Maybe you’ve bought a used excavator from a dealer in another country. Or you’ve made the winning bid on equipment from a recently-closed factory thousands of miles away. There are many reasons for shipping machinery overseas, many decisions to make along the way and many opportunities to ensure trouble-free, cost effective transit – if you have the necessary capabilities.
Ocean shippers can and should get the best container rate they can get. But you will get the most cost savings when you think in terms of reducing ocean shipping costs per ton – in other words, shipping the same volume of freight in fewer containers. If you can max out your payload on every load, you can ship 25% fewer containers and realize up to a 6-figure yearly savings, depending on how many containers you ship.
For global shippers of wood, metals and other dense cargo, heavy freight shipping companies will charge you more for over-the-road heavy hauls. But, in the process, they can help cut your total freight shipping costs as much as 20%.
The savings are on the ocean shipping leg of the journey.
Ocean container shipping has become very expensive – in some cases triple what it was pre-pandemic. So, you don’t want to ship more containers than needed for your volume of freight. That requires smart ocean container loading.
For decades, steamship lines have had an unspoken pact with shippers: If you’re willing to wait many weeks to have your cargo delivered, we’ll transport it thousands of miles for you, and do it for cheap. Even with relatively affordable rates, the lines made oodles of money by piling containers – as many as 24,000 TEUs on the latest ships – onto a single vessel.
All that changed with the pandemic as the lines cut capacity to address greatly decreased demand. As factories re-opened and as consumers starting shopping again, demand for container space soared – but vessel capacity did not.
Say you’re based in Europe, and you’ve just scored a great deal on some used earth moving equipment in the US. How do you transport that machine to your location without wiping out everything you saved on the purchase? Here are some tips on shipping excavators and other large construction equipment.
Transporting oversize cargo (also called out of gauge – or OOG – cargo) is a highly-specialized discipline. If you don’t understand the process in detail, you could end up wasting a lot of time and money, and maybe even breaking the law. Here are six big mistakes to avoid when you’re shipping OOG cargo.
When you need a freight forwarder to handle your overseas shipments, you face a dizzying number and variety of choices, from huge global enterprises to smaller specialty firms. How to choose a freight forwarder that matches your needs? The answer isn’t simple.
Here’s a look at what to expect as you evaluate possible partners, large and small.
When you import unassembled furniture, some of the choices you make about transportation can save you a good deal of money. Here’s some advice on how to find cost-saving opportunities when shipping furniture in containers.
Out of gauge cargo – cargo that doesn’t fit in a standard shipping container – poses extra risks on the road. That’s why state DOTs regulate OOG cargo and require truckers who transport it to get special permits.
Complying with state regulations for oversize cargo helps ensure that your load will arrive on time, undamaged and without any legal problems.
