MAFI roll trailers
MAFI roll 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[1]. 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)[2].
Roll trailer and RoRo deck figures
| Figure | MAFI roll trailer[1] | RoRo (PCTC) cargo deck[3] |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | – |
| 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 payload | 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) |
- 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.[2]
- 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]
Roll trailer or another method
| Method | Use it when | Avoid it when |
|---|---|---|
| Roll trailer | The machine does not run, has no wheels or tracks, or is a set of crated parts, and a RoRo ship calls the destination[1]. | The machine drives aboard: the trailer adds a charge. |
| Drive aboard | The machine runs and steers and is within the ship’s ramp rating[3]. | It cannot be driven safely on the ramp. |
| Flat rack | No RoRo ship calls the destination. | The piece is heavier than a flat rack takes on its footprint. |
| Breakbulk | The piece is longer or heavier than the trailers on the route. | A trailer takes 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.
How a roll trailer shipment works
- 01
Book trailer and ship
The carrier assigns a trailer by length and rating and confirms the deck height on the ship.
- 02
Deliver to the terminal
The cargo arrives by truck and is lifted or rolled onto the trailer by the terminal.
- 03
Secure on the trailer
Chained or lashed to the trailer’s points, with timber where needed; wood must be ISPM 15 treated[4].
- 04
Tow aboard and discharge
A terminal tractor tows the trailer up the ramp. At destination the trailer is towed off and the cargo lifted onto a truck.
Rules that apply
- 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.[5][6]
Applies to: Any Schedule B line over $2,500, and every vehicle
- 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.[4]
Applies to: Crates, skids, blocking and dunnage
- 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
- 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.[8]
Applies to: Every road move to and from the port
Questions about roll trailer shipping
What is a MAFI?
A low, heavy-duty trailer named after its original maker, used on RoRo ships for cargo that cannot drive aboard. It is towed on and off by a terminal tractor.
How heavy can roll trailer cargo be?
A standard 40′ trailer is rated 110 US tons (100 t). One RoRo operator runs trailers for cargo up to 154 US tons (140 t).
Does the cargo leave the trailer during the voyage?
No. It stays on the trailer from the load port to the discharge port, which avoids crane lifts on the ship.
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]Transfennica, Roll trailer and cassette dimensions (1/2024), checked October 18, 2026
- [2]Wallenius Wilhelmsen, Cargo handling equipment, checked October 18, 2026
- [3]Höegh Autoliners, Our Fleet (deck heights and ramp capacities), checked October 18, 2026
- [4]USDA APHIS, Export ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material, checked October 18, 2026
- [5]eCFR, 15 CFR 30.37 Miscellaneous exemptions (Foreign Trade Regulations), checked October 18, 2026
- [6]U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Regulations FAQs, checked October 18, 2026
- [7]eCFR, 49 CFR 173.220 Internal combustion engines, vehicles and machinery (hazardous materials), checked October 18, 2026
- [8]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.