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.

Much of the machinery that companies ship overseas is large, heavy and high in value. Its door-to-door transportation requires special equipment and handling.

Here are some issues that often come up in this kind of shipment, with advice on how to manage them, and what to look for in a heavy machinery shipping company. 

What’s the best transportation mode?

When you ship earth-moving equipment or other large machines that can be driven, the lowest-cost transportation option might be a roll-on, roll-off (RO-RO) vessel. But sometimes you’ll do better with container service, loading the machine on a flat rack container. An experienced logistics partner can help you determine whether flat rack or RO-RO is the best choice.

With the RO-RO method, you will want to make sure that the ship can handle the equipment you intend to transport. The same goes for the destination port, as some ports are unable to handle certain types of ships or products. As a general rule, however, most larger ports will have no problem handling your machinery shipping projects.

If you’re transporting static machines, with no wheels or tracks, then your cargo may ship via RO-RO on a MAFI trailer, or else you’ll need container service. The best cargo container type – a standard container, flat rack or open top – depends on the size and shape of the freight and your loading capabilities.

In some cases, disassembly allows heavy equipment to be shipped in a standard container, cutting ocean costs though adding labor for breakdown and reassembly. Shippers must weigh these savings against added time and expense. Partnering with an experienced logistics provider ensures compliance with loading standards, secure stowage, and smooth handling at ports.

Getting the Shipment on the Road

Loading oversized, heavy equipment for international shipping in any kind of container often takes special equipment, such as a large forklift or an overhead crane. If that equipment isn’t available on site, you might rent it, or hire a rigging company to bring and operate it for you. 

Of course, if you’re moving a machine with wheels or tracks, you might drive it up a ramp into a container, or drive it onto a flatbed tow truck and then transfer it from there to a container. The right choice depends on the machine’s size and configuration.

Securing and Protecting Heavy Machinery

Whatever container you use, if the machinery is not properly secured, the load might shift and suffer damage in transit. You can use lumber to fill any empty space, plus straps, and maybe chains, to keep the cargo in place. An experienced logistics partner can advise you on the best way to secure the load.

If you use a flat rack container, you must be extra careful about preparing the load for the voyage. All cargo on a flat rack must pass an inspection at the port to make sure it’s lashed, blocked and braced according to standards set by the National Cargo Bureau (NCB). Fail inspection, and you’ll have to pay someone to rework the cargo before the steamship line will load it on the vessel.

If your company doesn’t have the skills to secure the load, you could arrange for a trucker to take the machinery to a warehouse at or near the port. There, experts will load it in a container, block and brace it, and deliver it to the steamship line.

You should also empty all fluids from the machine (e.g., oil and fuel) and take steps to protect machinery against the elements during shipping. Construction equipment can stand up to salt water and spray. But machinery that includes control panels or other exposed electronics requires extra shipping safeguards – a desiccant to absorb moisture and shrink wrap to cover the machine.

Some machinery shipping projects will include rust proofing the equipment for further protection. This may involve painting the machinery or galvanizing it with a zinc and steel coating.

Your freight forwarder manages special considerations for heavy equipment transport such as strict cleaning requirements, marine cargo insurance, and the equipment needed for safe loading, blocking, and bracing. Protective measures like shrink wrapping safeguard sensitive components during transit.

Shipping a Backhoe Overseas

Choosing the right container to transport a backhoe depends on equipment size, budget, and service availability. Most backhoes require alternatives to standard 20- or 40-foot containers. Flat racks accommodate oversized loads with collapsible walls, while open tops allow loading from above. 

RO-RO service offers a cost-effective option for self-propelled equipment, though vessel schedules and port capability must be considered. For a more detailed description on shipping a backhoe overseas, click here.

Shipping an Excavator Overseas

Shipping excavators requires balancing land and ocean transport challenges. Overland, excavators typically move on lowboy or flatbed trailers, often requiring oversize permits due to weight and height restrictions. Secure tie-downs and safe loading ramps are critical to prevent damage in transit. 

For ocean shipping, RO-RO vessels are the most straightforward, as excavators can be driven directly onto the deck. Flat rack containers or open tops are alternatives, though disassembly may be required. Choosing the right mode with expert planning ensures excavators arrive safely, cost effectively, and in full compliance.

Shipping a Bulldozer Overseas

As with the other types of heavy machinery, RO-RO and flat rack or open top containers are your options. Transporting a bulldozer internationally requires specialized expertise and planning to ensure safety, compliance, and cost control. 

Most shipments begin with overland transport on a flatbed or lowboy trailer, often requiring oversize permits. Partnering with an experienced freight forwarder is essential for managing permits, routes, and regulations. 

Other Cargo Container Types for OOG

In addition to flat rack, open-top and RO-RO as discussed above, there are a few other specialized types of containers that can be used in shipping OOG cargo via ocean freight:

Platform (PLT) Containers

Platform containers are basically a reinforced deck without walls or roof. They are used for extremely heavy or oversized cargo that won’t fit on a flat rack, such as an electrical transformer or an industrial turbine. A platform container often allows the cargo to overhang on all sides.

Roll Trailer Systems (Mafis)

These are specialized heavy-duty trailers used in conjunction with RO-RO vessels. The name “Mafi” comes from its originator, MAFI Transport-Systeme GmbH, a German company that designed and manufactured the heavy-duty roll trailers. 

On a roll trailer, cargo is lashed onto the platform, which is rolled on and off the ship. This configuration is used for very heavy static cargo, machinery or oversized steel structures.

