U.S. East Coast port
Shipping heavy equipment from the Port of Charleston
Charleston handles all four methods: containers and flat racks at Wando Welch, North Charleston and Leatherman terminals, and RoRo and breakbulk at Columbus Street Terminal, which SC Ports calls its premier breakbulk and RoRo terminal[1][2].
Official website: SC Ports. Terminal names and figures on this page come from its own publications, listed under Sources.
Container, flat rack, RoRo and breakbulk here
| Method | At this port | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Container | Yes | Wando Welch, which moves about 80% of the port’s containers, North Charleston and Hugh K. Leatherman terminals[1]. |
| Flat rack | Yes | Flat racks load at the same container terminals[1]. |
| RoRo | Yes | Columbus Street Terminal, with open storage for vehicles and equipment[2]. |
| Breakbulk | Yes | Columbus Street Terminal: barge cranes up to 500 US tons (453.6 t) and gantry lifts up to 900 US tons (816.5 t)[2]. |
Published sailings that load here
| Carrier and service | Method | Trade lane | Destination ports, with transit from here where published |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSC[5]USA – South Africa (weekly) | Container | Shipping machinery from the U.S. to Africa | Gqeberha · Durban · Cape Town |
| Höegh Autoliners[6]North America – Middle East and Asia | RoRo | Shipping machinery from the U.S. to the Middle East | Aqaba 20 days · Jeddah 23 days · Yanbu 27 days · Port Sultan Qaboos (Muscat) |
| Höegh Autoliners[6]Vessel schedule | RoRo | Shipping machinery from the U.S. to Canada and Mexico | Veracruz 5 days |
Terminals and rail
CSX and Norfolk Southern serve Columbus Street Terminal[2]. Wando Welch is in Mount Pleasant; North Charleston and Leatherman terminals are in North Charleston, and Columbus Street is on the Cooper River downtown.
Questions about shipping from Charleston
Where does RoRo cargo load in Charleston?
At Columbus Street Terminal, SC Ports’ combined breakbulk and RoRo terminal.
How heavy a lift can Charleston handle?
Columbus Street Terminal has barge cranes up to 500 US tons (453.6 t) and gantry lifts up to 900 US tons (816.5 t) through SC Ports’ preferred vendor.
Can I ship a flat rack from Charleston?
Yes. Flat racks load at the container terminal your carrier calls, usually Wando Welch, which moves about 80% of the port’s containers.
Auction yards that ship through this port
Equipment auction yards for which the Port of Charleston is one of the recommended export ports, by road distance from the yard (OSRM, OpenStreetMap).
- Iron Horse Auction Company, RockinghamRockingham, North Carolina190 mi, about 4 h
- Ritchie Bros. Raleigh-Durham, North CarolinaRaleigh-Durham (Butner), North Carolina306 mi, about 6 h
- Ritchie Bros. Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta (Newnan), Georgia331 mi, about 6.5 h
- Yoder & Frey AuctioneersKissimmee, Florida409 mi, about 8 h
- Ritchie Bros. Orlando, FloridaDavenport (Orlando), Florida422 mi, about 8.5 h
- JM Wood AuctionMontgomery, Alabama459 mi, about 9 h
- Ritchie Bros. Nashville, TennesseeNashville (Lebanon), Tennessee528 mi, about 10.5 h
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]SC Ports, Wando Welch Terminal, checked October 18, 2026
- [2]SC Ports, Columbus Street Terminal, checked October 18, 2026
- [3]SC Ports, TEU history, checked October 18, 2026
- [4]SC Ports, Channel specifications, checked October 18, 2026
- [5]MSC, Standalone direct service between South Africa and the USA (customer advisory), checked October 18, 2026
- [6]Höegh Autoliners, Sailing schedule by vessel (as listed 18 Oct 2026), 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.