There is no price list for shipping a machine overseas, and anyone who hands you one without asking what the machine is has not priced your shipment, they have priced a guess. What there is, though, is a small set of factors that genuinely move the number, and once you understand them you can look at two quotes and see immediately which one has been done properly. This guide sets out what those factors are and roughly how much weight each of them carries.
Size decides the price, not distance
The first thing to understand about machinery freight is that it behaves differently from almost everything else you might ship. With most cargo, the further it goes the more it costs. With a machine, the dominant factor is how much room it takes up and what has to happen to it before it can travel, and distance matters considerably less than people expect. Two machines going to the same port can differ in price by a factor of two or three purely because one of them fits in a box and the other does not.
That is why the first question we ask is never where it is going. It is what the machine is, and whether it can be made to fit inside a container.
The container question is the whole game
A standard shipping container is the cheapest way to move almost anything across an ocean, because containers are the unit the entire industry is built around. Ships are designed to carry them, cranes are designed to lift them, ports are designed to stack them, and the rates reflect all of that efficiency. The moment your cargo will not go inside one, you leave that system and the price changes character entirely.
The alternatives all cost more. A flat rack is an open platform with no sides or roof, and because your cargo sticks out past its edges the carrier loses the ability to stack anything around it, which it charges you for. Breakbulk means the machine travels as an individual piece of cargo rather than as a container at all, with its own lifting and its own handling. Roll-on roll-off means the machine is driven onto a vessel built for wheeled cargo, which is excellent when it suits the machine but depends on the machine running and on a suitable service existing to your port.
So the real question is never "will it fit". It is "what has to come off for it to fit, what does that work cost, and is that less than the premium for shipping it whole". That is an arithmetic question with a definite answer for every machine, and it is the question a serious quote is built around.
Dismantling: the part most forwarders skip
Here is where quotes diverge sharply, and it is worth being blunt about why. Most freight forwarders cannot take a machine apart. They can book space on a vessel and they can arrange a truck, but they have no yard, no crew and no equipment, so when a machine looks too big for a container they do the only thing available to them, which is quote you a flat rack. That quote is not dishonest, it is simply the only answer they have.
We work differently, because we dismantle machines ourselves, principally at our Baltimore facility. That changes what is possible:
- A backhoe loader goes into a container once the cab comes off, the bucket comes off, and the arm comes off if the length calls for it.
- A wheel loader in the Caterpillar 950 class dismantles into a 40ft high cube.
- A large excavator can be containerized by splitting it. We have shipped a Hitachi EX300, around the 30 tonne class, as one 40ft high cube plus one 20ft container, with the track side frames removed.
Those are machines that a great many quotes will tell you must go on a flat rack. They do not have to. And because a container moves cheaper than a flat rack, the dismantling work frequently pays for itself several times over on a single shipment.
How to use this when comparing quotes. Ask the question directly: can you dismantle this machine and ship it in a container, and what would that cost against the flat rack? A company that can do the work will give you both numbers. A company that cannot will tell you it is not possible.
Not sure whether yours will containerize?
Send us the make and model. We will tell you what comes off, what it costs, and whether it beats the flat rack.
Get a QuoteWhat a container will actually take
It is worth knowing the real numbers, because the figure that decides a fit is not the one most people look at. Everybody quotes the internal height of the box. What actually governs whether a machine gets in is the door opening, which is lower.
- 20ft standard: internal 5,900 x 2,352 x 2,393 mm (19ft 4in x 7ft 8.6in x 7ft 10in), door opening 2,340 x 2,292 mm, payload around 30,200 kg (66,579 lb).
- 40ft standard: internal 12,032 x 2,352 x 2,395 mm, door opening 2,340 x 2,292 mm, payload around 28,800 kg (63,493 lb).
- 40ft high cube: internal 12,032 x 2,352 x 2,700 mm (39ft 5.6in x 7ft 8.6in x 8ft 10in), door opening 2,340 x 2,597 mm, payload around 28,650 kg (63,162 lb).
- 40ft flat rack high cube: 11,652 x 2,224 mm deck sitting 648 mm up, payload roughly 44,050 to 49,100 kg depending on the unit.
A machine 2,650 mm tall will not enter a 40ft high cube even though the box measures 2,700 mm inside, because the door is only 2,597 mm. This catches out people who have measured carefully against the wrong number. One other detail worth knowing: a 40ft open top actually has the lowest payload of any 40ft unit, around 26,630 kg, so do not assume that taking the roof off buys you capacity.
These are nominal figures and real containers vary by manufacturer and build, so for a marginal machine the right answer is always to check against the specific container rather than the published table.
The road leg, and why it is not a fixed number
Getting the machine from where it sits to the port is the line that moves most between an estimate and a real quote. It is driven by the distance, by whether the machine runs under its own power, and above all by its height once it is on a trailer.
If the loaded combination exceeds 102 inches wide, or the state height limit, or 80,000 lb gross, then you need oversize permits. Those are issued state by state, there is no national permit, and a machine crossing four states needs four of them. They bring daylight-only travel, weekend and holiday restrictions, city curfews, and often pilot cars. The permit fee is small. The time is not.
