These three machine types get grouped together here because buyers often want them in the same shipment, usually when they are equipping a site or a workshop rather than buying a single machine. They could hardly be more different to ship, though. One of them is among the easiest cargo in this whole category, one is among the hardest, and one sits in between. Knowing which is which before you bid saves a great deal of trouble later.
Forklifts: the easiest machine in the category
Warehouse forklifts are close to ideal export cargo. They are compact for their weight, they are designed to work in tight spaces so their footprint is small, and the one dimension that causes a problem is the one part designed to be removed.
That part is the mast. A forklift mast makes the machine far too tall for any container, and on most machines it comes off as a unit and lies down alongside the truck in the same box. Once it does, a counterbalance forklift in the common three to five tonne range is a modest piece of cargo that loads easily and leaves room around it.
Several usually travel together. Because forklifts are dense rather than bulky, the limit in a 40ft high cube tends to be the roughly 28,650 kg payload rather than the space, which is the opposite of most cargo. If you are buying a fleet, tell us the count and the models and we will work out how they divide across boxes.
One thing to confirm before you bid: whether the mast is removable on that specific machine and whether the forks and any attachment come off cleanly. On most industrial forklifts the answer is straightforward. On some rough terrain and telescopic machines it is less so, and the shipping method changes accordingly.
Rough terrain and telescopic handlers
These sit between a forklift and a loader and they ship like the loader rather than the forklift. A telehandler has a fixed boom rather than a removable mast, which means the length cannot be reduced the same way, and the machines are taller and wider than their warehouse cousins.
Smaller machines in this family can be containerized with the cab down and attachments off. The larger ones more often go roll-on roll-off where they drive and a service exists, or on a flat rack where it does not. Because they are self-propelled and designed for rough ground, roll-on roll-off suits them particularly well when the lane supports it.
Generator sets: it depends entirely on the mounting
Diesel generators are the most variable item here, because the machine inside the housing matters much less than what it is mounted on.
- Skid-mounted sets are simply a heavy box with a flat base. They load into a container readily and secure well, and they are among the more straightforward things we handle.
- Containerized sets, already built into a shipping container housing by the manufacturer, are the simplest of all. The unit is already a container, so it is handled as one.
- Trailer-mounted and towable sets behave like a trailer, which means length is the constraint and the drawbar may need removing. They can also sometimes go roll-on roll-off as a towed unit where a service accepts them.
- Very large prime power sets are breakbulk cargo, and at that point the question becomes which port can discharge the piece.
The thing to settle before shipping any generator is the fuel and the fluids. A generator set has a fuel tank, usually a substantial one, sometimes a day tank and a bulk tank together, and the rules on residual fuel differ depending on whether the unit travels in a container, as breakbulk or on a roll-on roll-off vessel. Carriers also set their own conditions on top of the regulations. We prepare the unit to whatever the booked carrier and route require.
Shipping a generator or a fleet of forklifts?
Send us the models and the destination and we will tell you how they pack and what it costs.
Get a QuoteCranes: the one that needs real planning
Cranes are the hardest machines in this category to ship, and the honest advice is to talk to us before you bid rather than after, because the shipping cost on a crane can be a significant fraction of what you pay for the machine.
The difficulty is that a crane is long, heavy, and carries a great deal of weight concentrated in places that complicate lifting. What comes off depends on the type:
- Boom sections on a lattice boom crane come off and travel as separate pieces, which is how these machines are transported on land as well.
- Counterweights are removed, and on larger cranes they are substantial pieces in their own right, sometimes shipped as separate cargo.
- The hook block, wire rope and jib travel separately.
- On a telescopic boom machine the boom does not come apart the same way, which makes length the governing constraint.
Smaller rough terrain and carry deck cranes can often be containerized once stripped. Truck-mounted and larger all terrain cranes generally go roll-on roll-off where they are road legal and drivable, or breakbulk where they are not. Lattice boom crawler cranes are breakbulk cargo, shipped in pieces.
Confirm the discharge port can handle it. For any breakbulk crane the crane capacity and yard equipment at the destination terminal become part of the routing decision, because not every port can lift a piece that heavy. We check this before booking rather than discovering it on arrival.
Buying several things at once
A good deal of what we move in this category is not one machine but a set, because somebody is equipping a workshop, a yard or a project site. There are real savings available if the shipment is planned as a whole rather than item by item.
- Dense and bulky cargo balance each other. Forklifts are heavy for their size and implements or light fabrications are bulky for their weight. Loaded together they use both the space and the payload instead of wasting one of them.
- Small items fill the gaps for almost nothing. Spare parts, attachments, tools and consumables travelling in space you have already paid for cost very little, and far less than a second shipment later.
- One booking, one bill of lading, one clearance at the far end is simpler and usually cheaper than several.
The practical advice is to tell us the whole list at quoting stage, even the parts you are not certain about, because the packing plan changes what everything costs.
Preparation and paperwork
The requirements across all three machine types come down to the same short list.
- Fluids and batteries. Fuel, hydraulic fluid and batteries are governed by different rules depending on whether the machine travels in a container, as breakbulk or by roll-on roll-off, with carriers adding their own booking conditions. Generators need particular attention here because of tank size. We prepare to the requirements of the booked route.
- Cleaning. Less critical than for agricultural machinery, but still required on some lanes for anything that has worked on soil. We will tell you where it applies.
- Serial numbers. They have to be exact, because they appear on both the export filing and the bill of lading, and a mismatch creates problems at both ends.
