Shipping Expedition Vehicles Overseas
6 Steps for Shipping
Expedition Vehicles Overseas
Part 1: Choosing a Shipping Method
Fellow Traveler,Welcome to the first part of Global Expedition Vehicles “6 Steps for Shipping Expedition Vehicles Overseas” guide. Do you have an awesome expedition vehicle, but you just drive it to US National Parks and off-road trails and go only on domestic expedition trips because you are unsure how to take your 4×4 expedition vehicle to a foreign country? Shipping your expedition vehicles overseas should not be overwhelming and time consuming when you have the right planning.Based on our international expedition trips experiences and research we put together a “6 steps for Shipping Expedition Vehicles Overseas” guide.
Please feel free to ask questions and add some comments about this topic. We want to know your experiences!
1st Step for Shipping Overseas – Choosing a Shipping Method
There are a few methods to ship an expedition vehicle overseas. The two main methods are Roll-on/Roll-off (RORO) and flat rack shipping. Roll-on/Roll-off is the most secure method of shipping. Your expedition vehicle is driven on and off the transport vessel via ramps, secured to the car decks and protected from the wind and sea water. You are not allowed to ship personal items in your expedition camper using this method but spare tire and factory fitted accessories are allowed. Some people do ship personal goods but at their own risk, since it is not covered under ship insurance.
Another method is a flat rack container. Your expedition vehicle is placed on a rack that can hold up to 88,000 pounds and then loaded onto the transport vessel. This method allows the ship to carry many more items by stacking the racks. You are also not permitted to load any personal items in you expedition camper using flat-rack container shipping.
The shipping option that we prefer most is RORO because the chances of getting your 4×4 vehicle damaged is lower. When choosing flat rack container shipping option, there is a possibility that your expedition vehicle can get scratched by the cables used to lift the rack. Sometimes the shipping company will grab the off-road vehicle without using the rack causing damage to the vehicle. There is also a high chance that they can drop the vehicle from a height, instead of placing it properly on the vessels’ dock or even placing it out on the deck. Your vehicle will also be exposed to the wind and salt water.
I would recommend you to use RORO, because unfortunately, the containers of the container shipping method are not big enough to ship most expedition vehicles. Using the RORO shipping method your car is placed inside the car deck, secured by a series of straps and kept safe, clean and dry.
That is it for Part 1. We hope it helps you keep your expedition vehicles as safe as possible during shipping.
Finding a Carrier company is easy; simply Google “shipping overseas carrier” and you are going to find thousands of results.
But how can you choose the most reliable and professional one that will better serve your needs?
The next part of our guide is all about selecting the right Carrier and identifying which one provides the best and most reliable services.
Until next time,
The GXV Team