Shipping heavy equipment requires careful planning, including obtaining road permits and insurance coverage. Roll-on, roll-off operations can reduce costs, but require suitable docks. Container shipping is useful for equipment that fits inside rectangular containers. Pre-trip preparation and asset protection considerations are important, as well as protecting equipment from environmental damage.
When shipping heavy equipment, careful planning can be essential to protect the equipment and meet regulatory requirements. Heavy equipment usually requires special road permits if dimensions or weights exceed specific limits set by government agencies. The owner of the equipment may also need supplemental insurance to provide coverage in the event of damage or loss to the equipment.
Heavy equipment may have wheels for transportation, such as heavy trucks or motorized cranes. These machines can sometimes be driven on and off a transport truck, ship, or train for delivery to another location. This is called roll-on, roll-off (RORO) operations and can reduce shipping costs because the equipment may not require a special container. RORO vessels must deliver to ports that have suitable docks for clearing operations, which may limit usefulness as a shipping option.
Some equipment can be heavy, but can fit inside rectangular containers, allowing it to be loaded onto container ships or trucks. Shipping heavy equipment by container requires a careful understanding of the weight and dimensions of the equipment and the availability of equipment to load and unload from the container. This type of shipment can be useful for heavy pumps, compressors or machine parts that could be damaged by the open shipment.
Equipment owners should contact a licensed and bonded shipping company before shipping heavy equipment. Part of the journey may involve transport on public roads, and heavy or oversized equipment usually requires road permits. Careful route planning may be required for large freights due to bridges or utility lines, which can be determined by the shipping company.
The owner should determine what pre-trip preparation the equipment may need prior to the date of shipment. Some equipment may need to be wrapped in a protective cover, and fuel or other fluids may need to be removed. Oversized equipment may require partial disassembly to allow for size-restricted movement on roads or aboard a ship or train.
Another consideration for shipping heavy equipment is asset protection, or insurance, considerations. Some equipment insurance may not cover damage or loss in transit, and shipping companies may have limits on insurance coverage for any damage caused. Owners should carefully research their insurance coverage for the equipment they intend to ship and determine if additional insurance is needed to cover damage or replacement.
Environmental damage can be an important consideration when shipping heavy equipment, as parts used on land may not be resistant to damage from sea air or salt water when loaded onto a ship. An owner should discuss protection options with their shipping company or contact the equipment manufacturer for possible options. Shipping companies are usually not responsible for damage to equipment caused by the shipping environment if the owner has not taken steps to cover or protect it.
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