U.S. East Coast port
Shipping heavy equipment from the Port of Virginia in Norfolk
The Port of Virginia handles all four methods: containers and flat racks at Norfolk International and Virginia International Gateway, RoRo and breakbulk at Newport News Marine Terminal, and heavy lift at Portsmouth Marine Terminal[1].
Official website: The Port of Virginia. 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 | Norfolk International Terminals and Virginia International Gateway[1]. |
| Flat rack | Yes | Flat racks load at the same two container terminals[1]. |
| RoRo | Yes | Newport News Marine Terminal, the port’s main RoRo and breakbulk terminal, for autos and construction and farm equipment[1]. |
| Breakbulk | Yes | Newport News Marine Terminal, and Portsmouth Marine Terminal, rebuilt as a heavy-lift terminal[1]. |
Published sailings that load here
| Carrier and service | Method | Trade lane | Destination ports, with transit from here where published |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSC[4]USA – South Africa (weekly) | Container | Shipping machinery from the U.S. to Africa | Gqeberha · Durban · Cape Town |
| Atlantic Container Line[5]A Service | RoRo | Shipping machinery from the U.S. to Europe | Liverpool 10 days · Hamburg 13 days · Antwerp 16 days |
Terminals and rail
Norfolk International has on-dock Norfolk Southern rail and intermodal access to CSX; Virginia International Gateway has on-dock connections to both[1]. Newport News Marine Terminal has CSX on-dock rail[1]. The port’s annual rail capacity is 2 million TEUs[3].
Questions about shipping from Norfolk
Where does RoRo cargo load at the Port of Virginia?
At Newport News Marine Terminal, across Hampton Roads from Norfolk, the port’s main RoRo and breakbulk facility.
Can I ship a flat rack from Norfolk?
Yes, from Norfolk International Terminals or Virginia International Gateway.
How deep is the Port of Virginia?
The channel and harbor were dredged to 55 ft (16.76 m), completed in February 2026, the deepest on the U.S. East Coast.
Auction yards that ship through this port
Equipment auction yards for which the Port of Norfolk (Virginia Port Authority) is one of the recommended export ports, by road distance from the yard (OSRM, OpenStreetMap).
- Ritchie Bros. Raleigh-Durham, North CarolinaRaleigh-Durham (Butner), North Carolina183 mi, about 3.5 h
- Ritchie Bros. North East, MarylandNorth East, Maryland248 mi, about 5 h
- Iron Horse Auction Company, RockinghamRockingham, North Carolina290 mi, about 6 h
- Ritchie Bros. Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh (Frankfort Springs), Pennsylvania429 mi, about 8.5 h
- Ritchie Bros. Columbus, OhioColumbus (South Vienna), Ohio587 mi, about 11.5 h
- Ritchie Bros. Detroit, MichiganDetroit (Carleton), Michigan651 mi, about 13 h
- Ritchie Bros. Chicago (Morris), IllinoisMorris, Illinois889 mi, about 18 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]The Port of Virginia, Facilities, checked October 18, 2026
- [2]The Port of Virginia, Calendar 2025 trade overview, checked October 18, 2026
- [3]The Port of Virginia, Construction complete on the U.S. East Coast’s deepest commercial shipping channel, checked October 18, 2026
- [4]MSC, Standalone direct service between South Africa and the USA (customer advisory), checked October 18, 2026
- [5]Atlantic Container Line, Baltimore: A Service schedule and transit times, 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.