Shipping a Used Tower Crane: Container Loading and Export Preparation
A tower crane is not a normal container cargo. Mast sections, jib sections and counter-jib parts have to be dismantled in a fixed order, numbered, bundled so they do not move at sea, and loaded in a sequence that still allows unloading at your port. Here is how the process usually runs.
Numbering comes before packing
Every section is marked during dismantling — mast to mast, jib to jib, and the position of each part in the original assembly. Without numbering, your erection crew will spend days matching parts on site. Marking is cheap; guessing is not.
How the machine is broken down
- Counterweight blocks removed and weighed.
- Jib and counter-jib sections separated, then stripped of trolley, rope and end fittings.
- Cabinet, control desk and cable reels packed separately in crates.
- Slewing unit, hoist winch and trolley secured on pallets or in steel frames.
- Mast sections bundled in groups, with timber or rubber between layers.
Long jib sections often do not fit a 40HQ container; they are either shipped as break-bulk cargo on deck or cut and re-welded with an engineering procedure. Decide this before you sign, because it changes both freight cost and reassembly work.
Container loading
Heavy parts go to the floor, low and centred; lighter sections are stacked above. Steel-to-steel contact needs dunnage, and every bundle needs lashing that will still hold after weeks of vibration. Ask for loading photos — taken inside the container, after lashing, before the doors close.
Ports and inland transport
Cranes are normally shipped from Shanghai or nearby Yangtze ports. Check the receiving port's heavy lift capacity and whether your inland route allows low-bed trailers of the required length. A crane that arrives at a port with no suitable crane to unload it is a problem that money cannot solve quickly.
Documents the buyer should expect
- Commercial invoice and packing list matching the container contents
- Bill of lading
- Certificate of origin, if your country requires one for the applicable tariff
- Photos of each bundle and the loaded container
- Manual, wiring diagram and spare parts list, where available
Tell us the destination port and the model you are considering, and we will confirm how many containers the machine needs and what the loading plan looks like.