Exporting used heavy equipment from US auctions to Africa

It depends on the machine's dimensions and weight, the US pickup point, the destination port, and whether it fits a container or needs flat-rack or heavy haulage. Size drives the price far more than distance does on this cargo. Because we are a direct NVOCC rather than a broker, the number you get is the carrier rate rather than a resold one. Get a free quote in 24 to 48 hours.

Get it into a container if it will fit, even if that means removing the boom, bucket, or cab. Containerized rates are generally lower than flat-rack or breakbulk, and a machine that dismantles into a 40ft box can cost substantially less to move than the same machine shipped whole. The dismantling cost is usually far less than the freight difference.

Container, when the machine fits. Flat-rack is priced on dimensions and becomes expensive quickly once the load is over-height or over-width. The decision point is whether partial dismantling brings the unit inside container dimensions. Send us the make and model and we will tell you which way is cheaper for that specific machine.

Often because they have quoted a container rate for a machine that will not actually fit in one, and the number changes when reality arrives. Or they exclude dismantling, loading, securing, or the export filing. Ask what shipping method the quote assumes and what happens to the price if the machine does not fit.

It scales with distance and with whether the machine can be driven onto a trailer or needs specialist lowbed transport. Machinery collection is a different exercise from car towing and the equipment costs more. We build it into the quote so the figure you compare is the real one.

Often yes, particularly with smaller units. Two mini excavators or several attachments can share a container, and larger machines can sometimes share a flat-rack booking. If you are buying multiple lots at the same auction, tell us before you bid and we will look at whether they consolidate.

Three methods, chosen by size. Smaller machines go inside a standard container, often after removing the boom or arm. Machines too large for a container but manageable in weight go on flat-rack, secured to an open platform. The largest go breakbulk or by heavy haulage. The right answer comes from the machine's dimensions and weight, not from a preference.

Many mini and midi excavators will once the boom and arm are removed, and some fit with the cab lowered. Larger machines will not, whatever you do to them. The deciding numbers are the transport height and width with attachments off, plus the weight against the container payload limit. Give us the model and we will check it rather than estimate.

Frequently, yes, and it is a normal part of the job rather than a complication. Booms, arms, buckets, cabs and counterweights come off and travel in the same container. We arrange the dismantling and the securing, and the components are documented so the machine can be reassembled at the far end.

A flat-rack is an open container platform with no sides or roof, used for cargo too large for a standard box. You need it when the machine cannot be reduced to container dimensions but is still within crane and vessel limits. It is priced on the space the load actually occupies, so an over-width machine costs more than an over-length one of the same weight.

Yes, by heavy haulage and breakbulk. Large dozers, cranes and mining equipment move this way regularly. The lead time is longer because the sailings are less frequent and the loading is more involved, so plan further ahead than you would for a container booking.

Yes, that is the majority of what we move on this lane. We collect from the auction site anywhere in the USA, arrange dismantling and securing where required, handle the export filing, and ship to your destination port. Machinery auctions are where most of our African equipment cargo originates.

Yes, and most of our equipment clients never see the machine in the USA. Once it is won and paid for we handle collection, preparation and export. What we will do is report on the machine's condition as received at our facility, which gives you a checkpoint between the auction listing and the vessel.

Auction sites allow a limited removal window after payment and then charge, and on machinery the charges are heavier than on cars because the footprint is larger. Arrange collection at the same time you pay. This is the most avoidable cost on the whole shipment.

Model, year of manufacture, transport dimensions, and weight. The year matters more than buyers expect, because several African and Latin American import regimes set an age limit on used machinery. A machine that is cheap because it is old can turn out to be one your destination will not admit.

In several countries, yes, and the limits differ from those applied to cars. Ecuador, for example, permits free importation of used road-building and agricultural equipment where the model year falls within the fifteen years before the year of import. Other countries set different windows or none at all. Check the destination rule against its customs authority before you bid. See our Latin America guide.

Often, yes, and it surprises people. Several countries that restrict or ban used car imports are considerably more open to used construction and agricultural equipment, because the machinery serves industry rather than adding to the vehicle fleet. If a country has closed to your car cargo, it may still be open to your equipment.

Frequently, and this is one of the most commonly missed requirements. Many countries require agricultural and earth-moving equipment to arrive free of soil, plant material and residue, because of pest and disease controls. Machines have been refused or held for cleaning at the owner's cost. Steam cleaning before loading is cheap insurance.

We handle the US side including the filing in the Automated Export System, known as AES or EEI. You provide the bill of sale or auction invoice and proof of ownership. Destination duty, permits and clearance are handled by your customs agent in your own country, and we supply the documentation they need.

We ship across West Africa and beyond, including Lagos and Tin Can Island in Nigeria, Tema and Takoradi in Ghana, Cotonou, Lome, Douala, Dakar, Abidjan and Conakry, as well as North and East African ports. Which port suits you depends on the inland destination and the machine's size, since not every terminal handles heavy lifts equally well. See the West Africa guide.

Yes. Nigeria is one of the largest markets in the world for used American construction equipment and one of our most active destinations for machinery. Lagos and Tin Can Island are the main entry points, with Port Harcourt serving the south-east. Machine size matters when choosing between them, since handling capability is not identical across the terminals. See the Nigeria guide.

Yes. Tema and Takoradi both handle machinery and Ghana is a steady, growing destination for used American plant, particularly in construction and mining support. The choice between the two ports usually comes down to where the machine is going inland rather than any difference in capability. We route it based on your final delivery point. See the Ghana guide.

Not every terminal has the same heavy-lift capability, and this is worth settling before booking rather than discovering on arrival. For flat-rack and breakburk cargo the crane capacity and the yard equipment at the discharge port matter. We check this as part of routing your shipment rather than assuming it.

Container shipments follow standard schedules. Flat-rack and breakbulk take longer, because suitable sailings are less frequent and the loading requires more coordination. Add time for dismantling and for any cleaning requirement. We give you a concrete timeline with the quote rather than a generic range.

Within 24 to 48 hours in normal cases. We need the make, model and year, the transport dimensions and weight if you have them, the US location, and the destination port. The model number alone lets us look up most of the rest. Request a quote

You or your agent at destination. We document what was removed and how it is packed so that reassembly is straightforward, but the work at the far end sits with you. If reassembly capability is limited where the machine is going, that is a reason to consider flat-rack over dismantling even at higher freight cost.

We are the NVOCC. Cassandra Logistics is a federally licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary under FMC license OTI No. 025125NF, legally Royal Port Container Lines, Inc. DBA Cassandra Logistics. The licence is public and verifiable with the Federal Maritime Commission. On cargo this valuable, verify whoever you are dealing with.

Yes, and it is usually the efficient thing to do. Buckets, breakers, spare tracks and parts travel in the same container or secured on the same flat-rack, which is far cheaper than shipping them separately later. Everything has to be listed on the export filing, so send us the full inventory rather than adding items on loading day.

It depends on the destination. Some countries require a pre-shipment inspection or a conformity certificate issued before the cargo leaves, and getting this wrong means the machine arrives and cannot be cleared. It is a destination requirement rather than a US one, so confirm it with your customs agent early. We will tell you if we have seen it required on your lane.

Yes, within reason. Holding the unit at our facility while a title, an inspection certificate or a payment clears is usually far cheaper than leaving it accruing charges at the auction site. Tell us early so we can plan the space, because machinery takes considerably more room than vehicles and we schedule it rather than absorb it on arrival.