Part of RB Global, Inc. (came with the IronPlanet acquisition)Shipping equipment bought at GovPlanet overseas
Also searched as Gov Planet, govplanet.com, military surplus auctions, HMMWV auctions
GovPlanet sells U.S. military and government surplus from bases and government sites, and many items carry export controls. Items coded Demil F or Q, which include tactical vehicles such as HMMWVs, can only be sold to U.S. citizens and used inside the United States, so check the demil code before you bid if you plan to export.
How GovPlanet works for export buyers
GovPlanet is RB Global's marketplace for Department of Defense and other government surplus. Many items need an End-Use Certificate approved by Trade Security Controls, which typically takes 6 to 10 weeks after purchase.
Pickup is from military installations and government sites, where drivers must show identification and paperwork, and sometimes proof of insurance, before entering.
GovPlanet buyer terms
- Demil F and Q items
- Sold only within the United States and only to U.S. citizens; Demil Q items must be mutilated to scrap if they leave the U.S. Source
- End-Use Certificate
- Required for demil B, C, D, E, F and Q property; approval typically takes 6 to 10 weeks, with no storage fees during approval. Source
- Removal deadline
- 8 business days after the auction, or 8 days after the Item Release when an End-Use Certificate is required. Source
- Release
- The Item Release form follows final payment and any Trade Security Clearance, and names the department that schedules pickup. Source
- Site access
- Drivers need personal identification, the paperwork and in some cases proof of insurance to enter a government site. Source
- Loading
- The buyer rigs, loads and secures; where buyer loading is required, bring your own equipment, certified operators and insurance naming IronPlanet and the DoD. Source
- International bidders
- Accounts outside the U.S. and Canada need an International Bidders Qualification form and a $2,000 deposit. Source
Checked October 2026. Terms vary by sale, so confirm them on your invoice.
After you win at GovPlanet
- 1Check the demil code on the lot. If it is F or Q, the item cannot be exported in usable form.
- 2Pay in full, and complete the End-Use Certificate and Destination Control Statement if the lot requires them.
- 3When the Item Release arrives, send it to us with the invoice. We schedule the pickup with the department named on the release.
- 4Tell GovPlanet's title department in advance that a titled vehicle is being exported, so the paperwork is ready before pickup.
- 5We collect the machine, load it with our own carrier and take it to the port, or first to our facility if it needs partial disassembly to fit a container.
- 6We file the export declaration (EEI) in the Automated Export System. It is required when any Schedule B line is worth more than $2,500 or needs an export license, and its ITN confirmation goes to the carrier at least 24 hours before the vessel loads.
- 7For titled machines and vehicles, the original title and the EEI go to U.S. Customs at the port at least 72 hours before export. Without them the unit cannot sail.
- 8We send you the bill of lading and the documents your customs broker needs to clear the machine at destination.
How we work with GovPlanet
- We send drivers with the identification, release paperwork and insurance certificates government sites ask for, and confirm base access rules before dispatch.
- Where the lot must be loaded by the buyer, we bring the loading equipment and certified operators.
- We check the demil code and export classification of every lot before quoting ocean freight, and decline exports the rules do not allow.
- We declare the U.S. port of export you give GovPlanet at checkout, so the export filing matches.
