Water Trucks Shipping
A water truck drives aboard a RoRo ship whole with its tank drained. Off-road water trucks on haul-truck chassis ship like the haul truck, in modules or by RoRo.
Overview
On-road water trucks are tank bodies on a truck chassis, taller than the 2.58 m container door, so they ship by RoRo, driving aboard at Baltimore, Brunswick, Jacksonville or Houston where a lane serves the destination. The tank is drained and dried, and the spray bars and pump are drained so no water is aboard.
Off-road water trucks for mines are built on articulated or rigid haul-truck chassis with tanks of tens of thousands of litres. They follow the haul-truck plan: whole by RoRo for articulated units, and in modules for the large rigid ones, with the tank shipped separately.
Where no RoRo lane runs, a road water truck goes on a 40 ft flat rack if it fits the 12.06 m deck and the payload of about 39,000 kg.
Tanks that carried anything but clean water must be cleaned and certified before a carrier accepts them. We have no water trucks in our own loading records, so this page sets out the method rather than a past plan. We confirm the method with photos and the VIN before booking.
Send the VIN, make, model, year and the tank capacity. Keep the original title ready for US Customs export clearance. Drain the tank and pump completely before the truck reaches the port.
Cost depends on the truck's size. RoRo is priced by the cubic metres of the vehicle's length, width and height, so a long tank truck costs more than a short one. Trucking from the seller to the port is quoted on top, and a drained tank avoids extra charges.
Typical Specifications
| Tank Capacity | 10,000 - 80,000+ liters |
|---|---|
| Transport Width | 2.5m - 4.0m |
| Transport Height | 3.2m - 4.2m |
| Spray | Rear spray heads and water cannons |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
Mack Granite water truck, 15,000 L tank: 31 ft 2 in / 9.5 m long, 8 ft 6 in / 2.6 m wide, 11 ft 2 in / 3.4 m high, 32,000 lb / 14,500 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.
Mack Granite water truck, 15,000 L tank 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 Mack Granite water truck, 15,000 L tank
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.
Flat Rack Container
For smaller units or tank modules.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
RecommendedBest for drivable water trucks.
Breakbulk / Heavy Lift
For large off-highway water trucks.
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
- Fully drain the water tank
- Secure spray heads, cannons, and pumps
- Reduce fluids and disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Protect cab glass and mirrors
- Document hours and condition
Common Models We Ship
- Caterpillar 725/730 water trucks
- Komatsu HM water truck conversions
- Mack / Western Star water trucks
- Off-highway rigid water tankers
Where water trucks shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on water trucks bookings, and what avoids them.
- Baffled tanks trap water in each compartment, so opening only the main drain can leave hundreds of litres aboard; every compartment drain and the pump casing must be opened.
- A drained mild-steel tank closed up for a long voyage rusts from the moisture left inside, so we leave the manway vented and buyers should inspect the lining on arrival.
- Off-highway water tanks fitted to converted haulers are often wider than the base chassis, so measure over the tank and spray bar, not the truck's published width.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the tank drained before shipping?
Yes, the water tank is fully drained prior to shipment.
How do off-highway water trucks ship?
Drivable units ship by RoRo; the largest off-highway trucks may require breakbulk.
Are the spray systems secured?
Yes, spray heads, cannons, and pumps are 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 Water Trucks?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote water trucks by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.