There is a useful consequence here that ties back to dismantling. A machine taken apart to fit a container is very often also a machine that no longer needs an oversize permit to reach the port, so the same work saves you money twice. A quote that prices the road leg and the ocean leg separately cannot see that, which is one reason we price them together. The full detail is in our guide to heavy haulage to port.
The rest of the invoice
Beyond the machine itself and the trucking, these are the lines you should expect to see, and should be suspicious of a quote that omits.
- Port receiving and terminal handling at the US port of loading.
- Loading, blocking and securing inside the container or onto the flat rack. Machinery has to be braced so it cannot move in a seaway, and this is skilled work rather than a formality.
- The US export filing, submitted through the Automated Export System. We handle this.
- Ocean freight itself, which is the part everybody focuses on and frequently not the part that decides the total.
- Destination charges, which are paid by the receiver in the destination country, not by us and not usually by you.
That last point is worth stating plainly because it causes more arguments than anything else in this business. Our quote takes the machine to the port of discharge. Terminal charges, duty, taxes, clearance and inland delivery at the far end are handled by the receiver through their own customs agent in that country. A quote that appears to include them is either guessing at figures set by a foreign government, or it is not including them and has simply not said so.
Why some quotes are so much cheaper
When you have several quotes in front of you and one is dramatically lower, it is almost always one of these five things.
- It assumes a container the machine will not fit in. The number changes once somebody actually measures it.
- It excludes the dismantling, the loading or the securing. These appear later as extras.
- It excludes the oversize permits on the road leg, which is easy to do because the permits are state-issued and the cost is not obvious until the route is set.
- It is a broker rate that will be rebooked. A broker sells you a number and then goes looking for someone to actually carry it, and if the real cost comes back higher, so does your price.
- It quietly leaves destination charges out while implying they are included.
The useful test is to ask what shipping method the quote assumes and what happens to the price if the machine does not fit. An honest quote answers both questions without hesitation because whoever wrote it has already thought about them.
On the broker point specifically. We are the carrier rather than a middleman. Cassandra Logistics is a federally licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary, FMC license OTI No. 025125NF, legally Royal Port Container Lines, Inc. DBA Cassandra Logistics. That license is public and you can verify it with the Federal Maritime Commission, which on cargo worth this much is worth doing for anyone you deal with.
What to send us for a real quote
We can usually price a machine from very little, because the model number tells us most of what we need. The more of this you have, the tighter the number.
- Make, model and year. This alone gets us most of the way.
- Where the machine is, by city and state or zip code. If it is at an auction site, tell us which one.
- The destination port, or just the country if you have not settled on a port.
- Whether it runs and drives. This genuinely changes the loading cost.
- Any attachments travelling with it, such as buckets, breakers or spare tracks.
Quotes normally come back within 24 to 48 hours. If something about the machine makes it unusual we will tell you that rather than quietly pricing around it.
Equipment shipping cost questions
How much does it cost to ship heavy equipment overseas from the USA?
There is no single figure, because the price is driven by the machine rather than by the distance. What decides it is whether the machine can travel inside a container or whether it needs a flat rack, breakbulk or roll-on roll-off, plus what it takes to get it to the port. Two machines heading to the same port can differ two or threefold on that basis alone. Send us the make, model and location and we will give you a real number in 24 to 48 hours.
Why can you not just tell me a price per container?
Because the container is only one line of several, and for machinery it is frequently not the decisive one. The dismantling, the loading and securing, the road leg and any oversize permits can together exceed the ocean freight. A price per container would be a real number attached to an incomplete question.
Does distance matter at all?
It matters, but far less than people expect. Size, shape and preparation dominate. A compact machine going a very long way is often cheaper than an awkward machine going a short way, which is counterintuitive until you see how the pricing is built.
What is the cheapest way to ship a machine overseas?
Get it into a container if there is any way to do so, even if that means taking parts off. Container rates are lower than flat rack or breakbulk because the whole industry is built around the container, and the cost of the dismantling work is usually a fraction of the difference in freight.
Is a flat rack more expensive than a container?
Yes, generally substantially so. A flat rack is an open platform and your cargo projects beyond its edges, which costs the carrier the space around it, and that is reflected in the rate. It is the right answer for machines that genuinely cannot be reduced, but it should be the second choice rather than the first.
My machine looks too big for a container. Is that the end of it?
Very often not. A great many machines that appear too large will go into a container once the right parts come off. Backhoe loaders go in with the cab and bucket removed. Wheel loaders in the Caterpillar 950 class dismantle into a 40ft high cube. We have shipped a Hitachi EX300, about 30 tonnes, as one 40ft high cube plus one 20ft. Ask before accepting a flat rack quote.
Why did another company tell me it has to go on a flat rack?
Most likely because they cannot dismantle it. A forwarder with no yard, no crew and no lifting equipment can book space and arrange a truck, but when a machine looks oversized the only answer available to them is a flat rack. It is not deception, it is the limit of what they do. We do the dismantling ourselves, so we have the other option.