GovPlanet locations and their best export ports
GovPlanet lots sit at seller and agency sites across the country, so the best port depends on where the machine is. Closest ports by pickup region: Shipping from GovPlanet: pickup and ports
| Pickup region | Container and flat rack | RoRo |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Northwest (Yakima, WA) | Port of Seattle145 mi, about 3 h | Port of Tacoma155 mi, about 3 h |
| California (Fresno) | Port of Oakland177 mi, about 3.5 h | Port of Hueneme230 mi, about 4.5 h |
| Southwest (Phoenix) | Port of Los Angeles / Long Beach382 mi, about 7.5 h | Port of Los Angeles / Long Beach382 mi, about 7.5 h |
| Mountain West (Denver) | Port of Los Angeles / Long Beach1,033 mi, about 20.5 hContainers: usually railed from the Denver intermodal rail ramps, 6 mi away | Port of Los Angeles / Long Beach1,033 mi, about 20.5 h |
| Northern Plains (Sioux Falls, SD) | Port of Houston1,108 mi, about 22 hContainers: usually railed from the Kansas City intermodal rail ramps, 391 mi away | Port of Houston1,108 mi, about 22 h |
| Texas (Dallas–Fort Worth) | Port of Houston267 mi, about 5.5 hContainers: usually railed from the Dallas–Fort Worth intermodal rail ramps, 17 mi away | Port of Houston267 mi, about 5.5 h |
| Corn Belt (Des Moines, IA) | Port of Houston961 mi, about 19 hContainers: usually railed from the Kansas City intermodal rail ramps, 227 mi away | Port of Houston961 mi, about 19 h |
| Great Lakes (Indianapolis) | Port of Baltimore599 mi, about 12 hContainers: usually railed from the Chicago intermodal rail ramps, 185 mi away | Port of Baltimore599 mi, about 12 h |
| Southeast (Atlanta) | Port of Savannah249 mi, about 5 h | Port of Brunswick (Colonel's Island)278 mi, about 5.5 h |
| Florida (Orlando) | Port of Jacksonville (JAXPORT)146 mi, about 3 h | Port of Jacksonville (JAXPORT)146 mi, about 3 hOr Brunswick, the busiest U.S. RoRo gateway: 201 mi |
| Northeast (Harrisburg, PA) | Port of Baltimore85 mi, about 1.5 h | Port of Baltimore85 mi, about 1.5 h |
Road miles from OSRM (OpenStreetMap), calculated October 2026. Truck hours assume a 50 mph average for a loaded lowboy, including stops.
Container is usually the cheapest option, and we do the partial disassembly needed to make the machine fit. How we containerize heavy equipment
Container, flat rack, RoRo or breakbulk?
We quote in this order because it is usually cheapest first. Most machines that look too big for a box fit once our crew takes off the bucket, boom, cab or wheels; larger ones are taken further apart across several containers, and pieces too big or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer go breakbulk.
01Container
Best fit- Work needed
- We partially disassemble when needed (bucket, boom, cab, wheels), or take larger machines further apart across several high-cubes and open-tops, then crate, block and lash every part.
- Destinations
- Widest: almost every port worldwide, plus inland delivery by rail.
- Typical cost
- Usually the lowest, with no out-of-gauge surcharges.
- Protection
- Sealed steel box; loose parts and attachments travel locked inside.
- Best for
- Most machines: compact ones as they are, others after partial disassembly, and large ones split across several containers.
02Flat rack
- Work needed
- Ships assembled, blocked and lashed. Surcharges apply when wider than 2.4 m or taller than about 1.95 m.
- Destinations
- Most container ports, on the same vessels as containers.
- Typical cost
- Moderate; rises with every centimetre out of gauge.
- Protection
- Open to the weather; we protect cabs, electronics and hydraulics.
- Best for
- Excavators, dozers and loaders too wide for a container door.
03RoRo
- Work needed
- Drives on assembled; non-runners go on a roll trailer.
- Destinations
- Fewer destinations: regular lanes to Europe, West Africa, the Middle East, Oceania and parts of Latin America.
- Typical cost
- Often competitive for large self-propelled machines where a lane exists.
- Protection
- Below deck, but loose items and attachments cannot ride inside the cab.
- Best for
- Running machines going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
04Breakbulk
- Work needed
- Lifted aboard piece by piece by ship’s or shore cranes, on its own skids or cradle, then stowed and lashed in the hold or on deck.
- Destinations
- Ports with breakbulk berths and heavy-lift cranes; sailings are booked voyage by voyage.
- Typical cost
- Usually the highest for a single small machine; often the only option for the largest pieces.
- Protection
- In the hold or lashed on deck; we crate, wrap and protect exposed parts.
- Best for
- Pieces too large or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer: transformers, process modules, mining trucks, crane sections.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Bidding on a Demil F or Q item, such as an HMMWV, intending to export it.
- Planning a pickup before the End-Use Certificate is approved. It takes weeks.
- Sending a driver to a base without the release, identification or insurance proof.
GovPlanet export questions
Can I export a HMMWV bought on GovPlanet?
Generally no. Tactical vehicles such as HMMWVs are coded Demil Q, and GovPlanet sells Demil F and Q items only within the United States and only to U.S. citizens.
How long does a GovPlanet End-Use Certificate take?
GovPlanet says approval by Trade Security Controls typically takes 6 to 10 weeks after submission. No storage fees are charged while it is pending.
Which GovPlanet items can be exported?
Items coded Demil A need no demilitarization or trade security clearance, though Commerce licensing can still apply. We check each lot's code and classification before quoting.