Ocean freight
Ocean freight for machinery and project cargo
A machine crosses the ocean in one of four ways: inside a container if it passes a 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) wide door[1], on a flat rack if it is wider or taller, on a RoRo ship if it drives or rides a roll trailer[3], or as breakbulk when it is beyond all three.
- door width of a standard 20′ or 40′ container[1]
- 7 ft 8 in2.34 m
- payload of a 40′ high cube flat rack, load spread over its full length[2]
- 54 US tons49,100 kg
- clear deck height on the newest car carriers of one RoRo fleet[3]
- 21 ft 4 in6.5 m
- cargo on the heaviest roll trailers in one RoRo operator’s fleet[4]
- 154 US tons140,000 kg
Which method fits the cargo
Start from the machine’s measured width, height, length and weight, then whether it moves under its own power. The first method in this table that takes it whole is usually the cheapest.
| Method | Use it when | Avoid it when |
|---|---|---|
| Container (FCL/LCL) | The machine, or its parts once the bucket, cab or counterweight is removed, passes a 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) wide door: 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) high on a standard box, 8 ft 6 in (2.60 m) on a high cube[1]. | Taking it apart costs more than the flat rack or RoRo premium, or the buyer cannot put it back together. |
| Flat rack | It is too wide or tall for a door, fits within 38 ft 3 in (11.65 m) of length and is within the rack’s payload for its resting length[1][2]. | Its weight sits on a short footprint: on 6 ft 7 in (2 m) the 40′ rack takes 56,400 lb (25.6 t), about half its rating[2]. |
| RoRo | It drives or tows and the destination has a RoRo call. Deck height runs from 16 ft 5 in (5.0 m) on older ships to 21 ft 4 in (6.5 m) on the newest in one fleet[3]. | No RoRo service calls the destination, or the machine is over the stern-ramp rating of the ship on the sailing[3]. |
| MAFI roll trailer | It cannot drive but should go RoRo: it is loaded on a trailer at the terminal and stays on it for the voyage, up to 154 US tons (140 t)[4]. | A flat rack sailing goes direct and the RoRo service needs a transshipment. |
| Out of gauge (OOG) | Parts stick out past the corner posts of a flat rack or above an open top’s side walls; the carrier stows it on deck and charges for the slots it blocks. | A RoRo deck takes the same piece without blocking slots. |
| Oversized cargo | The piece is over road limits in the U.S. as well as container limits, so permits and a route survey come first. | The machine is within road limits: it only needs the ocean method chosen above. |
| Breakbulk and charter | A single piece is past flat rack and roll trailer limits, or a project needs many heavy pieces on one ship. | A liner RoRo or flat rack sailing can take it; breakbulk adds crane lifts at both ends. |
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.
Container sizes and limits
Figures from one carrier’s fleet sheet. The door, not the interior, decides what drives or slides in.
| Figure | 20' standard container[1] | 40' standard container[1] | 40' high cube container[1] | 20' open top container[1] | 40' open top container[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO size-type code | 22G1 | 42G1 | 45G1 | 22U1 | 42U1 |
| Inside length | 19 ft 4 in (5.9 m) | 39 ft 6 in (12.03 m) | 39 ft 6 in (12.03 m) | 19 ft 4 in (5.9 m) | 39 ft 6 in (12.03 m) |
| Inside width (flat racks: floor) | 7 ft 9 in (2.35 m) | 7 ft 9 in (2.35 m) | 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) | 7 ft 9 in (2.35 m) | 7 ft 9 in (2.35 m) |
| Inside height (flat racks: floor to top of end walls) | 7 ft 10 in (2.39 m) | 7 ft 10 in (2.4 m) | 8 ft 10 in (2.7 m) | 7 ft 10 in (2.38 m) | 7 ft 10 in (2.38 m) |
| Door opening, width × height | 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m × 7 ft 6 in / 2.29 m | 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m × 7 ft 6 in / 2.29 m | 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m × 8 ft 6 in / 2.6 m | 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m × 7 ft 6 in / 2.28 m | 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m × 7 ft 6 in / 2.28 m |
| Roof opening, length × width | – | – | – | 17 ft 6 in / 5.34 m × 7 ft 4 in / 2.23 m | 37 ft 11 in / 11.55 m × 7 ft 4 in / 2.23 m |
| Maximum gross weight | 71,700 lb (32,500 kg) | 71,700 lb (32,500 kg) | 71,700 lb (32,500 kg) | 71,700 lb (32,500 kg) | 71,700 lb (32,500 kg) |
| Tare weight | 5,070 lb (2,300 kg) | 8,160 lb (3,700 kg) | 8,490 lb (3,850 kg) | 5,400 lb (2,450 kg) | 8,930 lb (4,050 kg) |
| Maximum payload | 66,600 lb (30,200 kg) | 63,500 lb (28,800 kg) | 63,200 lb (28,650 kg) | 66,200 lb (30,050 kg) | 62,700 lb (28,450 kg) |
| Volume | 33.2 m³ | 67.7 m³ | 76.3 m³ | 32.5 m³ | 66.5 m³ |
| Rating per lashing point | 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) | 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) | 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) | 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) | 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) |
- 20' standard container: Wooden floor series. Some 20′ series are rated 67,200 lb (30,480 kg) gross, which lowers the payload to 62,100 lb (28,180 kg).[1]
- 40' standard container: Wooden floor series; every Hapag-Lloyd 40′ box has a gooseneck tunnel.[1]
- 40' high cube container: The door opening, not the interior, decides what drives in: 8 ft 6 in (2.60 m) high.[1]
- 20' open top container: Loaded by crane through the roof; the door header swings out. Cargo above the side walls ships under a tarpaulin as over-height.[1]
- 40' open top container: Older 40′ open tops are rated 67,200 lb (30,480 kg) gross (58,700 lb / 26,630 kg payload).[1]
Flat racks, roll trailers and RoRo decks
What carries cargo that does not fit a box. Flat rack payloads apply only when the weight spreads along the main beams[2].
