International Heavy Machinery Shipping & Import

Taurus Logistics is one of a very small number of international freight forwarders that provide specialised heavy machinery shipping services. We speak the same language, so we understand what you're talking about when you call and want to ship a skid steer, D9, or a log forwarder.

We ship to and import from locations across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the USA. With over 40 years of experience behind us, Taurus Logistics knows how to deal with even the most difficult jobs. Our shipping agents around the world are also specialists in machinery, so have the expertise and infrastructure to handle all manner of difficult cargo.

How Long Does It Take to Ship Machinery?

While it’s not possible to list the shipping times for every route Taurus Logistics offers, below are a few of our most popular routes. These are indicative transit times, and do not include all shipping lines, containers, or part container options. Please contact us to discuss container sailing dates, or for roll on roll off please refer to our RORO Sailing Schedule.

Shipping to Oceania

• Europe to Australia / New Zealand – 50 days Approx.
• USA to Australia / New Zealand – 45 days Approx.

Shipping from Oceania

• Australia / New Zealand to Europe – 80 days Approx.
• Australia / New Zealand to USA – 50 days Approx.

Trans-Tasman

• Australia to New Zealand – 10 days Approx.
• New Zealand to Australia – 30 days Approx.

What's Involved In Heavy Machinery Shipping?

It depends on what heavy machine(s) you are looking to ship and the start/end location, however, there are certainly some common procedures in heavy machinery shipping.

• We handle site pickup and delivery for you.
• In some cases we can disassemble them to fit in conventional containers which is normally the cheapest option, though this is not always possible and the cost to disassemble sometimes outweighs the cost savings.
• Preparation of the machine is very important to avoid the machinery being rejected or costing thousands of dollars in cleaning and decontamination when it arrives in the country. If you’re unsure then we can do the cleaning for you to ensure no dirt or contamination is present.
• We collect your machinery and take care of all the customs and port formalities, if cranes are needed to lift your machinery then we can handle it all for you.
• Non-operational heavy machines can be serviced by us where a basic fault has occurred i.e. flat batteries, tires, hydraulic malfunctions, and more.
• Loading and lashing are handled by experienced professionals who understand loading points and weight distribution. You can be confident your precious machinery won’t move unduly during transport.
• We handle equipment disassembly to make it configurable for cheaper machinery shipping.
• On arrival we will pre-clear your machinery with Customs so there are no hold-ups with inspection by quarantine. Should your machine need to be washed for quarantine clearance we have excellent relationships with the ports and wash bays to get your machine cleared and off the port as soon as possible.

What If I Haven’t Bought The Machinery Yet?

If you’re looking to purchase heavy machinery and need to budget your freight cost then let us help. We work with several people who send potential buyers to us for ballpark calculations of freight costs.

If it’s a more common machine we probably already have specifications so our ballpark figures are really accurate.

We've helped many machinery importers and exporters, from the novice, to 20-year veterans, and below are some of the more popular questions.