A skid steer is one of the easiest pieces of heavy equipment to move across an ocean, and that is exactly why so many of them leave the United States every month. The machine is compact, it is built in enormous numbers, and a good used one holds its value almost everywhere in the world. This guide explains what actually happens when you ship one, what fits inside a container, how the attachments travel, and which parts of the job move the price.
Why skid steers travel so well
Most skid steer loaders and compact track loaders sit comfortably inside the dimensions of a standard shipping container, which puts them in the cheapest category of machinery to export. A typical mid-size machine stands somewhere around six and a half feet wide and runs a little over six feet tall once the cab is accounted for, and that is a size a container was practically built to carry. The result is that the freight on a skid steer is usually a fraction of what the same owner would pay for an excavator of comparable value.
The second reason is demand. Used American machines from Bobcat, Caterpillar, John Deere, Case, New Holland, Kubota and Takeuchi are recognized in almost every market we serve, parts are available, and operators already know how to run them. A machine that buyers at destination understand is a machine that sells, and that keeps this lane busy year round.
Will it fit inside a container
In most cases, yes. A compact or mid-frame skid steer generally drives into a forty foot high cube container without any dismantling at all, and that is the arrangement we use most often. A smaller machine will often go into a twenty foot container, although the loader arms and the cab height are what decide it rather than the weight.
The three numbers that settle the question are the width across the tires or tracks, the overall height with the cab and the loader arms fully lowered, and the operating weight. Send us those three figures with the model number and we will tell you which box the machine goes in before you commit to anything.
Larger vertical lift machines, the ones in the heavier classes with wide tracks and tall cabs, sometimes sit right at the limit. On those we check the specific unit rather than work from the class, because manufacturers change the dimensions between model years more often than people expect. You can compare the internal container dimensions yourself on our shipping tools page.
Attachments, buckets and extra parts
Attachments are where a skid steer shipment quietly gets cheaper or quietly gets expensive. Buckets, forks, augers, breakers, grapples, brush cutters and spare tracks all travel in the same container as the machine, and sending them together is far less costly than shipping them on their own at a later date. In many containers there is usable space left over beside and behind the machine once it is secured, and attachments fill it well.
What we need from you is a complete list before loading day rather than on it. Every item has to appear on the United States export filing and on the bill of lading, and a bucket that turns up unannounced at the warehouse is a bucket that holds up the paperwork. Send the list when you book and everything moves on schedule.
If you have won several lots at the same auction, tell us early. Two small machines, or one machine with a pallet of attachments and parts, often share a container very comfortably, and the saving per unit is substantial.
Buying at auction and getting the machine collected
Most of the skid steers we export are bought at Ritchie Bros., IronPlanet, Purple Wave, Machinery Trader listings or a local dealer auction. The important thing to understand about every one of those yards is that storage charges begin a short time after payment clears, and on machinery those charges are heavier than they are on cars because the footprint is larger.
We collect from any auction site or dealer yard in the United States and bring the machine to our warehouse for preparation and loading. A skid steer is straightforward to move because it can usually be driven onto a trailer under its own power, which keeps the inland cost well below what a larger machine would attract. Arrange the collection at the same time that you pay for the lot and you will avoid the single most wasteful cost on the whole shipment.
Preparation before the machine loads
Preparation on a skid steer is light compared with larger equipment, but it still has to be done properly. Fuel is run down, fluids are checked and secured against leaks, the battery is disconnected, loose items are removed from the cab, and the loader arms are brought down and locked so nothing can move while the vessel is at sea. The machine is then chocked, chained and lashed to the container floor.
Cleaning deserves a separate mention because it is the requirement people most often forget. A number of countries will not admit earth moving or agricultural machinery that arrives carrying soil, plant matter or residue, and a machine held at destination for cleaning is an expensive machine. Steam cleaning before loading costs very little by comparison. Where we know a destination applies that rule, we will say so when we quote.
