RoRo shipping
RoRo shipping for machinery and vehicles
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)[1], and a non-running machine goes on a roll trailer[2].
When RoRo is the right method
| Method | Use it when | Avoid it when |
|---|---|---|
| RoRo, driven aboard | The machine runs and steers, is within the deck height and ramp rating of the ship on the sailing, and a RoRo service calls the destination[1]. | The only RoRo option needs a transshipment while a flat rack sails direct. |
| RoRo on a roll trailer | The machine does not run, has no wheels or tracks, or is a set of parts: it is loaded on a trailer at the terminal and stays on it for the voyage[2]. | The machine drives: a trailer adds its own charge. |
| Flat rack | No RoRo ship calls the port, or a container line sails direct where RoRo needs a transshipment. | The machine is taller than the rack and ship allow as OOG, or its weight sits on a short footprint. |
| Container | The machine fits a 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) wide door, with or without parts removed[5]. | Taking it apart costs more than the RoRo freight. |
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.
RoRo deck and roll trailer limits
| Figure | RoRo (PCTC) cargo deck[1] | MAFI roll trailer[7] |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 16 ft 5 in (5 m) – 21 ft 4 in (6.5 m) | 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 payload | – | 110 US tons (100,000 kg) |
| Weight range | 165 US tons (150,000 kg) – 413 US tons (375,000 kg) | up to 154 US tons (140,000 kg) |
- 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.[1]
- 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]
U.S. RoRo ports
Colonel’s Island Terminal at Brunswick, Georgia, is the busiest U.S. port for RoRo cargo[3]. Baltimore, Jacksonville and Freeport are the load ports on the published RoRo services to West Africa, and the trade lane pages list the sailings and transit times we track.
Every RoRo booking is made for one ship. Its deck height and ramp rating, not a fleet average, decide whether the machine goes aboard[1].
Machines that usually go RoRo
Manufacturer figures for each model, linked in the first column, and the method our fit check gives for it.
| Model | Weight | L × W × H (transport) | Best method | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAT 950Wheel loaderSpec source | 42,500 lb (19,260 kg)operating weight | 27 ft 3 in × 9 ft 3 in × 11 ft 4 in (8.31 × 2.82 × 3.46 m) | 40 ft flat rackOut-of-gauge | Ships assembled, blocked and lashed; out-of-gauge surcharge applies (1 ft 5 in / 0.42 m over width, 4 ft 11 in / 1.51 m over height). |
| Komatsu WA470-8Wheel loaderSpec source | 53,700 lb (24,350 kg)operating weight | 29 ft 7 in × 9 ft 11 in × 11 ft 6 in (9.01 × 3.01 × 3.5 m) | 40 ft flat rackOut-of-gauge | Ships assembled, blocked and lashed; out-of-gauge surcharge applies (2 ft / 0.61 m over width, 5 ft 1 in / 1.55 m over height). |
| Volvo A40GArticulated haulerSpec source | 67,700 lb (30,700 kg)empty weight | 36 ft 11 in × 11 ft 3 in × 11 ft 10 in (11.26 × 3.43 × 3.6 m) | 40 ft flat rackOut-of-gauge | Ships assembled, blocked and lashed; out-of-gauge surcharge applies (3 ft 5 in / 1.03 m over width, 5 ft 5 in / 1.65 m over height). |
| CAT 140Motor graderSpec source | 43,100 lb (19,531 kg)operating weight | 33 ft 9 in (10.3 m) × n/a × 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m) | Measured before quoting | The manufacturer does not publish the transport width, so we measure the machine at pickup and confirm the method before you book. |
| John Deere S780Combine harvesterSpec source | 45,700 lb (20,750 kg)base weight | 29 ft 10 in × 13 ft 1 in × 13 ft 1 in (9.1 × 3.99 × 4 m) | 40 ft flat rackOut-of-gauge | Ships assembled, blocked and lashed; out-of-gauge surcharge applies (5 ft 3 in / 1.59 m over width, 6 ft 9 in / 2.05 m over height). |
| Case IH Steiger 6204WD tractorSpec source | 50,300 lb (22,828 kg)shipping weight | 25 ft × 10 ft × 13 ft (7.62 × 3.04 × 3.96 m) | 40 ft flat rackOut-of-gauge | Ships assembled, blocked and lashed; out-of-gauge surcharge applies (2 ft 1 in / 0.64 m over width, 6 ft 7 in / 2.01 m over height). |
How a RoRo shipment works
- 01
Measure and book
Length, width, height and weight go to the carrier, which confirms the ship and the deck.
