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Your Guide to Machinery And Equipment Shipping Overseas

If you need overseas Machinery And Equipment Shipping, you may not know where to start. Fortunately, you’re in the right place to learn more about the service.

Keep reading for a guide to Machinery And Equipment Shipping overseas.

Heavy Machinery And Equipment Shipping Planning

Sometimes, equipment or machinery is considerably wide, tall, or long. So much so that it cannot fit in a standard 40-foot shipping container.

Shipping heavy Machinery And Equipment Shipping overseas is a considerable project. It requires proper planning and attention to detail. You have a bit of work ahead of you before you can ship your heavy equipment successfully.

If you’re wondering about the cost of shipping heavy equipment, every shipment is different. You must consult with an experienced overseas shipping company directly for this information. They’ll gladly provide you with a fast, free quote.

Meanwhile, let’s go over a few common ways to ship oversized Machinery And Equipment Shipping.

Flat Rack Shipping

Flat rack shipping involves using a large shipping container, much like a standard 40-foot container. However, it doesn’t have a roof, and it’s missing the two walls on the side of the container.

A shipping company would use this kind of container to transport certain kinds of large vessels and heavy equipment. Usually, this kind of container goes onto the ship last.

Roll-On Roll-Off (RoRo)

A roll-on roll-off is another kind of container that shipping companies might use to transport oversized equipment overseas. It’s a cost-effective way to ship large Machinery And Equipment Shipping.

The container has wheels, making it easier to move it onto a ship, especially heavy and oversized equipment. The shipping company rolls the container below deck where it’s safe from the elements.

Lift-On Lift-Off (LoLo)

Not all overseas shipping companies have hull storage. In that case, the company might use a lift-on lift-off shipping container to transport your heavy machinery or equipment. This is the kind of shipping container you usually see dangling from massive cranes at shipping yards on TV and in the movies—or in person if you’ve ever been near a shipping yard.

Companies often use LoLo containers for crating oversized cargo. It’s a common shipping option for large inoperable vehicles.

What’s the Best Way to Ship Heavy Equipment?

In some cases, drivable heavy equipment might remain operable during shipping. Alternatively, you may need to ship a non-movable piece of heavy equipment with no wheels or tracks. Depending on the size of equipment, a LoLo container might also work well for these kinds of shipments.

Otherwise, a RoRo container can serve as a cost-effective shipping method. Yet other shipments might work out better with a flat rack container.

Again, every shipment is different. An experienced shipping company can help you choose the safest and most cost-effective shipping method for your equipment or machinery.

Preparing for Machinery And Equipment Shipping

Often, a shipping company must use special equipment to load oversized, heavy Machinery And Equipment Shipping, regardless of the container. For example, the shipper may need to use a large forklift or overhead crane.

This kind of equipment isn’t always available on site. In that case, you may need to rent equipment to load your shipment. Alternatively, you might hire a rigging company to provide and operate the equipment needed to load your equipment for transportation.

If your equipment has wheels or tracks, you might find the job of loading your shipment a little easier. In some cases, you can drive it right up a ramp and into a container. Alternatively, you may need to drive your equipment onto a flatbed tow truck and then transfer it to a container.

Choosing the Right Transportation Mode

No matter what container you choose, your machinery or equipment must fill the container completely. If it’s not secured properly, it could get damaged during transport.

In some cases, you can use lumber to fill any empty space. You might also use straps or chains to hold your cargo in place during shipment.

It can prove challenging to figure out the best way to secure a load. Here’s another area where an experienced shipping company can help.

Saving on Shipping Costs

There are some instances where heavy machinery or equipment will not fit a standard 40-foot shipping container. In these instances, you’ll pay higher rates for both land and water shipping.
Still, there are ways to save money.

For example, you could reconfigure your equipment. You might disassemble the machine or detach its accessories. After doing so, it might fit into a standard closed container.

