Ocean freight
Can machinery without wheels ship RoRo from China?
Yes, on some services. A stationary press or a crated production module can travel on a roll trailer that a terminal tractor tows aboard. Before you book road collection in China, ask the operator to review the machine, the proposed ports and the equipment available for that sailing.
What does the operator need to see?
Send a side view and an underside drawing for the machine in its shipping condition. Mark the base dimensions, supported areas, gross weight and any projections. A photograph of the finished crate helps identify the piece, but it cannot show whether the base supports the machine along two runners or on four small feet. Ask the manufacturer to identify the support points and handling restrictions on the drawing.
Label the bare machine height, packed height and packing base separately. The roll trailer adds height of its own. Ask the operator to check the combined height for the proposed sailing. Carrier equipment varies. See Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s overview of roll trailers.
Where will the machine change equipment?
Trace one numbered piece from the supplier to the receiving plant. At the loading port, who takes it from the arriving truck and places it on the roll trailer? At discharge, where does the piece leave the trailer, who books the onward vehicle, and whose quotation covers that transfer? Request the handover point in writing for both ports.
For example, a buyer could receive a port-to-port RoRo offer for a press and a flat rack offer ending at the factory gate. To compare them, request the destination transfer and truck delivery to the same postcode on the first offer, plus any unloading exclusions on both.
What if a roll trailer is unavailable?
Ask for a flat rack or separately handled breakbulk assessment using the same drawing and cargo-ready date. Record which option still needs terminal approval, whether the proposed sailing connects at another port, and when the operator expects to confirm the handling equipment. Keep the factory pickup provisional until those details are agreed.
Compare breakbulk and flat rack offers · Prepare the packed measurement sheet