Part of RB Global, Inc. (acquired by Ritchie Bros. in May 2017)Shipping equipment bought at IronPlanet overseas
Also searched as Iron Planet, ironplanet.com, IronClad Assurance
IronPlanet equipment stays at the seller's own site until it is sold, so pickup happens at a farm, contractor yard or dealer, not an auction yard. After payment you get an Item Release email, and you have 8 business days to remove the machine before storage fees start; we book the pickup with the seller and route it to the closest suitable port.
How IronPlanet works for export buyers
IronPlanet is RB Global's weekly online marketplace. Equipment is sold Ex Works at the seller's premises, and the buyer is responsible for dismantling, loading and shipping unless the listing says otherwise.
Many listings carry an IronClad Assurance inspection report, a visual condition report with photos. For exports, any dispute about the report must be raised and settled before the machine leaves the U.S.
IronPlanet buyer terms
- Payment
- All amounts must be paid before the equipment is released; cash and unapproved third-party payments are not accepted. Source
- Release
- An automatic Item Release email is sent once payment and any required documents are received. Source
- Removal deadline
- 8 business days after the Item Release, unless the listing says otherwise. Source
- Storage fees
- 25 (listing currency) per day from the 9th day, capped at 1,500; equipment may also be moved to storage at the buyer's cost. Source
- Loading
- Sold Ex Works at the seller's premises; the buyer handles dismantling, loading and shipping. Source
- Export
- IronPlanet recommends a U.S. forwarding agent for the AES export filing; it can supply invoices or a notarized bill of sale for a fee, but not manufacturer statements of origin. Source
- Inspection disputes
- For export items, IronClad Assurance disputes must be raised and settled before export. Source
Checked October 2026. Terms vary by sale, so confirm them on your invoice.
After you win at IronPlanet
- 1Pay within the payment window and complete any documents IronPlanet asks for.
- 2Wait for the Item Release email. It names the seller contact and pickup address.
- 3Forward us the Item Release and invoice. We contact the seller to agree a pickup time inside the 8 business days.
- 4If you have a concern about the IronClad Assurance report, raise it now, before the machine is exported.
- 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 IronPlanet
- We call the seller named on the Item Release to confirm the address, access, loading ramp or dock and opening hours.
- Because sellers are often farms or job sites without loading equipment, we send a carrier that can self-load, or arrange a loader or crane where the machine cannot be driven.
- If the machine needs partial disassembly to fit a container, we do it at the seller's site when the seller agrees, or at our loading facility near the port.
- We photograph the machine at pickup so its condition is recorded against the inspection report before it travels.
RB Group transportation partners or an independent forwarder?
IronPlanet lets you book trucking through its transportation partners. A forwarder handles the whole export, from pickup to the destination port, and can combine IronPlanet purchases with machines bought elsewhere.
IronPlanet locations and their best export ports
IronPlanet 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 IronPlanet: 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
- Planning pickup as if it were an auction yard. The seller sets the access and hours, and may have no loading equipment.
- Exporting before settling an IronClad Assurance dispute, which ends the claim.
- Letting the 8 business days run out while waiting for an ocean booking. We can collect first and store near the port.
IronPlanet export questions
Where is IronPlanet equipment picked up?
At the seller's location shown on the Item Release, such as a farm, contractor yard or dealer lot. IronPlanet does not hold the equipment in its own yards.
How long do I have to remove IronPlanet equipment?
8 business days after the Item Release, unless the listing says otherwise. Storage then costs 25 per day in the listing currency, up to 1,500.
Is IronPlanet part of Ritchie Bros.?
Yes. Ritchie Bros., now RB Global, bought IronPlanet in 2017. IronPlanet still runs its own marketplace, and its Sale Day bidding has moved onto rbauction.com.