Inland transport
Moving machinery to U.S. ports by truck, rail and barge
Machinery reaches the port by truck, rail or barge. A truck runs without permits up to 80,000 lb gross and 102 in wide[1], railroads clear larger loads route by route[2][3], and a deck barge takes pieces too heavy for any road[4].
Truck, rail or barge
| Method | Use it when | Avoid it when |
|---|---|---|
| Truck | Most moves to the port: door to door, with permits for anything over 102 in wide, the state height limit or 80,000 lb[1]. | The piece needs so many axles that no permitted route exists. |
| Rail | Long distances, a rail siding at the origin and a load the railroad clears for the route[2][3]. | Neither end has a siding, so the piece is trucked and lifted twice. |
| Barge | Very heavy or wide pieces from plants on the Mississippi system, the Gulf Intracoastal or another navigable waterway[4]. | There is no loading point near the origin. |
Rules for every inland move
- 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.[1]
Applies to: Every road move to and from the port
- 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.[5][6]
Applies to: Machines on wheels or tracks moved by truck, and every other load on a public road
- 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.[2][3]
Applies to: Rail shipments over the railroad’s standard width, height, weight or length
- Engines, vehicles and machinery as hazardous materials (49 CFR 173.220)PHMSA
A machine is regulated as a hazardous material when it carries fuel, a wet, sodium or lithium battery, or other hazardous materials. A tank of flammable liquid fuel such as gasoline is drained to 500 mL or less and closed; a self-propelled machine on diesel may keep its fuel if the tank has room for expansion and the cap is closed. Batteries stay installed and secured, wet batteries upright, with the terminals protected against short circuits.[7]
Applies to: Machines with fuel, batteries or other hazardous materials, by road, vessel or air
Questions about inland transport
Who arranges the truck to the port?
We do, as part of the export booking: the pickup, the permits, the trailer and the delivery to the terminal before the cargo cut-off.
Is rail cheaper than trucking machinery?
Over long distances it can be, when there is a siding at the origin. Loads over the railroad’s standard size need a clearance first, and Union Pacific charges $500 for each clearance proposal.
When does a barge make sense?
When a piece is too heavy or wide for any permitted road route and the plant is on a navigable waterway. A 195 ft deck barge carries about 1,205 short tons at 3 ft freeboard.
Our Inland Transport Services
- Heavy Haul Trucking
A truck needs no permit up to 80,000 lb gross, 20,000 lb on a single axle, 34,000 lb on a tandem and 102 in wide; beyond that every state on the route issues its own permit, and the machine is held by at least four tiedowns.
- Rail & Intermodal
Rail takes machinery from a siding to the port over long distances. Loads above the railroad’s standard size, 11 ft wide or 17 ft above the rail on Union Pacific, need a clearance for the route before they move.
- Barge & Waterway Transport
A deck barge carries pieces too heavy or wide for any road route. A 195 ft by 35 ft barge takes about 1,205 short tons at 3 ft freeboard, and a 250 ft barge about 3,091.
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]FHWA, Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Program (23 CFR 658), checked October 18, 2026
- [2]Union Pacific, Seven Steps for Shipping a Dimensional Load, checked October 18, 2026
- [3]Norfolk Southern, Dimensional, Oversized, and Equipment Shipping by Rail, checked October 18, 2026
- [4]McDonough Marine Service, Deck cargo barge fleet (capacity by freeboard), checked October 18, 2026
- [5]eCFR, 49 CFR 393.106 General requirements for securing articles of cargo, checked October 18, 2026
- [6]eCFR, 49 CFR 393.130 Securement of heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery, checked October 18, 2026
- [7]eCFR, 49 CFR 173.220 Internal combustion engines, vehicles and machinery (hazardous materials), 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.