Shipping Heavy Machinery

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Shipping Heavy Machinery

Posted on October 29, 2013 – Shipping Vehicles

Shipping a car is one thing. Shipping a bulldozer or a crane quite another, as their sheer weight and shape present indisputable challenges.

To ensure that everything goes smoothly, careful planning is essential. Heavy machinery is obviously expensive and needs extra protection so that it doesn't get damaged during transport; additional insurance might be required to provide coverage for international shipping.

But there are also regulatory requirements to be met. With very heavy equipment, special road permits might be necessary if the dimensions or the weight of the vehicle exceed limits set by the government of the country of destination. When importing vehicles into New Zealand, they also need to comply with MPI requirements and be free or any material that could bring contamination, such as plants, debris, soil, leaves, etc… If your machinery is found to be contaminated, not only will it be cleaned at your cost, but it will also delay clearance and therefore could compromise your work schedules and cost you even more in lost income.

Which method is used to transport heavy vehicles will partly depend on whether they have wheels and can be driven on and off a transport truck or a train. In this case, they can be shipped using what is called RORO, Roll-on-Roll-off, sometimes without needing to be placed in a special container, which reduces costs significantly. However, not all ports have the facilities to accommodate RORO ships, which can limit your options.

For other vehicles, container shipping might be the best solution. Regardless of their weight, they may fit inside rectangular shipping containers depending on their size and this method is advisable for machines with more delicate parts that could get damaged such as pumps or compressors.

Heavy machinery is a significant business asset. Always choose a shipping company with extensive experience in this area.

For more information about car and vehicle shipping, contact us, phone us on +64 9 303 0075, or get a free quote.

Click here to see our quick reference guide to making car shipping easy.

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