Case study
Germany → Kyrgyzstan
Two Volkswagen Crafter L3H3 vans from Germany to Bishkek
We delivered two new Volkswagen Crafter L3H3 vans from Germany to Bishkek’s customs terminal via Constanta, Poti and Aktau. Collection-to-terminal time: 39 days. Import clearance was outside our scope.
Project brief
Key shipment parameters
- Route
- Mühlhausen (Affing) → Constanta → Poti → Azerbaijan → Aktau → Bishkek
- Format
- Multimodal delivery of two commercial vehicles
- Actual delivery time
- 39 calendar days from collection to terminal arrival
- Transport
- Open car transporter + Black Sea ferry + curtainsider + Caspian ferry
Operational proof
How we handled the client brief
- Recipient
- Forestry Service under the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic
- Objective
- Deliver two new 2026 Volkswagen Crafter L3H3 vans from Mühlhausen, Affing, Germany, to the customs terminal in Bishkek. The exporter required the route through Romania, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
- Key considerations
- The shipment involved a change from an open car transporter to a curtainsider and two ferry crossings. Weather delayed the Azerbaijan–Kazakhstan crossing by more than a week; the agreed price remained unchanged.
- Outcome
- Both vans reached the Bishkek customs terminal in excellent condition at the end of September 2026, with no issues noted on arrival. The 39 calendar days ran from collection in Germany to terminal arrival. Import clearance and subsequent handover to the recipient were not part of our service.
Route in detail
How the project was handled
Collection and export declaration in Germany
In August 2026, we collected two new 2026 Volkswagen Crafter L3H3 vans in Mühlhausen, Affing, postcode 86444. We arranged the German export declaration and organised the first road leg.
Car transporter to Constanta
We moved both vans to Constanta on an open car transporter. This first leg followed the route specified by the exporter.
Constanta → Poti ferry
In Constanta, the vans were unloaded from the car transporter and placed on the ferry to Poti. This was the Black Sea leg of the shipment.
Arrival in Georgia and onward road transport
After the vans were received in Poti, both were loaded into a curtainsider for the route through Georgia and Azerbaijan. Our agreed scope included transit declarations and security arrangements, photo reports at each key stage and shipment updates.
Caspian ferry to Aktau
Bad weather delayed the ferry from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan. The shipment waited for more than a week; we could not change the sailing conditions or bring departure forward. The delay did not increase the client’s agreed price.
Aktau → Bishkek customs terminal
The shipment continued through Kazakhstan to Bishkek. Both vans arrived at the customs terminal at the end of September 2026 with no issues noted. Delivery took 39 days from collection; import clearance and subsequent handover to the recipient were outside our scope.
Documents and the delivery endpoint
West Matterhorn arranged the German export declaration, transit declarations and security arrangements, and transport to the Bishkek customs terminal. The service also included photo reports at each key stage and shipment updates.
Our service ended when the vans arrived at the customs terminal. We did not organise import clearance or subsequent handover to the Forestry Service. The agreed delivery endpoint was therefore the terminal, not the recipient’s final address.
Collection took place in August 2026 and arrival at the customs terminal was at the end of September. The stated 39 calendar days cover that full interval, including the weather-related ferry wait.
Fixed price despite the ferry wait
The client agreed a fixed price for logistics, export and transit declarations, transit security arrangements, photo reports and shipment updates. There were no additional charges, including for the weather-related wait on the Caspian crossing.
A fixed price did not mean a guaranteed sailing date. The wait exceeded a week, and departure depended on weather conditions that we could not change. The actual 39-day delivery time includes this delay.
The shipment price is not published. A similar project is quoted on request after confirming the vehicle quantity, dimensions, collection point, required transit countries and exact delivery endpoint. The terms of this project are not a universal price or timing guarantee.
Visual record
Project photos
Questions about this shipment
Why did this shipment go through Constanta and Poti?
The exporter required logistics through Romania, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. We arranged the transport chain around that requirement. We do not present this routing as the fastest or cheapest option for every Germany–Kyrgyzstan shipment.
What does the 39-day delivery time include?
It covers 39 calendar days from collection of both vans in Germany to arrival at the Bishkek customs terminal, including the ferry wait of more than a week. It does not include import clearance or subsequent delivery to the Forestry Service.
Did the weather delay change the price?
No. For this project, the agreed price remained unchanged and the client paid no additional charges because of the ferry wait. A new shipment requires its own quotation and agreed scope.
Were import clearance and final handover included?
No. We arranged the German export declaration, transit declarations and security arrangements, and logistics to the customs terminal. We did not organise import clearance or subsequent handover to the recipient.
How was the vehicle condition documented?
The agreed service included photo reports at each key stage and shipment updates. Both vans arrived at the Bishkek customs terminal in excellent condition, with no issues noted on arrival. The gallery shows the open-transporter stage, loading inside the curtainsider and a close-up of a wheel securing strap.
Case study