UNSPSC 78101725: Heavy lift transport services

A heavy-lift ship is a vessel service designed to move or transport very large loads that cannot be handled by normal ships, Semi-submersible, Project cargo.

UNSPSC 78101725 Heavy lift transport services is a Commodity code covering the floating, removal, transport, and disposal of derelict vessels and similar waterborne equipment. Recent state and local activity under this code focuses almost entirely on derelict vessel removal operations—the lifting and towing of grounded, partially submerged, or abandoned boats to disposal sites—rather than the broader heavy transport of cargo or industrial equipment. Escambia County, Florida, through its Marine Resources Division, is the dominant issuer, soliciting multiple price quotes for individual vessel removals in support of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission grant applications. Work involves floating grounded vessels, removing hazardous materials and contaminants (fuel, batteries, engines), transporting the vessel to an authorized landfill (typically Perdido Landfill in Florida), and paying tipping fees. All contractors must carry marine-specific insurance: Protection & Indemnity coverage of at least $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, Maritime Workers Compensation of $1 million per occurrence and $1 million aggregate, and Marine Pollution Liability of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, with carriers rated AM Best VIII or higher. Work schedules are tight—operations must commence within seven calendar days of Notice to Proceed and complete within fourteen calendar days, limited to daylight hours Monday through Friday, with turbidity control and environmental protection measures mandatory.

Activity is concentrated in northwest Florida, particularly in Escambia County around Pensacola and surrounding waterways. Escambia County Marine Resources Division issued at least six vessel-removal price quotes between March and July 2026, including quotations for a 35-foot Hunter Sailboat (Mojoe, due March 6, 2026), a 31-foot C.E. Ryder sailboat (Home Free, due March 6, 2026), a 30-foot barge (Kees Bayou Barge, due June 19, 2026), a 27-foot Catalina Sailboat (due June 12, 2026), a 30-foot Morgan (due July 20, 2026), and a 32-foot Catalina (due July 20, 2026). All solicitations used Invitations to Quote (ITQ) or price-quote formats, submitted through electronic procurement portals (OpenGov, ProcureNow, or the County's internal system), with response windows of three to seven days. No other state or local issuing body appears in the recent record under this code; the single non-derelict opportunity (Sourcewell's cooperative law enforcement equipment RFP #061626) and the unrelated tennis center IT infrastructure bid (DeKalb County) are not aligned with heavy lift transport work and likely reflect miscoding in the posting system.