Part of BigIron (since July 2022), now part of RB Global, Inc.Shipping from Sullivan Auctioneers, Hamilton
Sullivan Auctioneers is 967 road miles, about 19.5 hours by truck, from the Port of Houston, the closest port for containers and flat racks; the closest RoRo port is the Port of Baltimore, 900 miles away. We collect as soon as Sullivan Auctioneers issues the release, do any partial disassembly needed to fit a container, and ship by container, flat rack or, where a lane serves your country, RoRo.
Sullivan Auctioneers at a glance
Sullivan Auctioneers, based in Hamilton, Illinois, runs no-reserve farm and construction equipment auctions, many of them timed online sales with items at farms and dealer lots across the Midwest. It has been part of BigIron since 2022, and BigIron joined RB Global in 2026. Containers usually load at a Chicago rail ramp.
- Site type
- Permanent auction yard
- Auction company
- Sullivan AuctioneersBigIron (since July 2022), now part of RB Global, Inc.
- Closest container and flat rack port
- Port of Houston: 967 road miles, about 19.5 hours by truck
- Closest RoRo port
- Port of Baltimore: 900 road miles, about 18 hours by truck
- Removal deadline
- By the date in the sale terms, or storage and loading fees apply; load-out needs a paid invoice.
- Equipment sold here
- TractorsCombinesPlantersConstruction EquipmentTrucks & Trailers
Best export ports from Sullivan Auctioneers
Ranked by road distance from the yard gate. We list the closest container port, the closest main gateways with the most direct sailings, Savannah when it is within reach, any rail ramp that is much closer than the coast, and the closest RoRo ports, plus Brunswick, the busiest U.S. RoRo gateway, when it is within reach.
| Port | Road miles | Truck hours | Methods | Why this port |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago intermodal rail rampsRail ramp: containers are loaded here and railed to the coastRails to Newark, Norfolk, Savannah, Charleston, Los Angeles, and Seattle | 243 | 5 | Container | Rail ramp, much closer than the coast |
| Port of BaltimoreBaltimore, MD | 900 | 18 | RoRo | Closest RoRo calls |
| Port of HoustonHouston, TX | 967 | 19.5 | Container, Flat rack, RoRo | Main gateway, most direct sailingsClosest RoRo calls |
| Port of SavannahSavannah, GA | 986 | 19.5 | Container, Flat rack | Main gateway, most direct sailingsSavannah: main Southeast gateway with frequent sailings and deep-sea services |
Road miles from OSRM (OpenStreetMap), calculated October 2026. Truck hours assume a 50 mph average for a loaded lowboy, including stops.
Methods from this location
Railed from Chicago to the coast
Oversized farm equipment on flat racks
Via Baltimore or Houston where a lane serves the destination
Pickup from Hamilton or the seller's farm
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.
After you win at Sullivan Auctioneers
- 1Pay by ACH or wire within 48 hours.
- 2Send us the paid invoice and the removal date.
- 3We 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.
- 4We 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.
- 5For 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.
- 6We send you the bill of lading and the documents your customs broker needs to clear the machine at destination.
Sullivan Auctioneers buyer terms
- Buyer's premium
- None on the no-reserve dealer and farmer auction shown. Source
- Payment
- Within 48 hours; ACH preferred, cards add 3%. Source
- Removal
- By the date in the sale terms, or storage and loading fees apply; load-out needs a paid invoice. Source
Checked October 2026. Terms vary by sale, so confirm them on your invoice.
How we work with Sullivan Auctioneers
- From western Illinois we truck to the Chicago rail ramp for containers, which rail to the East and West Coast ports.
- Combines and large tractors are usually partly disassembled to fit 40 ft high-cube containers.
Why Ship With Us
- Farm-site and yard pickups across the Midwest
- Rail routing through Chicago for containers
- Experience with large farm equipment and flat rack loading
- Full export documentation
Our Services at This Location
- Pickup from the Hamilton facility and from farms and dealer lots
- Rail and truck routing from the Midwest
- Full export documentation
- Crating and blocking for ocean transport
Common destinations from Sullivan Auctioneers
Container and flat rack services reach all of these. RoRo depends on the lane from the East and Gulf Coast, so it is shown separately.
| Destination | Ocean transit | RoRo from this coast |
|---|---|---|
 Nigeria | 21-30 days | Regular sailings |
 Ghana | 20-28 days | Regular sailings |
 Australia | 28-35 days | Regular sailings |
 Kazakhstan | 35-50 days | No regular lane: container or flat rack |
 Ukraine | 25-40 days | Regular sailings |
 Saudi Arabia | 18-25 days | Regular sailings |
 Guatemala | 10-16 days | Regular sailings |
 Mexico | 5-14 days | No regular lane: container or flat rack |
Transit times are typical port-to-port ranges. Every quote confirms the current schedule.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming every Sullivan sale has no buyer's premium. Check the terms of your sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sullivan Auctioneers part of BigIron?
Yes. BigIron bought Sullivan Auctioneers in 2022, and RB Global, the owner of Ritchie Bros., completed its purchase of BigIron in May 2026.
Can you collect from the seller's farm?
Yes. Many Sullivan lots sit at farms and dealer lots; we book the pickup with the seller once your invoice is paid.
Machines bought at Sullivan Auctioneers that we load in containers
Buyers at Sullivan Auctioneers ship these kinds of machines with us. Each card shows the boxes from our loading records; open a brand for every model.
Motor grader
CAT 12
1 × 40 ft high cube
Caterpillar loading plansExcavator
CAT 206B
1 × 45 ft high cube
Caterpillar loading plansWheel loader
Komatsu 180-1
1 × 20 ft container
Komatsu loading plansWheel loader
Komatsu 180-3
1 × 40 ft high cube
Komatsu loading plansExcavator
Hitachi EX 150
1 × 40 ft high cube
Hitachi Construction Machinery loading plansExcavator
Hitachi EX 370-5
1 × 40 ft open top (1 ft (0.3 m) over the side walls) + 1 × 40 ft high cube
Hitachi Construction Machinery loading plansWheel loader
Volvo 220D
2 × 40 ft high cube
Volvo Construction Equipment loading plansExcavator
Volvo EC 480EL
1 × 40 ft open top (1 ft (0.3 m) over the side walls) + 2 × 40 ft high cube
Volvo Construction Equipment loading plansWheel loader
Kawasaki 95Z VII
2 × 40 ft high cube + 1 × 20 ft container
Kawasaki loading plans
Ready to Ship from Sullivan Auctioneers?
Contact us today for fast pickup and reliable worldwide shipping.