Volvo Trucks Equipment Shipping
Now part of AB VolvoSource
Volvo charts the all-new VNL at 24 ft (7.31 m) long for the VNL 300 day cab to 27 ft 11 in (8.50 m) for the VNL 860 sleeper, and 13 ft 1 in to 13 ft 5 in (3.99 to 4.09 m) tall, in 6x4 form. Too tall for a container, a VNL drives aboard a RoRo ship whole, or goes on a flat rack when it stays under 13 ft 1 in (4.0 m).
How each Volvo Trucks model ships
Weights and transport dimensions come from the manufacturer's published specifications (linked under each model). The method is worked out from those dimensions against container, flat rack and RoRo limits, in the order we quote them.
| Model | Weight | L × W × H (transport) | Best method | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volvo VNL 300Day cab tractorSpec source | not publishedweighed at pickup | 24 ft × 8 ft 3 in × 13 ft 1 in (7.31 × 2.5 × 3.99 m) | RoRoWhere a RoRo lane serves the destination | Drives on assembled where a RoRo lane serves the destination. |
| Volvo VNL 440Midroof sleeper tractorSpec source | not publishedweighed at pickup | 26 ft × 8 ft 3 in × 13 ft 3 in (7.93 × 2.5 × 4.04 m) | RoRoWhere a RoRo lane serves the destination | Drives on assembled where a RoRo lane serves the destination. |
| Volvo VNL 640Midroof sleeper tractorSpec source | not publishedweighed at pickup | 26 ft 11 in × 8 ft 4 in × 13 ft 1 in (8.21 × 2.55 × 3.99 m) | RoRoWhere a RoRo lane serves the destination | Drives on assembled where a RoRo lane serves the destination. |
| Volvo VNL 660Sleeper tractorSpec source | not publishedweighed at pickup | 27 ft 4 in × 8 ft 6 in × 13 ft 5 in (8.33 × 2.58 × 4.09 m) | RoRoWhere a RoRo lane serves the destination | Drives on assembled where a RoRo lane serves the destination. |
| Volvo VNL 860Sleeper tractorSpec source | not publishedweighed at pickup | 27 ft 11 in × 8 ft 6 in × 13 ft 4 in (8.5 × 2.58 × 4.08 m) | RoRoWhere a RoRo lane serves the destination | Drives on assembled where a RoRo lane serves the destination. |
Dimensions vary with shoes, tyres, buckets and options, so we confirm them on your machine before booking. Container limits used: 40 ft high-cube door 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) wide and 8 ft 6 in (2.58 m) high, 39 ft 6 in (12.03 m) long inside.
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
- 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
Best fit- 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.
Preparing Volvo Trucks machines for export
- Fuel is drawn down, batteries are disconnected and the tractor is cleaned for the destination's inspection.
- Mirror arms are folded or removed, and the VIN, odometer and steering side go on the invoice with the original title and any lien release.
- In Volvo's VNL body builder manual every 6x4 tractor stands 13 ft 1 in to 13 ft 5 in (3.99 to 4.09 m) tall and 8 ft 2 in to 8 ft 6 in (2.50 to 2.58 m) wide over the cab, too tall for any container.
- The VNL 300 day cab and the VNL 640, at 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m), are within the 13 ft 1 in (4.0 m) most carriers take on a flat rack; the VNL 440, 660 and 860 go RoRo, or breakbulk where no RoRo sails.
- Mirrors take the width to 9 ft 11 in (3.03 m), so the mirror arms fold in or come off for loading.
Containerizing a machine means taking off the parts that stop it fitting, then crating, labelling and lashing them in the same box. See how we containerize heavy equipment
Where Volvo Trucks machines go from the U.S.
The destinations we see most for Volvo Trucks equipment, with the import rule that most often catches buyers out.
PeruTransit 10-12 daysA used diesel tractor must be no more than two model years old and under 240,000 km, so only late VNLs qualify.
Quote to Peru
ChileTransit 16-32 daysOnly unused trucks may enter mainland Chile; a new US-made VNL pays 0% duty with proof of origin, plus 19% IVA.
Quote to Chile
EcuadorTransit 7-22 daysUsed road tractors cannot be imported, so a VNL for Ecuador ships new from a dealer.
Quote to Ecuador
VenezuelaTransit 8-10 daysNo scheduled RoRo sails, so tractors go on flat racks; check the Decreto 5.103 age limit before you buy.
Quote to Venezuela
Equipment Types We Ship
Volvo Trucks North America, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, launched the VN in 1996 and introduced the all-new VNL in 2024. Its highway tractors are assembled at the New River Valley plant in Virginia.
Why Ship Volvo Trucks with Us
- Every VNL model page built from Volvo's own body builder charts
- Destination truck rules checked before you buy: age caps, used-vehicle bans and inspections
- RoRo bookings from the US ports that serve your lane, with flat racks where none sails
Volvo Trucks shipping questions
Does a Volvo VNL fit in a container?
Not whole. Volvo charts every 6x4 VNL at 13 ft 1 in to 13 ft 5 in (3.99 to 4.09 m) tall, well above a high cube's door, so a VNL drives aboard a RoRo ship or, under 13 ft 1 in (4.0 m), goes on a flat rack. Containers only work with the tractor taken apart.
Why does the overall length of my VNL differ from your page?
Volvo charts each cab on one reference chassis and notes that the figures vary with each truck. Overall length changes with the wheelbase ordered, so we measure your tractor at the survey.
Are these the figures for an older VNL?
No. They are for the all-new VNL Volvo introduced in 2024; earlier VNL tractors are a different design, so we measure them at the survey.
Volvo Trucks and its logo are trademarks of their respective owner, shown only to identify the equipment we ship. Seaway Project Cargo is an independent shipper and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Volvo Trucks.
Ready to Ship Your Volvo Trucks Equipment?
Get a competitive quote for shipping Volvo Trucks machinery to any destination worldwide.