Breakbulk

If cargo is far beyond container specs, it can be shipped as breakbulk that is stowed directly in the vessel’s hold or on deck. While not a “container” in the strict sense, breakbulk solves the same problem of oversize cargo that doesn’t fit in a standard container.

Top Challenges for OOG

If you’re shipping OOG freight, here’s what you’ll be facing:

Finding a trucking provider to get it to/from port

These are specialist firms that have the permitting and routing intelligence plus qualified and trained drivers and lumpers who can properly and safely handle your cargo. And these types of trucking companies don’t just grow on trees; finding an experienced, vetted firm is not an easy thing to do for someone without particular industry expertise. Worse still, hiring the wrong firm with drivers that skirt the law could not only cause delays from inspections but land you in hot water.

Managing weight distribution

The federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula stipulates that the more an oversize load weighs, the longer the chassis and the more axles you need to convey it. This is so the excessive weight doesn’t damage the highway. If the load isn’t distributed correctly over the axles, a weigh station inspector could pull it off the road, even if it has the right permitting.

Weight distribution is especially tricky when it comes to shipping machinery for construction, factory equipment, or other massive items with irregular shapes that have uneven concentration of weight.

Providing accurate specifications

Permits must list the correct height, width, and weight, as any mismatch can cause delays at weigh stations or with enforcement. At ports, crews and crane operators also need precise specs like lift points and center of gravity; mistakes risk tipping loads and costly accidents.

The best practice is to provide your logistics partner with a technical drawing of the equipment. If unavailable, use the model number to find specs online, or carefully measure and weigh the item yourself. Include photos from multiple angles to ensure safe, compliant handling throughout transit.

Permits Required for OOG

State departments of transportation regulate the length, width and height of out of gauge loads. They also make other rules about where, when and how trucks can transport OOG. When a trucking company satisfies a state DOT that it will follow all the rules, they issue a permit. If the load is also overweight, that is covered as well.

The U.S. Department of Transportation sets the maximum width of a load at 102”, but states can issue permits for wider loads. The states set their own requirements for load length and height.

States also regulate how far a load can hang over the back end of a chassis, and there are often rules on time of day and/or day of the week. Depending on the nature of the load and the proposed route, a state might require an escort vehicle, or even a police escort, plus lights, signs and flags. The trucker might have to conduct a route survey to ensure the truck won’t encounter low overpasses or other hazards.

As part of the permitting process, it’s important to give your carrier accurate dimensions. Measure the load carefully and if possible provide photos or technical drawings. The better the data, the less likely you’ll run afoul of regulations. Again, this is an area where your freight forwarder can add value, only recommending carriers with a strong track record of compliance. You can find more detail on the permitting process here.

How to Reduce Transportation Costs

Costs depend on factors including equipment size, blade type (for bulldozers), weight, delivery deadline, and shipping distance. With proper planning and the right logistics partner, shippers can ensure safe, compliant, cost-effective transport worldwide.

There’s no getting around the fact that machinery too big for a standard, closed container costs more on both land and water. But a few strategies can help you save money:

• Reconfigure the machine. If you can disassemble a large machine or detach its accessories, you might be able to fit the parts in a closed container, or within the dimensions of a flat rack or open top container, reducing your ocean and trucking rates and eliminating the need for an oversize permit on the road.
• Gain savings through heavy cargo shipping. Depending on the states your shipment crosses in the U.S., you might be allowed to load 54,000 lbs or more in a container, as long as your trucker has the necessary overweight permit. If you’re shipping machinery in several containers, loading each box to full capacity could let you ship fewer boxes, reducing your total cost.
• Maximize miles on the water. Since ocean rates are lower than trucking rates, it pays to make as much of the trip on water as possible. For example, if you transport machinery from Europe to Atlanta, it’s better to ship through the Port of Charleston or Savannah than New York.

Other Concerns When Shipping Machinery Overseas

Safety Certification: Construction equipment, electronic and electrical devices and other products that comply with US safety standards carry a mark denoting UL certification. Other countries follow different safety standards. For example, products that meet the requirements of the European Union carry the CE mark. When you bring machinery into any country, to avoid possible trouble, make sure it meets local standards and carries a mark to prove it.

Customs regulations: Whether you’re shipping machinery or any other type of product internationally, you will need the products to clear customs. This typically requires the completion of customs forms at the point of origin and at the destination. It also involves an assortment of customs clearance fees that you will need to pay in addition to the machinery shipping costs.

Insurance: When you load a container with $500,000 worth of machinery, and then that load gets damaged in transit, the last thing you want to hear is that the carrier will pay only $500 for the loss. Rates vary with the type of machinery being shipped, but the more your load is worth, the smarter it becomes to purchase your own marine cargo insurance.

Don’t Have the Skills? Call in the Pros

Shipping machinery overseas can be especially hard for smaller shippers. If you’re not part of a large organization, and you don’t ship this kind of equipment all the time, then you probably don’t have employees who know how to:

• Secure and protect the load
• Find truckers that specialize in overweight and/or oversize loads
• Classify the machinery correctly to clear Customs
• Arrange for transportation in another country, especially if no one in your company speaks the local language

No matter the size of your business, you can gain all this know-how if you team up with a specialist. A company that has spent many years transporting overweight and out of gauge cargo can help you ship machinery at a reasonable price and avoid the pitfalls. A global freight forwarder with offices or agents in the countries where you do business can help your shipment go smoothly every step of the way.

Need to arrange an international machinery shipment? Get started by contacting I.C.E. Transport.