Most machine tools fit in standard 20-foot or 40-foot containers, often loaded by forklift through the doors. You need an open-top container when a crate is too tall for the door or must be lowered in by crane. You need a flat rack when the crate is too wide, too tall or too heavy for any closed box.
Special containers cost more and are in shorter supply, so check early whether your machine needs one. Our article on flat racks and open-top containers covers the general case for all cargo.
How to tell which you need
Start with the crated dimensions and gross weight from the maker, not the machine brochure. A crate with skid and roof is larger than the machine itself. Then compare them with the door opening, internal size and payload of the containers your carrier offers.
- If the crate passes through the door with room for forklift tines and lashing, a standard or high-cube container usually works.
- If the crate is too tall for the door but fits inside, or must be crane-loaded, an open-top container usually works.
- If the crate is wider than the container, or is very heavy and needs crane loading from the side, a flat rack is usually needed.
- If the crate is too big even for a flat rack, the machine may go as break-bulk cargo.
Ways to avoid special equipment
- Ask the maker whether the machine can ship partly dismantled, such as with the head, chip conveyor or panel removed.
- Ask for a lower-profile skid or crate design that still protects the machine.
- Ask for the lifting arrangement in advance, so the crate can be loaded safely through the doors.
- Ask whether two smaller crates would fit standard containers better than one large crate.
Protection on open equipment
Machines on flat racks and in open-tops are more exposed to weather and salt spray. They need strong crates, sealed VCI wrapping and waterproof tarpaulins. Read packing machine tools for the packing layers. Lashing must also be planned by someone who knows the load, and checked before departure.
Unloading needs planning too. A machine on a flat rack or in an open-top usually needs a crane at the destination port or your site. Check that suitable lifting is available before the booking, so the machine does not wait on the quay.
Ask the maker for the machine weight without the crate and the lifting points on the machine itself. Your rigger needs both to plan the final move into your workshop.
Next step
Your freight forwarder confirms the right equipment and space. We get accurate crate sizes from the maker, check packing and supervise loading. To start, book a free sourcing review.