Vacuum Trucks Shipping
A vacuum or hydro-excavation truck drives aboard a RoRo ship whole, emptied and washed. Carriers refuse a debris body or tank with residue in it.
Overview
Vacuum trucks, combination sewer cleaners and hydro-excavators are body-built trucks taller than the 2.58 m container door, so they ship by RoRo. They drive aboard at Baltimore, Brunswick, Jacksonville or Houston where a lane serves the destination, with the boom stowed and the rear door locked.
Cleanliness decides acceptance. The debris body, water tanks, hoses and filters must be emptied and washed, and the truck may need a cleaning certificate, because carriers and destination ports refuse residue from sewer, industrial or excavation work.
Where no RoRo lane runs, a truck goes on a 40 ft flat rack if its length and weight allow: the deck is 12.06 m long and carries about 39,000 kg. Trailer-mounted vacuum units are smaller and can go in a 40 ft high cube if they pass the 2.34 m by 2.58 m door.
We have no vacuum trucks in our own loading records, so this page sets out the method rather than a past plan. We confirm the method and the cleaning requirement with photos and the VIN before booking.
Send the VIN, make, model, year and the debris tank capacity. Keep the title ready for US Customs export clearance. The debris and water tanks must be emptied and washed out, because carriers will not load a vacuum truck with residue.
Cost depends on the truck's size and whether the boom or hose reel stays on. RoRo is priced by the cubic metres of the vehicle's length, width and height. Trucking from the seller to the port is quoted on top, and a truck with residue in the tank cannot be loaded at all.
Typical Specifications
| Chassis | Tandem/tri-axle truck |
|---|---|
| Tanks | Debris and fresh-water tanks |
| Transport Height | 3.5m - 4.1m |
| Boom | Vacuum boom, stowed and secured |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
Vactor 2100i combination sewer truck: 34 ft 1 in / 10.4 m long, 8 ft 6 in / 2.6 m wide, 11 ft 10 in / 3.6 m high, 46,300 lb / 21,000 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.
Vactor 2100i combination sewer truck is 8 ft 6 in / 2.6 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 Vactor 2100i combination sewer truck
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.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
RecommendedBest for drivable vacuum/hydrovac trucks.
Breakbulk / Heavy Lift
For over-height or over-weight units.
Heavy Haul Trucking
RecommendedInland transport to the port.
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
- Empty and clean debris and water tanks
- Stow and secure the vacuum boom and hose reels
- Reduce fluids and disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Protect blower, controls, and glass
- Document hours and condition
Common Models We Ship
- Vactor / Guzzler vacuum trucks
- Vacall combination units
- Tornado / Vac-con hydrovacs
- Super Products Mud Dog
Where vacuum trucks shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on vacuum trucks bookings, and what avoids them.
- Trucks that have handled sewage or industrial sludge need a cleaning certificate, because quarantine or environmental officers in some countries will not release a contaminated tank.
- The jetting pump and hose reel on combination units should be run through with antifreeze before shipment, since trapped water cracks the pump heads in a cold hold.
- The boom rests on a saddle above the cab, so booking by cab height misses the boom and can push the truck into a higher RoRo rate band at the terminal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the tanks emptied before shipping?
Yes, debris and water tanks are emptied and cleaned before shipment.
How do vacuum trucks ship?
Drivable units ship by RoRo; over-height units may require breakbulk.
Is the vacuum boom secured?
Yes, the boom and hose reels are stowed and secured for transit.
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 Vacuum Trucks?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote vacuum trucks by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.