How many machines fit in a 40HQ
Freight is charged by the container, not by the machine. That single fact decides more equipment-package economics than the price of the machine itself — and it is the reason buyers who order four machines separately often pay more in freight than they saved on the machines.
What actually limits a container
Two limits, and they are not the same:
- Volume — a 40 ft high cube is roughly 12.03 m long, 2.35 m wide and 2.69 m high inside. That is about 76 m³ of usable space.
- Payload — typically around 26–27 tonnes for a 40HQ, less than the volume suggests. Heavy machinery hits the weight limit long before the box looks full.
For machinery, weight is almost always the binding constraint. A single 15,000 kN gantry shear can take most of a container’s payload on its own.
Three patterns that work
One large machine
A big gantry shear or a heavy baler usually travels alone, on the floor, with the crate or the machine itself strapped to the container rings. Nothing else goes in unless it is light.
One large machine plus light equipment
A shear, plus a set of lifting magnets and a grab, is a common combination: the heavy item sets the payload, the light items fill the space above and beside it. This is where a package saves real money — the second and third machines travel almost free.
Several small machines
Magnets, grabs and shears for excavators are compact. Three or four of them plus their control boxes will fit in one container and stay well under the payload limit.
The loading plan is not paperwork
A loading plan decides three things: what goes in first, where the weight sits, and how each item is secured. Get it wrong and you get one of these:
- the container is overweight at the port and has to be re-worked
- the load shifts in transit and arrives damaged
- the machine will not come out of the door at destination because the order of loading was wrong
Ask for the loading photos before the container leaves. They cost nothing and they settle every argument later.
When a flat rack is the right answer
Oversized or very heavy machines travel on a flat rack — an open platform with no roof or sides, loaded from above. A 630 t baler is a typical example. It costs more than a container and it solves a problem a container cannot.
What to ask before you approve a shipping plan
| Question | Why |
|---|---|
| Total gross weight, including packing | Payload, not volume, is usually the limit |
| Longest and tallest item after crating | Door opening and internal height |
| Loading sequence | The first item in is the last item out |
| Securing method | Straps, chains, timber blocking |
| Container or flat rack | Changes the freight and the handling at both ends |
Questions buyers ask
Can I add a second machine later?
Yes, but you will pay a second freight bill and a second set of documents. If a second machine is likely within a year, order it together — the marginal freight is far lower than a separate shipment.
Do you consolidate from different factories?
That is one of the reasons to buy through a single supplier. Machines from three factories can be packed, loaded and documented as one shipment, with one bill of lading.
Who pays if the container is overweight?
Whoever arranged the loading. That is why the weight is confirmed in writing before the container is sealed, with the packing included.
Let’s put the right machine to work.
Tell us your material, required output and destination. We’ll discuss a suitable configuration with you.