Why are we increasingly recommending that large equipment be shipped in flat rack containers instead of bulk carriers?

Having worked in African logistics for many years, I often get asked by clients the very first question:

“Should I ship this equipment via flat rack container or bulk carrier?”

Actually, not all oversized equipment needs to be shipped via bulk carrier.

Many pieces of equipment, if chosen correctly, are actually cheaper, safer, and faster when shipped via flat rack container (40FR).

Today, I’ll share how we usually help clients determine the best shipping options.

I. What kind of equipment is more suitable for flat rack containers?

We generally consider the following factors:

• Unit weight
• Length, width, and height dimensions
• Whether it can be transported as a whole
• Whether it needs to be disassembled
• Time requirements
• Destination port conditions

Weight is a very important criterion.

For example:

✅ Excavators

✅ Loaders

✅ Bulldozers

✅ Construction machinery

✅ Generators

✅ Large equipment

If the weight of a single piece is between 28 tons and 37 tons (the exact weight will depend on the shipping company’s requirements), in many cases, we will prioritize recommending flat rack containers to our clients.

II. Why do we prefer flat rack containers for cargo exceeding 28 tons?

Many clients are unaware that bulk carriers typically incur additional costs for heavy cargo.

For example:

• Heavy Lift Surcharge
• Special Lifting Fee
• Heavy Lift Vessel Fee
• Mixed Loading Vessel Fee
  These costs often significantly increase overall logistics costs.

However, many pieces of equipment can actually be transported using flat rack containers.

Overall, the transportation cost is actually lower.

III. The biggest advantage of flat rack containers: stable delivery time

Compared to bulk carriers,
flat rack containers use container liner services.

The advantages are very clear:

✔ Fixed sailing schedule

✔ Stable sailing frequency

✔ Mature transshipment arrangements

✔ Higher port efficiency

Bulk carriers often require:

• Waiting for cargo
• Waiting for port
• Waiting for berth

Especially recently, many ports have experienced congestion,
and bulk carrier waiting times are often quite long.

For projects with tight deadlines,
time costs are often more expensive than freight costs.

IV. Flat rack containers offer significant advantages in equipment protection.

This is a point many customers easily overlook.

During bulk carrier transport:

Equipment is constantly exposed to the deck,

and is susceptible to:

Sea breezes

Sea salt

Rain

Sunlight

Affected by these factors.

With prolonged transport,

equipment is prone to:

Rust

Paint damage

Electrical components becoming damp.

However, with flat rack containers,

we typically provide the following protection based on the equipment’s characteristics:

• Professional lashing
• Rainproof tarpaulin coverage
• Rust protection
• Anti-shifting securing

Throughout the entire transport process,

the equipment is better protected.

V. Don’t disassemble equipment into many parts to save on shipping costs. This is one of the most regrettable cases we’ve seen in recent years.

Some customers, to avoid exceeding the weight limit,

disassembled a large excavator into:

• Main unit
• Counterweight
• Boom
• Arm
• Bucket

and transported them separately.

As a result, upon arrival at the African port,

after customs clearance,

the counterweight was missing.

Without a counterweight, the entire excavator was unusable.

The time and cost spent finding this counterweight far exceeded the initial savings on shipping costs.

Sixth, and even more absurdly, there was another incident…

We once transported a Volvo excavator.

One of the excavator arms couldn’t be found at the destination port.

Finally, it was found at the dock.

But—it was a Longgong excavator arm.

Similar situations have occurred in some African ports due to limited equipment and management.

Therefore, for equipment that can be transported as a whole,

we always advise:

Don’t disassemble it if possible.

Transporting it as a whole is not only more efficient but also much less risky.

Seventh, when is it necessary to use bulk carriers?

Of course, flat rack containers aren’t a panacea either.

If the equipment:

• The weight of a single piece far exceeds the load capacity of a flat rack container
• The dimensions exceed the transport limits of a flat rack container
• It cannot meet the shipping company’s oversized/overweight requirements

Then it still requires:

A heavy-lift vessel

A bulk carrier

A specialized project vessel

The specific solution needs to be determined by considering:

Equipment dimensions

Weight

Loading port

Unloading port

Shipping company resources

A comprehensive assessment is needed.

Our advice to clients is simple: Don’t just use flat rack containers because they’re cheap, nor should you use bulk carriers just because they can fit the load.

A truly professional logistics solution should find the most suitable balance between:

Safety, cost, timeliness, and risk

For many clients who send us equipment information,

Our first action is not to provide a quote,

but to help them determine:

Is it more cost-effective to use a flat rack container or a bulk carrier for this shipment?

Because choosing the right transportation solution often saves clients more on overall costs than simply reducing freight rates by a few tens of dollars.

We have focused on engineering logistics from China to Africa for many years, with long-term experience in:

• 🚜 Excavators, loaders, bulldozers
• ⚡ Transformers, generators, power equipment
• 🏗️ Construction machinery, steel structures, modular equipment
• 🚢 Shipping solutions including flat rack containers (FR), open top containers (OT), bulk carriers, and roll-on/roll-off vessels.

If you are hesitating about whether to use a flat rack container or a bulk carrier, please send us the dimensions, weight, port of loading, and port of destination of your equipment. We can provide a free assessment of your shipping options.