Ground Power Units (GPU) Shipping
A ground power unit goes in a container: towable and skid units pass a 40 ft high cube door, often several to a box. Truck-mounted units ship by RoRo.
Overview
Ground power units supply 400 Hz AC or 28 V DC power to parked aircraft, and they come towable, skid-mounted or truck-mounted. Towable and skid units are compact and pass the 2.34 m by 2.58 m door of a 40 ft high cube, which is 12.03 m long inside, so several share a box with their cables coiled and packed.
Truck-mounted units are taller than the door and ship by RoRo, driving aboard at Baltimore, Brunswick, Jacksonville or Houston where a lane serves the destination. Fixed units for gate installations ship crated in containers.
Diesel tanks are drained to the level the carrier allows and batteries are disconnected. Units with lithium batteries are declared to the carrier, which has its own rules.
We have no ground power units in our own loading records, so this page sets out the method rather than a past plan. They often ship with air-start units and preconditioned-air units from the same airport. We confirm the plan with photos and the data plates before booking.
Send the make, model, serial number and whether the unit is towable, truck-mounted or fixed. Several towable units share a container. Drain fuel to the carrier's limit and disconnect batteries.
Cost depends on how many units share a box. A container is priced per box plus trucking to the port, so filling one 40 ft high cube with several towable units, or adding them to a box of other airport equipment, brings the cost per unit down sharply. Units from different sellers can be consolidated at a warehouse near the port before loading.
Typical Specifications
| Output | 90 - 180 kVA, 400 Hz / 28 VDC |
|---|---|
| Weight | 2 - 8 metric tons |
| Mount | Towable, mobile, or skid |
| Transport | Container-friendly for most units |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
Hobart 90 kVA towable diesel GPU: 11 ft 10 in / 3.6 m long, 5 ft 5 in / 1.65 m wide, 5 ft 7 in / 1.7 m high, 5,510 lb / 2,500 kg.
The ladder below is worked out from these figures. Larger or smaller units of the same type can land on a different rung.
Cheapest first: the shipping cost ladder
We price every machine from the bottom rung up. A machine only moves up a rung when a measurement rules out the cheaper method.
Hobart 90 kVA towable diesel GPU fits a container in one piece, the cheapest way to ship it.
- Rung 1
Container
Lowest cost
Best fit for Hobart 90 kVA towable diesel GPU
When: Fits through a 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m × 8 ft 6 in / 2.58 m door and under 59,500 lb / 27,000 kg, whole or after we take off the bucket, boom, cab or wheels.
- Rung 2
Flat rack
Mid cost
When: Too wide or tall for a container door, but within 14 ft 9 in / 4.5 m wide, 13 ft 1 in / 4 m tall and 86,000 lb / 39,000 kg on one rack.
- Rung 3
RoRo
Mid cost
When: Drives or tows aboard, under 19 ft 8 in / 6 m tall and 110 US tons / 100,000 kg, going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
- Rung 4
Breakbulk
Highest cost
When: Past flat-rack and roll-trailer limits, or shipped as modules lifted aboard piece by piece.
Container Shipping
RecommendedSkid and towable GPUs consolidate well in containers.
Flat Rack Container
For larger diesel GPUs.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
RecommendedFor self-propelled or trailer-mounted GPUs.
Container, flat rack, RoRo or 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
- 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.
Handling & Preparation Requirements
- Secure cable reels and output connectors
- Drain/secure fuel for diesel GPUs per carrier rules
- Disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Protect control panels
- Document hours, output rating, and condition
Common Models We Ship
- Hobart / ITW GPU series
- TLD GPU (diesel & solid-state)
- Guinault GPU
- AXA Power converters
Where ground power units (GPU) shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on ground power units (GPU) bookings, and what avoids them.
- Shipping a towable GPU with its drawbar locked horizontal adds about a metre of length and can cut a 40 ft container plan from three units down to two.
- Solid-state frequency converters are built for a specific grid input, so buyers should confirm the destination voltage and 50 or 60 Hz supply before export rather than after installation.
- Canopy access doors on many GPUs use light quarter-turn latches that vibrate open at sea, so we strap each door shut to stop it swinging into the next unit in a shared box.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can GPUs ship in containers?
Yes, most skid and towable GPUs are container-friendly; larger diesel units may use flat rack or RoRo.
How is fuel handled on diesel GPUs?
Fuel is drained or reduced per the carrier and dangerous-goods requirements.
Do you ship solid-state converters too?
Yes, both engine-driven and solid-state GPUs are within our scope.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below, each checked on the date shown. Carriers and authorities revise them, so we confirm the current figure when we book.
- [1]Seaway Project Cargo: about the company, checked October 22, 2026
- [2]Seaway Project Cargo country shipping guides, checked October 22, 2026
Plan your shipment
Import Duty & Tax Estimator
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Dimensional Weight Calculator
Work out chargeable weight before you book.
Container Space Calculator
See how your cargo fits in 20ft, 40ft, and HC containers.
Route Finder
Load port, sailings, duty and rules for a machine and destination.
Ready to Ship Your Ground Power Units (GPU)?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote ground power units (GPU) by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.