Power generation equipment
Shipping turbines, generators and transformers
The U.S. exported 964 gas turbines over 5 MW, worth $1.81 billion, and 117 large liquid-filled transformers in 2024[1][2]; a turbine or transformer over the 154 US tons (140 t) a roll trailer takes in one RoRo fleet[4] moves by rail or permitted road haul to a port where a heavy-lift ship can lift it[3][5].
How power equipment usually ships
| Method | Use it when | Avoid it when |
|---|---|---|
| Flat rack | Generator sets, switchgear and small transformers wider or taller than a container door, within the rack’s payload on their footprint. | The piece is heavier than one rack takes; two racks side by side add a crane lift at both ends. |
| RoRo on a roll trailer | A turbine, generator or transformer up to 154 US tons (140 t) in one RoRo fleet, to a port on a RoRo service[4]. | It is heavier or longer than the trailers on the route. |
| Breakbulk heavy lift | Large transformers, gas turbines and generator stators beyond roll trailer limits; ships in one heavy-lift fleet lift up to 2,205 US tons (2,000 t) with two cranes[3]. | A roll trailer takes the piece on a RoRo ship. |
| Rail | The plant and the port both have rail access; Union Pacific treats a load over 220,000 lb net or 11 ft wide as dimensional and needs an approved clearance[5]. | The railroad cannot clear the load on the route; it then moves by road on a permitted multi-axle trailer[6]. |
Container, flat rack, RoRo or breakbulk?
We quote in this order because it is usually cheapest first. Most machines that look too big for a box fit once our crew takes off the bucket, boom, cab or wheels; larger ones are taken further apart across several containers, and pieces too big or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer go 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.
Roll trailer and flat rack limits
| Figure | MAFI roll trailer[8] | 40' high cube flat rack[9] | 20' flat rack[11] |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO size-type code | – | 45P3 | 22P3 |
| Inside length | – | 38 ft 3 in (11.65 m) | 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m) |
| Inside width (flat racks: floor) | – | 7 ft 8 in (2.35 m) | 7 ft 2 in (2.19 m) |
| Inside height (flat racks: floor to top of end walls) | – | 7 ft 5 in (2.27 m) | 7 ft 4 in (2.23 m) |
| Deck, length × width | 39 ft 4 in / 12 m × 8 ft 2 in / 2.5 m | – | – |
| Floor height above ground | 2 ft 5 in (0.73 m) | 2 ft 2 in (0.65 m) | 1 ft 3 in (0.37 m) |
| Clear deck height | 1 ft 5 in (0.44 m) – 3 ft 7 in (1.1 m) | – | – |
| Trailer lengths in fleet | 19 ft 8 in (6 m) – 78 ft 9 in (24 m) | – | – |
| Maximum gross weight | – | 61 US tons (55,000 kg) | 99,200 lb (45,000 kg) |
| Tare weight | – | 13,000 lb (5,900 kg) | 6,390 lb (2,900 kg) |
| Maximum payload | 110 US tons (100,000 kg) | 54 US tons (49,100 kg) | 92,800 lb (42,100 kg) |
| Weight range | up to 154 US tons (140,000 kg) | – | – |
| Rating per lashing point | – | 11,000 lb (5,000 kg) | 11,000 lb (5,000 kg) |
- MAFI roll trailer: Figures for a standard 40′ 100-tonne trailer (Transfennica). Wallenius Wilhelmsen runs trailers from 19 ft 8 in to 78 ft 9 in (6 to 24 m) long for cargo up to 154 US tons (140 t). The cargo stays on the trailer for the whole voyage.[4]
- 40' high cube flat rack: Series range from 97,100 lb to 60 US tons (44,050 to 54,200 kg) payload. The weight must reach the two main beams, directly or through cross timbers; on a 6 ft 7 in (2 m) resting length this rack takes 56,400 lb (25.6 t).[10]
- 20' flat rack: Strongest 20′ series; other series carry 68,900 lb to 81,700 lb (31,260 to 37,060 kg). The full payload applies only when the load rests on the whole length of the main beams: on 6 ft 7 in (2 m) it is 55,600 lb (25.2 t).[10]
Rules for heavy power equipment
Road and rail limits decide the route to the port; crane rules apply wherever the piece is lifted on U.S. sites. Turbines and their controls need an export classification.