| Figure | 20' flat rack[8] | 40' high cube flat rack[9] | MAFI roll trailer[10] | RoRo (PCTC) cargo deck[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO size-type code | 22P3 | 45P3 | – | – |
| Inside length | 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m) | 38 ft 3 in (11.65 m) | – | – |
| Inside width (flat racks: floor) | 7 ft 2 in (2.19 m) | 7 ft 8 in (2.35 m) | – | – |
| Inside height (flat racks: floor to top of end walls) | 7 ft 4 in (2.23 m) | 7 ft 5 in (2.27 m) | – | – |
| Deck, length × width | – | – | 39 ft 4 in / 12 m × 8 ft 2 in / 2.5 m | – |
| Floor height above ground | 1 ft 3 in (0.37 m) | 2 ft 2 in (0.65 m) | 2 ft 5 in (0.73 m) | – |
| Clear deck height | – | – | 1 ft 5 in (0.44 m) – 3 ft 7 in (1.1 m) | 16 ft 5 in (5 m) – 21 ft 4 in (6.5 m) |
| Trailer lengths in fleet | – | – | 19 ft 8 in (6 m) – 78 ft 9 in (24 m) | – |
| Maximum gross weight | 99,200 lb (45,000 kg) | 61 US tons (55,000 kg) | – | – |
| Tare weight | 6,390 lb (2,900 kg) | 13,000 lb (5,900 kg) | – | – |
| Maximum payload | 92,800 lb (42,100 kg) | 54 US tons (49,100 kg) | 110 US tons (100,000 kg) | – |
| Weight range | – | – | up to 154 US tons (140,000 kg) | 165 US tons (150,000 kg) – 413 US tons (375,000 kg) |
| Rating per lashing point | 11,000 lb (5,000 kg) | 11,000 lb (5,000 kg) | – | – |
- 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).[2]
- 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).[2]
- 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]
- RoRo (PCTC) cargo deck: Maximum deck height and stern-ramp capacity across one operator’s fleet: ships built around 2000 offer 16 ft 5 in (5.0 m) and 165 US tons (150 t), ships built from 2015 offer 21 ft 4 in (6.5 m) and 413 US tons (375 t). The vessel on your sailing sets the limit.[3]
What counts as out of gauge
A container is 8 ft (2.44 m) wide on the outside[5]. Cargo on a flat rack is over-wide only where it, or its lashings, passes a line between the outer edges of the corner posts; the floor is narrower than that, so a load can overhang the floor and still be in gauge[5].
Measurements must include the lashing equipment. A wrong declaration can lead to a re-rating or to the cargo being left behind at the terminal[5].
Every packed container, flat rack and open top also needs a verified gross mass before it is loaded[6], and every piece of wood used to block or brace it must be treated and stamped to ISPM 15[7].
Rules that apply to every ocean shipment
- 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.[6]
Applies to: Every packed container, flat rack and open top
- ISPM 15 wood packagingIPPC, administered in the U.S. by USDA APHIS
Wood packaging and dunnage must be heat-treated to a core temperature of 56 °C for at least 30 minutes, or fumigated, and carry the IPPC mark with the US country code, the facility number and HT or MB. Marked wood can be reused; repaired or remanufactured wood must be treated and marked again.[7]
Applies to: Crates, skids, blocking and dunnage
- Electronic Export Information (15 CFR 30)U.S. Census Bureau
Electronic Export Information is filed in AES for each Schedule B number worth more than $2,500 going to one consignee on one conveyance, and for every vehicle whatever its value. For vessel cargo it is due at least 24 hours before loading; the Internal Transaction Number (ITN) goes to the carrier with the booking.[11][12]
Applies to: Any Schedule B line over $2,500, and every vehicle
- 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.[13]
Applies to: Every road move to and from the port
Questions about ocean freight
What is the cheapest way to ship an excavator overseas?