What moves the price
Four things decide what a skid steer costs to export. The first is where the machine is collected from and how far it travels to the loading port. The second is whether it ships alone in a container or shares one, since sharing spreads the ocean freight across more than one unit. The third is the destination port and the sailing frequency on that lane. The fourth is the preparation, which on this type of machine is modest.
Because we are the ocean carrier of record rather than a broker reselling someone else's space, the figure we give you is the real one and it does not carry an extra layer of markup. What we will not do is quote a container rate on a machine that is not going to fit in one, because that number falls apart the moment the machine reaches the warehouse.
Skid steer and track loader shipping FAQ
How much does it cost to ship a skid steer overseas from the USA?
The price comes from four things rather than one: where the machine is collected in the United States, whether it ships alone in a container or shares one with other cargo, the destination port, and the preparation the machine needs. A skid steer is in the cheapest machinery class to move because it normally fits a standard container without dismantling. Send us the model and the destination and we will give you a real figure within 24 to 48 hours. Request a quote.
Will a skid steer fit in a 40ft container?
In the great majority of cases, yes, and it usually drives in without any dismantling. A forty foot high cube is the box we use most often for this machine because the extra height takes the cab comfortably. The figures that decide it are the width across the tires or tracks, the height with the cab and loader arms down, and the operating weight. Give us the model number and we will confirm it rather than estimate.
Can a skid steer fit in a 20ft container?
A smaller compact machine often will, and that can be the cheaper booking if you are shipping one unit on its own. The deciding factors are the height with the arms lowered and the width across the machine rather than the weight, since a skid steer is well within what a twenty foot container can carry. We check the specific model before quoting, because dimensions change between model years more than buyers expect.
Is it cheaper to ship two skid steers together?
Usually yes, and noticeably so. Two compact machines frequently share one forty foot high cube, which spreads the ocean freight across both units and brings the cost per machine down a long way. If you are bidding on more than one lot at the same auction, tell us before you bid and we will look at whether they consolidate.
Why is a skid steer cheaper to ship than an excavator?
Because it fits a container as it stands. An excavator of similar value usually needs the boom and arm removed before it will go in a box, and that is labor time added to the freight. A skid steer skips that step entirely, which is why the gap between the two is larger than the difference in machine size would suggest.
Can I ship attachments with the machine?
Yes, and it is almost always the sensible thing to do. Buckets, forks, augers, breakers, grapples, brush cutters and spare tracks travel in the same container as the machine, filling space that would otherwise go unused. Shipping them separately later costs far more. Send us the complete list when you book, because every item has to appear on the export filing and the bill of lading.
Do attachments change the price?
Only in so far as they add weight and take up space, and on a skid steer shipment there is normally space to spare. In practical terms a set of attachments shipped alongside the machine adds very little to the ocean freight compared with what the same items would cost moved on their own. Tell us what is coming before loading day rather than on it.
Can I put spare parts and tools in the container?
Yes, provided everything is declared. Parts, filters, tracks, tires and hand tools travel well in the same box and are commonly sent with the machine. What we cannot carry is anything undeclared, and that includes personal effects packed into the cab. Everything that ships has to be on the list you give us when you book.
Can you collect from Ritchie Bros., IronPlanet or Purple Wave?
Yes, and that is where most of the machines on this lane come from. We collect from any auction site or dealer yard in the United States, bring the machine to our warehouse, prepare it, load it and handle the export filing. A skid steer is simple to collect because it can normally be driven onto a trailer, which keeps the inland cost down.
How soon should I arrange collection after winning the lot?
At the same time that you pay, without waiting. Auction yards allow a short removal window and then begin charging storage, and on machinery those charges run higher than they do on cars because the machine occupies more ground. This is the most avoidable cost on the entire shipment and it catches people out regularly.
I am outside the USA. Can you handle everything without me being there?