- Federal truck size and weight limits (23 CFR 658)FHWA
On the Interstate system a truck may gross 80,000 lb, with 20,000 lb on a single axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem; on the National Network the load may be 102 in wide. There is no federal height limit: states set 13.6 to 14.6 ft. A load over any of these needs an oversize or overweight permit from every state on the route.[6]
Applies to: Every road move to and from the port
- Dimensional loads by railUnion Pacific and Norfolk Southern
Each railroad sets its own limits. Union Pacific treats a load as dimensional above 11 ft wide, 17 ft above the top of rail, 220,000 lb net or four axles, or when it overhangs the car end; it needs an approved clearance proposal, a $500 fee per request and a mechanical inspection before release. Norfolk Southern asks for a clearance request above 10 ft 6 in wide, 15 ft 6 in loaded height, 200,000 lb, 60 ft of lading or under 18 ft for a concentrated load.[5][12]
Applies to: Rail shipments over the railroad’s standard width, height, weight or length
- Cargo securement on trucks (49 CFR 393.106 and 393.130)FMCSA
The tiedowns on a load must together have a working load limit of at least half its weight. A machine on wheels or tracks weighing 10,000 lb or more needs at least four tiedowns, fixed as close as practicable to its front and rear or to its designed tie points; buckets and shovels are lowered and secured, and articulated machines are locked so they cannot articulate.[13][14]
Applies to: Machines on wheels or tracks moved by truck, and every other load on a public road
- Cranes and derricks in construction (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC)OSHA
The crane may only be set up where the ground is firm, drained and graded enough, with mats or cribbing if needed, to meet the manufacturer’s support and level requirements. The operator must be trained, certified and evaluated. Anyone hooking or guiding a load inside the fall zone works with a load rigged by a qualified rigger, and a signal person is required when the operator cannot see the load. Near power lines up to 350 kV, one permitted method keeps the crane, load line and load at least 20 ft away.[7]
Applies to: Crane lifts at U.S. job sites, yards and plants
- Export classification under the EAR (ECCN or EAR99)BIS (U.S. Department of Commerce)
An item subject to the EAR is either listed on the Commerce Control List under an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) or classified EAR99, the basket for items not listed. The ECCN’s reasons for control, read against the Commerce Country Chart, decide whether the destination needs a license. An EAR99 item rarely needs one, but no item, EAR99 included, may go to a person under a denial order or to a prohibited end use or end user without BIS authorization.[15][16][17]
Applies to: Every export of goods subject to the Export Administration Regulations
- SOLAS verified gross mass (VGM)IMO
Since 1 July 2016 the shipper must give a signed verified gross mass for each packed container, found by weighing the packed unit or by adding the weighed cargo, lashing and dunnage to the container tare. The carrier needs it before the stowage plan is drawn up; without it the container is not loaded.[18]
Applies to: Every packed container, flat rack and open top
Where U.S. power equipment goes
U.S. exports by HS subheading in 2024, as reported by the United States to UN Comtrade. Transformers here are liquid-filled units over 10,000 kVA; most go to Mexico and Canada.
| Product | U.S. exports, 2024 | Units | Largest markets, share of value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas turbines over 5,000 kWHS 841182 | $1.81 billion[1] | 964 | Italy 14% · Canada 12% · China 7% · Australia 7% · Hungary 7% |
| Liquid-dielectric transformers over 10,000 kVAHS 850423 | $49.2 million[2] | 117 | Mexico 65% · Canada 32% · India 2% · Guatemala 1% · South Korea 0% |
Lifting at the plant and the port
A large transformer or turbine is lifted at least twice before it sails: onto the rail car or trailer at the plant, and aboard at the port, by the terminal’s crane or the ship’s own. On U.S. sites the crane must stand on firm, graded ground with mats or cribbing as needed, and the load is rigged by a qualified rigger[7].
The manufacturer’s drawing gives the lifting points, the centre of gravity and the shipping weight. We plan the road or rail route, the permits and the crane from that drawing, before the piece is built where possible.
Questions about shipping power equipment
How does a large transformer reach the port?
By rail on a heavy-duty car where the railroad clears the load, or by road on a permitted multi-axle trailer. Union Pacific treats a load over 220,000 lb net or 11 ft wide as dimensional, which needs an approved clearance before it moves.
What is the heaviest piece a ship can lift?
In one current heavy-lift fleet, 2,205 US tons (2,000 t), with two cranes working together.
Which countries buy the most U.S. gas turbines?
In 2024 Italy, Canada and China were the largest markets for U.S. gas turbines over 5 MW by value, followed by Australia and Hungary.
Our Services for Energy & Power
- Super Heavy Lift
Pieces beyond roll trailer limits
- Heavy Haul Trucking
Multi-axle trailers and route permits to the port
- Rail
Dimensional loads by rail where the railroad clears them
- Crane Lifting
Lifts at the plant and the port
Equipment We Ship for Energy & Power
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]World Bank WITS (UN Comtrade), U.S. exports of HS 841182, 2024, checked October 18, 2026
- [2]World Bank WITS (UN Comtrade), U.S. exports of HS 850423, 2024, checked October 18, 2026
- [3]SAL Heavy Lift, Fleet list (April 2026), checked October 18, 2026
- [4]Wallenius Wilhelmsen, Cargo handling equipment, checked October 18, 2026
- [5]Union Pacific, Seven Steps for Shipping a Dimensional Load, checked October 18, 2026
- [6]FHWA, Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Program (23 CFR 658), checked October 18, 2026
- [7]eCFR, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC Cranes and Derricks in Construction, checked October 18, 2026
- [8]Transfennica, Roll trailer and cassette dimensions (1/2024), checked October 18, 2026
- [9]Hapag-Lloyd, 40′ High Cube Flatrack, checked October 18, 2026
- [10]Hapag-Lloyd, Weight distribution in containers for safe transport (guideline), checked October 18, 2026
- [11]Hapag-Lloyd, 20′ Flatrack, checked October 18, 2026
- [12]Norfolk Southern, Dimensional, Oversized, and Equipment Shipping by Rail, checked October 18, 2026
- [13]eCFR, 49 CFR 393.106 General requirements for securing articles of cargo, checked October 18, 2026
- [14]eCFR, 49 CFR 393.130 Securement of heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery, checked October 18, 2026
- [15]eCFR, 15 CFR 734.3 Items subject to the EAR (EAR99), checked October 18, 2026
- [16]eCFR, 15 CFR 738.4 Determining whether a license is required, checked October 18, 2026
- [17]eCFR, 15 CFR 732.3 Steps regarding the ten general prohibitions, checked October 18, 2026
- [18]IMO, SOLAS verified gross mass requirement enters into force (1 July 2016), checked October 18, 2026
Send us the machine and the destination
Give us the model or the measured dimensions and weight. We come back with the method, the sailing and a price, and the figures behind them.