Usually a container, if the excavator fits once the bucket and sometimes the boom or counterweight are removed. If it does not fit, RoRo is often cheaper than a flat rack when a RoRo ship calls the destination, because the machine drives aboard and blocks no container slots.
How much can a flat rack carry?
The 40′ high cube flat rack in Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet is rated 54 US tons (49,100 kg), but only when the load spreads over the full length of its main beams. On a 6 ft 7 in (2 m) footprint the same rack takes 56,400 lb (25.6 t).
How tall can cargo be on a RoRo ship?
It depends on the ship. In Höegh Autoliners’ fleet the clear deck height runs from 16 ft 5 in (5.0 m) on ships built around 6,561 ft 8 in to 21 ft 4 in (2000 to 6.5 m) on ships built from 2015. The ship on your sailing sets the limit.
Do I need a VGM for a flat rack?
Yes. The SOLAS verified gross mass rule covers every packed container, including flat racks and open tops. Without a VGM the carrier does not load the unit.
Our Ocean Freight Services
- Out of Gauge (OOG) Shipping
Cargo is out of gauge when it, or its lashings, passes the outer edges of a flat rack’s corner posts or rises above an open top’s side walls; the carrier stows it on deck and charges for the container slots it blocks.
- Oversized Cargo Shipping
Oversized cargo is over U.S. road limits as well as container limits: wider than 102 in, heavier than 80,000 lb gross or taller than the state allows, so permits and a route survey come before the ocean booking.
- Flat Rack Shipping
A flat rack takes cargo too wide or tall for a container door: Hapag-Lloyd’s 40′ high cube rack is rated 54 US tons (49.1 t) when the load spreads over its full length, but only 56,400 lb (25.6 t) on a 6 ft 7 in (2 m) footprint, and anything past the corner posts ships out of gauge.
- RoRo Shipping
On a RoRo ship a machine drives or is towed up the stern ramp and rides below deck. On Höegh Autoliners’ ships the clear deck height runs from 16 ft 5 in to 21 ft 4 in (5.0 to 6.5 m) and ramp ratings from 165 US tons to 413 US tons (150 to 375 t), and a non-running machine goes on a roll trailer.
- Container Shipping (FCL/LCL)
A machine ships in a container when it, or its parts, passes the 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) wide door: 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) high on a standard box and 8 ft 6 in (2.60 m) on a high cube. Inside, it is chocked and lashed so its weight is spread over the floor.
- Breakbulk & Vessel Chartering
Breakbulk ships carry pieces that no container, flat rack or roll trailer can take, lifted aboard by crane. Heavy-lift ships in one current fleet combine two cranes for lifts of up to 2,205 US tons (2,000 t).
- MAFI Trailer Shipping
A roll trailer (MAFI) carries cargo that cannot drive aboard a RoRo ship: it is loaded on the trailer at the terminal and stays on it for the voyage. One operator 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).
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]Hapag-Lloyd, Container Specification (2024 update), checked October 18, 2026
- [2]Hapag-Lloyd, Weight distribution in containers for safe transport (guideline), checked October 18, 2026
- [3]Höegh Autoliners, Our Fleet (deck heights and ramp capacities), checked October 18, 2026
- [4]Wallenius Wilhelmsen, Cargo handling equipment, checked October 18, 2026
- [5]Hapag-Lloyd, A Guide for the Loading and Lashing of Cargo on Hapag-Lloyd Flatracks, checked October 18, 2026
- [6]IMO, SOLAS verified gross mass requirement enters into force (1 July 2016), checked October 18, 2026
- [7]USDA APHIS, Export ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material, checked October 18, 2026
- [8]Hapag-Lloyd, 20′ Flatrack, checked October 18, 2026
- [9]Hapag-Lloyd, 40′ High Cube Flatrack, checked October 18, 2026
- [10]Transfennica, Roll trailer and cassette dimensions (1/2024), checked October 18, 2026
- [11]eCFR, 15 CFR 30.37 Miscellaneous exemptions (Foreign Trade Regulations), checked October 18, 2026
- [12]U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Regulations FAQs, checked October 18, 2026
- [13]FHWA, Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Program (23 CFR 658), 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.