume they'll do whatever it takes to ensure their cargo gets delivered on time and in perfect condition - in all weather, day and night. There are at least 20 million shipping containers crossing the world's seas at any given time carr... Read all

Genre: Documentary

Cast:Adrian Bower , Stuart Morris , Paul Eastwood , Mark McGrane , Gary Mitchell , Paul Hutchinson , Gary Olden , Steve Alley , Simon Judson , Mejdi Othmanhi , Todd Wilder , Nigel Lanning , Simon Kenion , Howard Gregory , Hugh McCormack , Des Nott , Brian Lisk , Keith Procter

1Season 1

S1.E1 ∙ Grand Ship Auto

2016

Shipping from England to Baltimore, $34 million of vehicles are to waiting to be moved across the Atlantic, but their ride is running late. In New Jersey, a multi-million dollar convoy of nuclear reactor parts presents unique challenges to the crew.

2Season 1

S1.E2 ∙ Mission: Super Yacht

2016

A 20 million dollar super yacht must cross the Atlantic to get to her winter home in Florida but its hurricane season. Meanwhile, mega shippers in England need to get a massive, 20-ton aircraft cabin trainer to its new home 7,000 miles away.

3Season 1

S1.E3 ∙ Ultimate Container Ship

2016

Shippers in Virginia have just 17 hours to shift 5,700 tons of cargo onto a barge, but a killer thunderstorm threatens their chances of hitting the deadline. In Southhampton, the 18000 container vessel Mathilde Maersk, unloads and reloads containers before proceeding to Antwerp.

4Season 1

S1.E4 ∙ Heavy Weights and Perishables

Sweet potatoes from Faizel, North Carolina, are moved to the Port of Virginia and loaded onto the Osaka Express bound for Southampton. Fish feed is loaded onto the ship Daroga for fish farms in the Shetland Islands and two 70 tonne dump trucks are loaded on board Hough Jeddah bound for Durban South Africa.

5Season 1

S1.E5 ∙ Freight of Fire

2016

In Louisiana, 55,000 tons of highly flammable bio-fuel is destined for a hungry power station over 4,500 miles across the Atlantic. Meanwhile, a $10 million ship loader dangles perilously in the sky. And a faulty radio could doom the whole operation.

6Season 1

S1.E6 ∙ Billion Dollar Super Build

In Point Comfort Texas, MV Lone is navigated through the channel before unloading a 726 tonne column for the plastic plant. In Hope, Derbyshire, a rail worker sends 22 train carriages of cement 230km south to London. And a 750-tonne bridge closure section is lifted into place across the River Forth.

7Season 1

S1.E7 ∙ Hardcore Haul

2016

A $49 million rig needs to be relocated from Texas to an oilfield off the Indian coast, and mega shippers will need a radical solution to get it there. Meanwhile, a crew has to lift a 870-ton piece aboard a cargo ship to build a $4 billion warship.

8Season 1

S1.E8 ∙ Migration of the Monsters

2016

A massive airplane is ready for assembly in Alabama, but several huge parts need to arrive from all corners of the globe. Loading a rare three-wheeled sports car, and more logistical headaches trying to stow £100million worth of super yachts onto a vessel carrier in a busy Florida seaway.

1Season 2

S2.E1 ∙ Episode #2.1

Tue, Jul 31, 2018

Thousands of tonnes of fertiliser must be moved before rains threatens to destroy the cargo. A classic car dealer ships a load of vintage motors worth £2million. Documentary profiling the hidden army of workers responsible for keeping the world's cargo ships on the move 365 days a year.

2Season 2

S2.E2 ∙ Episode #2.2

In Rotterdam, two huge cubes are moved off a cargo vessel to a small barge. In Ipswich, 50 trucks are lifted, and in Portsmouth Second World War army tanks are transported.

3Season 2

S2.E3 ∙ Episode #2.3

2018

A naval architect must move a £3billion aircraft carrier from a dry dock. Plus, it proves a tight squeeze shifting 300 tonnes of steel cable under a low bridge.

