Land Drilling Rigs Shipping
A land drilling rig ships as loads: the substructure, mast, drawworks, mud system, engines and camp, planned from the rig's move list. Most loads go on flat racks or as breakbulk.
Overview
A land rig is designed to move in loads, and an export follows the same rig-move list that the crew uses between wells. The substructure, mast sections, drawworks skid, top drive, mud pumps, tanks, engines and generators, and the camp each travel as separate loads, and the list gives the size and weight of each.
Most rig loads are wider than the 2.34 m container door and heavy, so they go on 40 ft flat racks, which carry about 39,000 kg on a 12.06 m deck, or as breakbulk. Mast sections are long and go as breakbulk. Tubulars and drill pipe go on flat racks or as breakbulk in bundles. Spares, tools and electrical parts go in 40 ft high cubes.
Every load is cleaned of drilling mud and oil, because ports and carriers inspect for residue, and hydraulic and fuel systems are drained.
We have no drilling rigs in our own loading records, so this page sets out the method rather than a past plan. Breakbulk sailings leave from Houston and other Gulf ports. We plan the vessel and the inland legs from the rig-move list before booking.
Send the rig type, mast height, rated hookload and a complete load list of the rig and its support equipment. A land rig ships as dozens of loads, and the load list decides the plan. Drain fluids and clean the equipment of mud and soil before shipping.
Cost depends on the number of loads. A land rig moves as many containers, flat racks and breakbulk pieces, each priced on its own, so the load list decides the total. Grouping loads on one sailing lowers the cost.
Typical Specifications
| Components | Mast/derrick, substructure, drawworks, mud system, modules |
|---|---|
| Mast Length | Long oversized sections (flat rack/breakbulk) |
| Heaviest Lifts | Drawworks/substructure can exceed 50T |
| Transport | Modularized multi-load shipment |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
1,500 hp rig substructure box (largest load): 44 ft / 13.4 m long, 11 ft / 3.35 m wide, 10 ft 6 in / 3.2 m high, 92,600 lb / 42,000 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.
1,500 hp rig substructure box (largest load) weighs 92,600 lb / 42,000 kg, over a flat rack’s 86,000 lb / 39,000 kg payload, so it ships breakbulk.
- Rung 1
Container
Lowest cost
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
Best fit for 1,500 hp rig substructure box (largest load)
When: Past flat-rack and roll-trailer limits, or shipped as modules lifted aboard piece by piece.
Breakbulk / Heavy Lift
RecommendedCore method for masts, substructures, and heavy modules.
Flat Rack Container
RecommendedFor long mast sections and oversized modules.
Container Shipping
RecommendedFor tubulars, tools, and crated components.
Heavy Haul Trucking
RecommendedPermitted inland transport for rig moves.
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
- Engineer the rig load list and lift plans
- Coordinate disassembly into transportable modules
- Secure and protect control/power modules
- Manage export documentation for multi-piece shipments
- Plan reassembly support at destination
Common Models We Ship
- National Oilwell Varco (NOV) rigs
- Cactus / Crown land rigs
- IDECO / Continental Emsco packages
- Drillmec / Bentec land rigs
Where land drilling rigs shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on land drilling rigs bookings, and what avoids them.
- Load lists copied from the previous rig move often miss pin and bolt kits, raising lines, and spreader bars, which are cheap items but can stop rig-up for weeks.
- Mast sections carry fragile crown and racking board fittings, and lifting them from a single point without spreader bars can bend the lattice before it leaves the quay.
- Drawworks and pump skids with offset motors have a centre of gravity far from the middle, and shipping them without marked COG leads to rejected lift plans at the load port.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you ship complete drilling rigs?
Yes, we plan and execute full rig relocations as modularized project-cargo shipments.
How are masts shipped?
Mast/derrick sections ship on flat racks or as breakbulk depending on length and weight.
Can you handle the documentation for a multi-load rig?
Yes, we manage the consolidated export documentation and load lists for multi-piece rig moves.
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
Estimate duty and VAT on the CIF value for 70+ destinations.
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 Land Drilling Rigs?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote land drilling rigs by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.