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Ship Your Planters
Get expert advice on the best shipping solution for your equipment.
Overview
A planter folds to a road width, but that width is usually more than the 2.34 m door of a container. Small rigid 6- and 8-row planters go in a 40 ft high-cube once the row units or markers come off; most folding 12- to 24-row planters ship assembled on a flat rack, out of gauge on width.
Front-fold and stack-fold frames fold tall as well as narrow, so the folded height sets the flat rack surcharge as often as the width does. We measure the planter in its transport position, with markers and wings locked, before we book.
Seed boxes, central fill tanks, vacuum lines and row units collect treated seed and soil. Destinations such as Australia and New Zealand inspect for both, so every seed meter and hopper is emptied and the frame is washed before it leaves the farm.
Typical Specifications
| Weight Range | 3 - 20 metric tons |
| Row Count | 6 - 48 rows |
| Transport Width | 3m - 5m folded |
| Transport Height | 2.5m - 4.2m folded |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
John Deere 1775NT 12-row planter, stack-folded: 24 ft 7 in / 7.5 m long, 12 ft / 3.66 m wide, 13 ft / 3.96 m high, 16,500 lb / 7,500 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.
John Deere 1775NT 12-row planter, stack-folded is 12 ft / 3.66 m wide, over the 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m container door, so shipping it whole starts on the next rung up.
- 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
Best fit for John Deere 1775NT 12-row planter, stack-folded
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 (after disassembly)
RecommendedRigid 6- and 8-row planters, with row units, markers and fertiliser tanks taken off and crated in a 40 ft high-cube.
Flat Rack Container
RecommendedFolding 12- to 24-row planters ship assembled and blocked; width or folded height past the rack makes them out of gauge.
RoRo (on roll trailer)
RecommendedLarge front-fold planters on a MAFI roll trailer where a RoRo lane serves the destination.
Breakbulk
Only for the widest 36- to 48-row toolbars that exceed flat rack limits.
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
- Wings, markers and toolbar locked in transport position
- Seed meters, hoppers and central fill tanks emptied of treated seed
- Pressure wash for soil and plant material
- Monitor, displays and harness ends removed and packed
- Hydraulic hoses capped and cylinders pinned
- Row units photographed for condition before loading
Common Models We Ship
Manufacturers We Ship
Brands that build planters, with model dimensions and the shipping method each one fits.
Where planters shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on planters bookings, and what avoids them.
- Liquid fertiliser tanks, pumps and lines left with residue are treated by carriers as a chemical leak risk, so the whole liquid system is rinsed and drained before the booking is made.
- Dust from treated seed hides inside vacuum hoses and meter housings that look empty from outside, so each meter is opened, because coated seed found on arrival in Australia means re-cleaning charges.
- Row-unit closing wheels and down-pressure springs sit below the toolbar and get crushed if the frame is lowered onto flat rack dunnage, so the toolbar is blocked high on stands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my planter fit in a container?
Rigid 6- and 8-row planters usually do once the row units or markers come off. Folding planters wider than the 2.34 m container door ship on a flat rack or RoRo instead.
Does the planter have to be cleaned?
Yes. Every seed meter and hopper is emptied of treated seed, and the frame is washed free of soil. Australia and New Zealand inspect on arrival and reject dirty machinery.
Can you ship the planter with the tractor?
Yes. On RoRo the tractor drives aboard and the planter rides a roll trailer; by flat rack they ship as two units on the same booking.
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 Planters?
Get a customized quote for your equipment. Our experts handle planters shipments worldwide.