4Season 2

S2.E4 ∙ Episode #2.4

2018

The pressure is on to export three offshore wind towers to safeguard a Scottish town's economic future. Plus, a 130-ton locomotive is winched onto a narrow trailer.

5Season 2

S2.E5 ∙ Episode #2.5

2018

In Teesside, 75,000 tonnes of coal from the US must be unloaded in just three days. Plus, a new £15-million yacht must be lifted to a cargo ship bound for Greece.

6Season 2

S2.E6 ∙ Episode #2.6

2018

In Oxford, 280 Minis must be loaded onto a train in just six hours. Bound for Southampton, they need to be loaded on ferries for export to China, Japan and the USA.

7Season 2

S2.E7 ∙ Episode #2.7

2018

In Shoreham, 5000 tons of biomass are being shipped to power plants in Sweden. And in King's Lynn, the old power station receives a new gas turbine shipped in from Germany.

8Season 2

S2.E8 ∙ Episode #2.8

2018

In Glasgow, a royal navy patrol vessel must be transported from the shipyard to the water. In Southampton, 600 tons of supplies must be loaded for export to the Channel Islands.

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ Episode #3.1

Wed, Apr 28, 2021

Supercars are shipped from England to Spain ready for an exclusive race day. In Carolina, USA a power plant rotor is airfreighted to Australia, and Scotland awaits a freight of weather-sensitive fertilizer.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ Episode #3.2

Wed, May 5, 2021

In Liverpool, massive machines are brought in to bring down raised dual carriageway, while in South England it is a race against the tide to unload 2000 tons of timber in 2 hours. In Spain the project is to get the first stage of a satellite into orbit.

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ Episode #3.3

Wed, May 12, 2021

In Germany, giant windfarm components are being shipped, and in North Yorkshire a 1930's locomotive is being moved 360 km back to Oxfordshire.

4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ Episode #3.4

Wed, May 19, 2021

In Darwin, Australia a 23000 ton oil rig is taken on a heavy lift vessel, and in Leicester a stone crusher is heading for Africa.

5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ Episode #3.5

Wed, May 26, 2021

In Valencia they are loading ten racing yachts onto a cargo ship, in Yorkshire it's a vintage train that has to get rolling for the first time in 60 years, and on the south coast of England workers struggle to offload 1500 tons of steel in high winds.

6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ Episode #3.6

Wed, Jun 9, 2021

In one of China's biggest docks it's massive shipping cranes that have to be shipped to Miami, in Scotland a ferry has to be squeezed through a lock entrance, and on England's south coast it a race with the weather and sand destined for the Channel Islands.

7Season 3

S3.E7 ∙ Episode #3.7

Wed, Jun 16, 2021

In Denmark loading 2400 tons of wind turbine sections hangs in the balance, in Spain the shipment consists of three cutting-edge trains and in Scotland the workers are racing failing daylight to load compacted rubbish on its way to Sweden to be turned into renewable energy.

8Season 3

S3.E8 ∙ Episode #3.8

Wed, Jun 23, 2021

This time we start in Australia where an oil rig has been left high and dry in the water, in Scotland it is a 10 metre-wide ship that has to be steered through a narrow harbour entrance, and staying in Scotland it is a truckload of Christmas trees taken through narrow forest roads at night.

9Season 3

S3.E9 ∙ Episode #3.9

Wed, Jun 30, 2021

In Miami, Florida they have two days to unload six container cranes. In Montrose, Scotland it is redundant mooring ropes that have to be unloaded, checked and stored, and also in Montrose the port's very own chaplain, Pastor Pete, is there to give advice and support to the seamen.

10Season 3

S3.E10 ∙ Episode #3.10

Wed, Jul 7, 2021

This time we begin in the south of England where a 57m long, 55 ton bridge section has to be loaded and unloaded on trucks. In Scotland, 2,800 tons of timber has to be offloaded before the weather turns, and in Grimsby 6 tons of fresh fish flown in from Iceland needs to be on the supermarket shelves in less than 12 hours.