Ship a car, truck or machinery from the USA to Benin and Togo

In a container with three or four vehicles sharing the box, booked with the licensed carrier rather than a broker. Ocean freight is charged on the container rather than per car, so filling it is where the money is. Cassandra Logistics is FMC-licensed under OTI No. 025125NF. Get a price in 24 to 48 hours.

We do, as a licensed US NVOCC. We collect from any state, load and brace the vehicles at our own warehouse in New Jersey, Savannah, Houston or Baltimore, file the US export declaration and ship to Lome or Cotonou. The bill of lading comes from us as the carrier, which means one accountable party rather than a chain of intermediaries passing messages along.

Yes, and it is most of what moves on this lane. We collect directly from Copart, IAA, Manheim and eBay Motors yards anywhere in the United States, bring the vehicle to our warehouse and ship it. You never need to be in the country.

Yes. Nationwide pickup and towing from any state, from an auction yard, a dealer or a private seller. Non-runners get winched rather than driven, which is completely routine on this lane given what tends to be bought. Tell us the pickup address and the condition when you ask for a price, so the right truck and equipment are sent the first time rather than on a second visit.

West Africa is the established destination for repairable American vehicles, with a deep local repair trade behind it, and salvage stock moves here routinely. Confirm the position for your specific vehicle with your transitaire before bidding, but this is one of the regions where it usually works. See which countries accept salvage.

Yes. Tractor units, box trucks and commercial vehicles move on this lane by container where they fit and by flat-rack where they do not. Send us the make, model and transport dimensions and we will work out the most economical method. Import eligibility for commercial vehicles is often assessed differently from passenger cars at destination, so confirm it with your agent before you buy.

Yes. Excavators, loaders, dozers and plant bought at Ritchie Bros., IronPlanet or Purple Wave move regularly. Depending on size we ship containerised, on flat-rack or by heavy haulage, with dismantling and securing where required. Send the make, model and year and we will confirm the transport dimensions ourselves rather than asking you to measure the machine. See the equipment guide.

Yes. Full container freight from any US origin, including trade goods, building materials, spare parts and equipment. Tell us the commodity, weight and volume and we will price it the same way we would a vehicle shipment. We handle the US export filing on commercial cargo exactly as we do on vehicles, so the paperwork side is one process rather than two.

Because most of what lands there does not stay. Both ports feed the landlocked interior, principally Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, which is why the volumes are far larger than the domestic markets alone would explain. It also means the trade there is experienced and well organised.

Yes, and it is a well-established route. We deliver the container to the port and the overland leg is arranged by you or your transitaire. We say that plainly because exporters who blur the line are the ones whose clients meet unexpected costs inland.

Yes. Cargo passing through Benin or Togo toward another country is generally treated as transit rather than as an import, with its own documentation. Tell us and your transitaire the final destination country at the outset rather than after the container has landed.

It usually follows the inland destination and the sailing schedule rather than a difference in capability. Lome is a deep-water port with strong transshipment traffic, Cotonou handles very large vehicle volumes. We price both against your cargo. Tell us the delivery town rather than the port and we will work backwards to whichever routing lands it cheapest.

It depends on where the vehicles are in the States, the container size and the port. We hold live carrier rates on this lane, so we can usually come back the same day. Because we are the NVOCC rather than a reseller, the number is the carrier rate. Request a quote

Fill the container. Ocean freight is charged on the box, so three or four cars in one 40ft costs dramatically less each than one shipped alone. If you buy regularly at auction, timing several purchases onto one booking is the biggest lever you have.

Collection from the US seller, transport to our warehouse, loading and bracing, the US export filing, and the ocean freight to Cotonou or Lome. Destination duties, port charges, your transitaire's fee and any inland leg sit outside it and are paid at that end.

Usually because they are broker prices that get revised once booked, or they exclude collection, loading or the export declaration. Ask what is excluded and who issues the bill of lading. A company that cannot issue one in its own name is reselling space.

It scales with the distance from the seller to whichever of our four warehouses suits the routing. East Coast purchases usually position most efficiently for West African sailings. We build the figure into the quote so you compare one complete number.

Yes. We can hold vehicles at our warehouse while you win others, then load them together in one container. Auction yards charge daily storage while our warehouse does not work that way, so waiting usually saves money rather than costing it. Tell us your buying pattern when you first make contact and we will plan the holding window around your auction schedule.

Usually three or four depending on the vehicles. Sedans and compact SUVs load efficiently, full-size American pickups take more room and often drop the count to two or three. We confirm the loading plan once we know the exact units. If you tell us the exact years and models we will confirm the count before you commit, rather than discovering it on loading day.

Loaded on its own wheels, chocked, strapped at the wheels or suspension rather than over the bodywork, and blocked so it cannot shift at sea. Where the straps attach is what separates a careful load from a damaged car. We photograph the finished load as well, so there is a record of exactly how the vehicle was braced if a question ever comes up.

Yes. We photograph the vehicles when they reach our warehouse and again once loaded and braced, before the doors close. That record also supports a claim if anything goes wrong in transit, which is why we do it as standard. We send them to you rather than filing them away, so you know what left the warehouse and in what condition before the vessel sails.

Only if they are declared on the export filing. Undeclared goods packed inside vehicles are among the most common causes of clearance problems in West Africa, and the consequence lands on the importer rather than on us. Send us the list. Send the list when you book and we will tell you whether anything on it is likely to cause a problem at your destination.

Yes, and a good share of what moves on this lane does not run. The car is winched into the container rather than driven in, which needs different equipment at collection and loading but is entirely routine. Tell us in advance so the right truck turns up.

Within 24 to 48 hours in normal cases and often the same day on this lane, because we hold live carrier rates for these ports. Send the vehicle details including the VIN, where they sit in the United States, and the destination port.

It depends on the US loading port, the carrier's schedule and any transshipment. Add time for the inland leg if the cargo is continuing to Niger, Burkina Faso or Mali. We give a concrete timeline for our portion with the quote. We tell you the realistic schedule rather than the best case, because a date you can plan around is worth more than an optimistic one.

Our warehouses in New Jersey, Savannah, Houston and Baltimore all serve West African sailings, with East Coast departures most common. Which loading point suits depends on where the vehicles are bought and which service is running. We pick the loading point around where your cargo actually sits rather than defaulting to whichever warehouse is most convenient for us.

The vehicle cannot be exported until the title or equivalent ownership document is in hand, because the US export filing requires it. We can collect and hold the car at our warehouse while it clears, which stops auction storage charges building. Tell us early.

We arrange collection, bring the vehicles to our warehouse, photograph them, book the container, load and brace them, file the US export declaration and send you the bill of lading. Your transitaire takes it from the port of discharge. You get the booking reference as soon as the space is confirmed, so you can track the sailing rather than waiting to hear from us.

No. Clearance is handled by a licensed transitaire in the destination country. We are the ocean carrier, we deliver to the port of discharge, and we provide the documentation your agent needs. On transit cargo especially, an experienced local agent matters. What we will do is make sure the documents reaching your agent are clean and consistent, because that is what decides how fast they can work.

We are the NVOCC. Cassandra Logistics is a federally licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary under FMC licence OTI No. 025125NF, legally Royal Port Container Lines, Inc. The number is public and verifiable with the Federal Maritime Commission before you send anyone money. Ask any company quoting you for their FMC number, and if they cannot give you one they are not the carrier.