Yes, and most of our equipment clients never see the machine in the United States at all. Once the lot is won and paid for we collect it, prepare it, load it and ship it. We also report on the condition of the machine as it reaches our warehouse, which gives you a checkpoint between the auction listing and the vessel.
Do you buy the machine for me at the auction?
No. We are a licensed ocean carrier and we do not purchase equipment on anyone's behalf, and we do not hold or share auction account access. You buy the machine in your own name through your own account, and once it is paid for we take it from the yard and move it. Read how that works.
What preparation does a skid steer need before it ships?
Fuel is run down, fluids are checked and secured, the battery is disconnected, loose items come out of the cab, and the loader arms are lowered and locked so that nothing moves at sea. The machine is then chocked, chained and lashed to the container floor. It is light preparation by the standards of heavy equipment, but it still has to be done correctly.
Does the machine need to be cleaned before export?
For a good number of destinations, yes, and this is the requirement most often missed. Several countries refuse earth moving and agricultural machinery that arrives carrying soil, plant material or residue, and a machine held for cleaning at destination becomes expensive quickly. Steam cleaning before loading costs very little by comparison. We will tell you when we have seen the rule applied on your lane.
Do I need to drain the fuel completely?
Fuel is run down to a low level rather than emptied to nothing, and the system is checked and secured so that nothing can leak in transit. The exact handling depends on the machine and on the shipping line, and we take care of it as part of preparation at our warehouse. You do not need to arrange it yourself before the machine is collected.
What paperwork do I need to export a skid steer?
On the United States side we file the export declaration through the Automated Export System and issue your bill of lading. What you provide is the bill of sale or auction invoice, proof of ownership, and the machine details including make, model, year and serial number. Duty, permits and clearance at the far end are handled by your own customs agent, and we supply the documents they need.
Are there age limits on importing a used skid steer?
Some countries apply them to used machinery and the limits are often different from the ones applied to cars. A number of markets that restrict used vehicle imports remain quite open to used construction equipment. The rule belongs to the destination country rather than to the United States, so confirm it with a licensed customs agent there before you bid. It is a check worth making early.
Does my skid steer need a pre-shipment inspection?
It depends entirely on the destination. Certain countries require an inspection or a conformity certificate issued before the cargo leaves, and a machine that arrives without one can sit at the port unable to clear. Because it is a destination requirement rather than a United States one, confirm it with your customs agent early. We will flag it if we have seen it required on your lane.
Which countries do you ship skid steers to?
Across West and East Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Skid steers move well on almost every lane we run because they containerize cleanly and the sailings are frequent. Tell us the destination port and we will confirm the service and the transit time with the quote.
How quickly can I get a quote?
Within 24 to 48 hours in normal cases. What we need is the make, model and year, the United States pickup location, the destination port, and the list of attachments travelling with the machine. The model number alone lets us look up most of the dimensions. Send the details and we will price it.
Can you store the machine before it ships?
Yes, within reason. Holding a machine at our warehouse while a payment clears or a document is sorted out is far cheaper than leaving it accruing charges at the auction yard. Tell us early so that we can plan the space, because machinery takes up considerably more room than vehicles and we schedule it rather than fit it in on arrival.
Are you a licensed carrier or a broker?
We are the carrier. Cassandra Logistics is a federally licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary under FMC licence OTI No. 025125NF, legally Royal Port Container Lines, Inc. doing business as Cassandra Logistics. The licence is public and verifiable with the Federal Maritime Commission, and on cargo of this value it is worth verifying whoever you are dealing with.
Why are other quotes cheaper than yours?
Most often because something has been left out of them. Check whether the number includes collection from the auction yard, preparation and securing, the export filing and the bill of lading, or whether those arrive later as separate charges. Ask as well what shipping method the quote assumes and what happens to the price if the machine turns out not to fit it.
Import rules change. The customs information on this page comes from official government sources and was accurate when published, but duties, age limits 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.