- 02
File the export
A used self-propelled machine is filed in AES at least 72 hours before export, and the title or bill of sale goes to CBP at the port[4].
- 03
Deliver to the terminal
Before the cargo cut-off, clean, with the diesel tank not filled to the top and the batteries secured[6].
- 04
Drive aboard
Terminal drivers take the machine up the ramp; the ship’s crew lash it on the deck.
Rules that apply
- Used self-propelled vehicles: 72-hour ruleU.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. regulations count self-propelled construction and agricultural machinery as vehicles. A used one must be filed in AES at least 72 hours before export, whatever its value or destination, and the ITN, the VIN or serial number and the ownership documents go to CBP at the port of export. Filing after departure is not allowed.[8][4][9]
Applies to: Used machines that drive: excavators, loaders, dozers, tractors, trucks
- 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.[10][9]
Applies to: Any Schedule B line over $2,500, and every vehicle
- 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.[6]
Applies to: Machines with fuel, batteries or other hazardous materials, by road, vessel or air
- Used machinery cleanliness: AustraliaAustralian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Used machinery must arrive free of soil, seeds and plant or animal material, which can mean partly dismantling the machine to clean hollow and concealed sections. Every consignment is inspected on arrival; a machine with low contamination is re-cleaned at an approved site at the importer’s cost, and a heavily contaminated one can be ordered out of the country.[11]
Applies to: Used machinery and parts shipped to Australia
- Used machinery cleanliness: New ZealandNew Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries
Used machinery must be cleaned inside and out before shipping, and a cleaning certificate for used outdoor machinery reaches MPI before arrival. MPI expects to inspect on arrival, within 12 hours of unloading for breakbulk and open containers, and can require partial or full dismantling. If contamination cannot be removed, the machine may be reshipped or destroyed at the importer’s cost.[12]
Applies to: Used vehicles, machinery and parts shipped to New Zealand
Questions about RoRo shipping
Can a machine that does not run go RoRo?
Yes, on a roll trailer (MAFI). It is loaded onto the trailer at the terminal and stays there for the voyage, so it needs no lifting at either end.
How tall can a machine 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.
Can I put personal items in the cab?
Only if the carrier accepts them in writing at booking. New Zealand asks for everything that does not belong to the machine to be removed so it can be inspected, and Australia inspects every used machine on arrival.
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]Höegh Autoliners, Our Fleet (deck heights and ramp capacities), checked October 18, 2026
- [2]Wallenius Wilhelmsen, Cargo handling equipment, checked October 18, 2026
- [3]Georgia Ports Authority, Colonel's Island Terminal, checked October 18, 2026
- [4]U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Exporting used self-propelled vehicles, checked October 18, 2026
- [5]Hapag-Lloyd, Container Specification (2024 update), checked October 18, 2026
- [6]eCFR, 49 CFR 173.220 Internal combustion engines, vehicles and machinery (hazardous materials), checked October 18, 2026
- [7]Transfennica, Roll trailer and cassette dimensions (1/2024), checked October 18, 2026
- [8]eCFR, 19 CFR 192.1 Definitions (used self-propelled vehicles), checked October 18, 2026
- [9]U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Regulations FAQs, checked October 18, 2026
- [10]eCFR, 15 CFR 30.37 Miscellaneous exemptions (Foreign Trade Regulations), checked October 18, 2026
- [11]Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Cleanliness requirements for imported machinery, checked October 18, 2026
- [12]New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, Steps to importing vehicles, machinery, or parts, 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.