- Attachments listed in advance. Forks, buckets, jibs, spare rope and parts all have to appear on the export filing, so send the full inventory rather than adding items on loading day.
We submit the US export filing through the Automated Export System. You provide the bill of sale or auction invoice and proof of ownership. Duty, permits and clearance at destination are handled by your own customs agent in that country, and we supply the documents they need. The detail is in our guide to AES filing and export documents.
Crane, forklift and generator shipping questions
Can a forklift fit in a shipping container?
Yes, readily, once the mast comes off. The mast is what makes a forklift too tall for any container, and on most industrial machines it detaches as a unit and lies down alongside the truck in the same box. A counterbalance forklift in the three to five tonne range is modest cargo once that is done.
How many forklifts fit in a 40ft container?
It usually comes down to weight rather than space, which is unusual. Forklifts are dense for their size, so the roughly 28,650 kg payload of a 40ft high cube tends to be the limit before the floor area is. Tell us the models and the count and we will work out how they divide across containers.
Does the mast come off every forklift?
On most industrial and warehouse machines, yes, and cleanly. On some rough terrain and telescopic machines it does not work the same way, because the lifting structure is integral rather than bolted. Worth confirming for the specific model before you bid, and we can check it for you.
Can forks and attachments travel with the machine?
Yes, and they should, because they pack into space you are already paying for. Forks, side shifters, clamps and spare parts all travel in the same container. Everything has to appear on the export filing, so send us the full list rather than adding items on loading day.
Does a telehandler ship like a forklift?
No, it ships more like a loader. A telehandler has a fixed boom rather than a removable mast, so the length cannot be reduced the same way, and the machines are taller and wider. Smaller ones containerize with the cab down and attachments off. Larger ones more often go roll-on roll-off or flat rack.
Is roll-on roll-off good for a telehandler?
Often yes, where the machine drives and a suitable service calls at your port. These machines are self-propelled and built for rough ground, so they handle roll-on roll-off well, and it avoids dismantling at origin and reassembly at destination entirely.
How does a diesel generator ship?
It depends on the mounting rather than the engine. Skid-mounted sets load into a container readily. Sets already built into a container housing are handled as containers. Trailer-mounted and towable sets behave like trailers, so length governs and the drawbar may need removing. Very large prime power sets are breakbulk.
What about the fuel in a generator?
This needs settling before booking. Generator sets carry substantial fuel tanks, sometimes a day tank and a bulk tank together, and the rules on residual fuel differ between container, breakbulk and roll-on roll-off movements, with carriers adding conditions of their own. We prepare the unit to whatever the booked carrier and route require.
Can I ship several generators in one container?
Smaller skid-mounted sets, yes, subject to weight. Generators are dense, so the payload limit usually arrives before the space does. Send us the models and ratings and we will work out the packing.
Can a crane be shipped in a container?
Smaller rough terrain and carry deck cranes often can, once the boom sections, counterweights, hook block and rope have come off. Truck-mounted and larger all terrain cranes generally go roll-on roll-off where they are drivable, or breakbulk where they are not. Lattice boom crawler cranes are breakbulk, shipped in pieces.
What comes off a crane for shipping?
On a lattice boom machine the boom sections come off and travel separately, as they do on the road. Counterweights are removed and on larger cranes are substantial pieces in their own right. The hook block, wire rope and jib travel separately. A telescopic boom does not come apart the same way, which makes length the governing constraint.
Why should I talk to you before buying a crane?
Because the shipping cost on a crane can be a meaningful fraction of what you pay for the machine, and because the destination port has to be able to discharge it. Both are things you want to know before the hammer falls rather than after. There is no charge for asking.
Can the destination port handle a crane shipment?
Not every terminal can. For breakbulk cargo the crane capacity and the yard equipment at the discharge port are part of the routing decision rather than an afterthought. We confirm the discharge capability before booking.
Can I ship a forklift, a generator and other equipment together?
Yes, and planning it as one shipment usually saves money. Dense items like forklifts and generators balance bulky items that are light for their size, so a well planned load uses both the space and the payload instead of wasting one. Tell us the whole list at quoting stage, including the parts you are unsure about.
Is one booking cheaper than several?
Generally yes, and it is simpler at the far end too, because it means one bill of lading and one clearance rather than several. Small items filling space you have already paid for cost very little compared with a second shipment later.
How much does it cost to ship this kind of equipment?
It is driven by the machine and the method rather than the distance. Forklifts are at the cheap end because they containerize easily. Cranes are at the expensive end because they are long, heavy and frequently breakbulk. Generators sit between the two depending on mounting. Send us the models and destination for a real figure within 24 to 48 hours.
Are there age limits on importing used equipment of this kind?
In several countries yes, and the limits for machinery are frequently different from those applied to cars. Some countries that restrict used vehicle imports are much more open to industrial equipment. Check the machinery rule rather than the car rule, and ask us, because we track it on the lanes we run.
What paperwork do you need from me?
The bill of sale or auction invoice, proof of ownership, and exact serial numbers for everything shipping. We handle the US export filing through the Automated Export System. Duty, permits and clearance at destination are handled by your own customs agent and we supply the documents they need.
Can you collect from an auction or a dealer?
Yes, anywhere in the USA. Bear in mind that most auction yards will not load a self-propelled machine that can reasonably be driven, and that equipment going to a foreign country needs a bill of lading at the gate. We issue that as the ocean carrier, so it is in hand rather than something to chase.
Are you a broker or the 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.
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.