Alternatively, it might fit into several containers. Here, however, it’s important to fill all containers to full capacity. The idea is to use as few containers as possible to reduce your shipping costs.

Machinery And Equipment Shipping

Things to Consider

It’s also important to consider the safety certification of your equipment. In the United States, for instance, equipment with a UL certification complies with US safety standards.

However, you must also think about the safety standards of your destination country. In the European Union, for instance, the same equipment might have a CE mark.

You want to make sure that your equipment meets the safety standards of its destination. Also, make sure that it has the appropriate mark to prove it.

How Big Is Your Shipment?

It’s important to understand the size and dimensions of your equipment. By doing so, shipping guidelines will make more sense.

Different ports have different capabilities. Some can handle big ships. Others, however, have shallow waters and can only handle small ships.

With this in mind, it’s essential to know if your cargo can fit the port of entry at the destination of your shipment. Local shipping guidelines at your destination will tell you if your cargo is the right size. If not, you’ll need to rethink your shipping options.

Getting through Customs

You must also consider the customs laws of your shipment destination. Every country has different customs rules, and regulations regarding heavy equipment.

You may not have expertise in customs rules, and that’s fine. That’s why it’s important to work with an experienced shipping company.

Machinery And Equipment Shipping overseas is extremely complex. A reputable shipping company can help.

They’ll help you to plan for any rules and expenses that go along with shipping your heavy equipment to a certain destination. They can even help you to plan your shipping budget.

A Note on Tariffs

Speaking of budgets, customs departments issue a fee for shipping heavy equipment. In part, this fee considers the value of your equipment. The fee will also vary based on the destination of your equipment.

It’s important to know the custom rates for your destination when planning your shipment. Suppose you’re shipping a $400,000 piece of equipment to the Netherlands.

Customs in the Netherlands might charge $84,000 in fees. If you were to ship your equipment to Germany, however, customs there might only charge $64,000 in fees.

Minimizing Shipment Risk

It’s also important to think about the risk of shipping your equipment. Even heavy equipment can get damaged.

Before shipping your equipment, you should always know the risk management policy of your packing company. These are the practices that ensure that your shipment will arrive at its destination safely.

Most likely, your equipment is expensive. In that case, it helps to hire an expert surveyor to supervise the onloading and offloading of your equipment.

You should also hire an assessor to evaluate the value of your equipment before and after shipment. This valuation is vital for your commercial equipment insurance—more on insurance in a moment.

Keeping Things in Perspective

You must start thinking about your desired delivery date well before your shipment. It’s vital to plan this aspect of your shipment carefully.

With overseas shipments, there’s an increased chance of delays. You must also think about the various processes your equipment must go through before it arrives at its destination.

For instance, it might take your shipment longer than expected to clear customs. Also, expedited or overnight shipping isn’t always possible with heavy machinery and equipment. Accordingly, you’ll want to plan your heavy equipment shipment as far in advance as possible.

Insuring Your Shipment

There’s a higher likelihood that an international shipment could get damaged. In part, this is because there’s increased risk involved with the lengthy shipping process.

There are also more steps involved with an overseas shipment. You must also think about whether your shipment will remain exposed to the elements during transportation.

With these points in mind, you should always ensure your heavy equipment when you ship it overseas. This kind of insurance is especially important if you’re shipping high-value equipment.

Trust Us with Your Next Heavy Equipment Shipment

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of overseas Machinery And Equipment Shipping.

If you need to ship your heavy equipment overseas, Onsite Global Logistics can help. We’re a leading freight forwarding company. Our company has decades of experience in 3PL, supply chain procurement, and logistics.

Also, we have 164 satellite offices around the world. We have the experience and network to get your shipment where it needs to go.

If you need shipping for heavy machinery or equipment, feel free to contact us today for a free quote.

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Onsite Global Logistics is a third party logistics provider 3PL helping companies with innovative global logistics and supply chain solutions

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