At KH Plant, many of our customers need to transport their refurbished motor graders to elsewhere in South Africa or into other African countries.
Demand for our motor graders is high not just in southern Africa but also in rapidly developing countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.
Investment across sub-Saharan Africa is growing at an unprecedented rate, and a significant proportion of this investment is in construction and development projects. In many cases, however, the capacity to manufacture local machinery is low – and the costs of buying and importing new machinery from abroad are prohibitive.
This makes sourcing high-quality, refurbished Caterpillar motor graders from South Africa an excellent option. Typically this is more economically feasible than either buying new motor graders or having used graders shipped over from suppliers on other continents.
Shipping motor graders in Africa
A number of South African companies offer both domestic and international shipping of heavy machinery, including motor graders.
There are various options for shipping a Caterpillar motor grader.
1. Using a standard shipping container
Generally the most economical way to transport a motor grader in Africa is in a standard shipping container. This provides more options for vessels and ports of loading, and makes it possible to leverage standardised pricing.
If a motor grader won’t fit a standard shipping container, it can be partially dismantled and loaded for transportation in the form of parts. In some cases, this will mean not having to pay the import duty you’d normally pay for a fully assembled motor grader.
2. RoRo shipping
Another option that may be available is roll-on/roll-off (Ro/Ro) shipping. This is just what it says – the motor grader is simply driven onto a ship, or a specialised facility in the ship’s hold. The grader is then secured using straps and braces. This type of shipping isn’t always available and is possible only if a grader will fit the relevant facility.
3. Flat rack shipping
A final possibility, but one that tends to be very expensive, is shipping a motor grader in Africa using a steel flat rack container. This type of container is designed especially for heavy cargo that has to be loaded from the top or sides, and may have either fixed or collapsible walls. Most often it’s used for “out of gauge” equipment, which is too wide to fit a standard container.
KH Plant can provide assistance and contacts for handling your shipping needs, throughout southern Africa and beyond. Contact one of our representatives for more information.