Does dismantling actually save money, or does the labor cancel it out?
On most mid-sized machines it saves money comfortably, because the gap between a container rate and a flat rack rate is wide. It also frequently removes the need for oversize permits on the road leg, which saves again. There are machines where the arithmetic does not work and we will tell you when yours is one of them, but that is the exception.
Will my excavator fit in a 40ft container?
Mini excavators in the 3 tonne class fit a 40ft high cube as they stand. From there upward it depends on what comes off. Mid-size machines go in once the boom, stick, bucket and counterweight are removed. Larger machines can be split across two containers with the track side frames taken off. Give us the model and we will check it properly rather than estimate.
What is the real height limit on a 40ft high cube?
The number that matters is the door opening, which is about 2,597 mm (8ft 6.25in), not the internal height of 2,700 mm. A machine 2,650 mm tall will not go through the door even though it would fit inside the box. This is the single most common measuring mistake we see.
Is an open top container better than a flat rack?
Sometimes, when the machine fits the footprint but is simply too tall to go through the doors and can be lifted in from above. One thing to know is that a 40ft open top has the lowest payload of any 40ft unit, around 26,630 kg, so it is not a capacity upgrade. It is a loading method.
How much does it cost to truck a machine to the port?
It depends on the distance, on whether the machine drives, and most of all on how tall it is on the trailer. Inside the legal limits it is ordinary trucking. Once it needs oversize permits it becomes a slower and more expensive job, with daylight-only travel, possible pilot cars and a separate permit for every state crossed.
Why does it matter whether the machine runs?
A machine that drives can be taken onto a removable gooseneck trailer under its own power, which is the cheapest way to load it. A machine that does not run has to be winched or lifted, which means different equipment and a higher cost. Tell us at quoting stage because it changes the number.
Do oversize permits cost much?
The fees are usually modest. What costs you is the time and the conditions attached. Permits are issued state by state, so a four state route needs four applications, and they bring daylight-only travel, weekend and holiday restrictions and city curfews. Allow days rather than hours.
What should a complete quote include?
Collection from where the machine sits, any dismantling, delivery to the port, port receiving and terminal handling, loading and securing, the US export filing through the Automated Export System, and the ocean freight to the port of discharge. Destination charges sit with the receiver and should be stated as such rather than left ambiguous.
Why is one quote so much cheaper than the others?
Usually one of five reasons: it assumes a container the machine will not fit, it excludes the dismantling or securing, it excludes the oversize permits, it is a broker rate that gets rebooked at a higher cost later, or it quietly leaves out destination charges. Ask what shipping method it assumes and what happens to the price if the machine does not fit.
Are destination charges included in your price?
No, and no honest quote includes them. We carry the machine to the port of discharge. Terminal charges, duty, taxes, clearance and inland delivery at the far end are set by that country and handled by the receiver through their own customs agent. We state this clearly rather than leaving it to be discovered.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. Quotes are free and normally come back within 24 to 48 hours. If the machine turns out to be unusual or the destination has a rule that affects it, we will tell you that as part of the answer.
Are you a broker or the actual carrier?
We are the carrier. 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 license is public and verifiable with the Federal Maritime Commission. Because we are not reselling someone else's rate, the price does not carry a broker layer on top of it.
What information do you need from me?
Make, model and year, where the machine is by city and state or zip code, the destination port or country, whether it runs and drives, and any attachments travelling with it. The model number alone gets us most of the way, so do not hold off asking because you are missing something.
Can I ship two machines together to save money?
Often yes, and it is worth asking before you buy rather than after. Smaller machines and attachments share a container readily, and larger machines can sometimes share a booking. If you are bidding on several lots at the same auction, tell us beforehand and we will look at whether they consolidate.
Can attachments and spare parts travel with the machine?
Yes, and it is normally the efficient thing to do. Buckets, breakers, spare tracks and parts travel in the same container or secured on the same flat rack, which costs far less than shipping them separately later. Everything has to appear on the export filing, so send us the full list rather than adding items on loading day.
How far ahead should I be arranging this?
Talk to us before you bid if you can. It costs nothing and it is the point at which the information is most useful, because we can tell you what the machine will cost to move and whether the destination will admit it. After that, the main clock is the auction yard's removal window, so arrange collection when you arrange payment.
Can you store the machine while I arrange payment or paperwork?
Yes, within reason. Holding a machine at our facility while a payment or a certificate clears is usually far cheaper than leaving it accruing charges at the auction yard. Tell us early so we can plan the space, because machinery takes considerably more room than vehicles.
Import rules change. The customs information on this page comes from official government sources and was accurate when published, but duties, age limits, inspection regimes and eligibility requirements are set by the destination country and can change without notice. Cassandra Logistics is a licensed ocean carrier, not a customs authority or a legal adviser. We are not responsible for changes to foreign import law, or for decisions made by customs at destination. Always confirm current requirements with a licensed customs agent in the destination country before you buy a machine.