Breakbulk · Heavy lift · Ro-Ro · Vietnam
Breakbulk and heavy lift units too big for any container, handled from ship’s hook to site by one team: lifting plan, customs, lashing and our own lowbeds.
For freight agents, EPC contractors and plant owners. · What to send us
A breakbulk shipment fails in the gaps between companies: the vessel agent, the stevedore, the trucker and the customs broker each do their part, and nobody owns the hand-over. In Vietnam we close those gaps by running the whole chain from one desk. This page explains when breakbulk, heavy lift or Ro-Ro is the right mode, what happens at the port, and what you need to send for a firm plan.
A 40′ flat rack takes most over-width machinery. Once a piece is too heavy, too long or too wide for a rack, or a project ships dozens of large units at once, breakbulk or Ro-Ro is usually safer and cheaper per ton. We compare the options on every enquiry before we quote.
| Your cargo | Usual mode | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Over-width or over-height, under about 40 t | Flat rack or open top | Container vessel, frequent sailings, door delivery on a standard OOG truck |
| Single piece above flat rack payload (40′ racks often carry only about 40–45 t) | Breakbulk or Ro-Ro | Lifted by ship’s gear or port crane, or rolled on a Mafi trailer |
| Long items such as ducting, booms, girders over 13 m | Breakbulk | No container length limit; stowed on deck or in the hold |
| Wheeled or tracked units: trucks, cranes, pumps | Ro-Ro | Driven on board, no lifting, lower handling risk |
| Many large packages for one plant | Breakbulk part-charter | One vessel call, one discharge plan, fewer port moves |
Not sure which one fits? Our guide what is breakbulk cargo compares breakbulk, container, Ro-Ro and bulk in more detail.
Add port of loading or discharge, site address and target dates. Drawings with lifting points let us size cranes on the first reply.
A breakbulk move costs least when the cargo never touches the quay twice. With hook-to-truck, the crane lifts each piece from the vessel straight onto our trailer. There is no storage, no second lift and no extra port handling charge.
When the vessel discharges faster than trucks can turn, cargo goes to the yard and we collect it later. That adds yard storage and one more lift, so we plan the truck count against the discharge rate in advance.
Ro-Ro avoids the crane altogether. Self-propelled units drive on board; static heavy pieces go on a Mafi roll trailer and are towed up the ramp. For round or heavy items the lashing plan matters more than the lift.
A used industrial roll, 11.0 × 1.85 × 1.8 m and 61 t, was too heavy for a flat rack. We trucked it to SPCT port under an overweight permit, rolled it onto a Mafi trailer and lashed it with chains and timber chocks placed symmetrically, because a round piece wants to roll.
The same Ro-Ro method works for transformers, generators and press frames that cannot be lifted at the berth.
We book Ro-Ro with K Line, NYK and MOL for trucks, construction machinery and rolling units across Asia and Australia. Recent jobs include 20 Scania trucks from Singapore to Hai Phong and an amusement ride system from Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne.
Breakbulk into southern Vietnam lands mostly at the river terminals of Ho Chi Minh City and at Cai Mep–Thi Vai. Each port suits different cargo. Before we confirm a heavy lift plan, we check crane capacity at the berth, quay load limits and truck access.
| Port area | Cargo we often move there | What we check first |
|---|---|---|
| Tan Thuan (Ho Chi Minh City) | Steel plate, coils, steel structures | Night shifts, flatbed count per shift, weighbridge |
| Ben Nghe (Ho Chi Minh City) | Plant equipment, construction machinery, tarped packages | Discharge sequence, gate times, night routes to Dong Nai |
| Lotus (Ho Chi Minh City) | Excavators, oversize equipment | Quay crane booking, trailer access to the berth |
| SPCT, Hiep Phuoc | Ro-Ro units on Mafi trailers | Ramp and Mafi capacity, lashing plan |
| PTSC Phu My and Cai Mep terminals | Heavy lift modules, crane components, export breakbulk | Heavy lift discharge plan, axle loads on access roads |
| Hai Phong | Ro-Ro vehicles, northern projects | Bridge limits on provincial roads, escort |
From the old District 7 port area alone, our trucks made 245 breakbulk and OOG moves in 18 months, including more than 100 flatbed runs from Tan Thuan to VSIP 3 and Nhon Trach 3. For port details see our Vietnam ports guide.
Customer names are withheld; cargo, routes and dates are as recorded in our job files.
Larger heavy lift projects follow the same pattern. In 2023 we handled breakbulk components of two 900 t-class crawler cranes, handled at PTSC Phu My port on modular trailers and SPMT.
We do not publish fixed breakbulk rates, because two shipments of the same weight can differ by a wide margin. These are the factors that move the price, in the order they usually matter.
| Cost driver | Why it matters | How to keep it down |
|---|---|---|
| Freight ton (weight or volume) | Breakbulk freight is charged on the higher of weight and measurement | Accurate packing list; avoid oversized crates |
| Heaviest single lift | Decides ship’s gear, port crane or floating crane | Split modules where engineering allows |
| Hook-to-truck or yard | Yard storage and a second lift add cost and days | Documents ready 2 days before ETA |
| Road permit class | Survey, escort and night-only running for super-heavy loads | Send drawings early; lead time 3–30 working days |
| Lashing and dunnage | Round, top-heavy or fragile pieces need more points and material | Share centre of gravity and lifting points |
| Customs regime | Duty exemption and temporary import need documents before arrival | Confirm the regime at booking |
For the road leg, read our heavy haulage in Vietnam page. Permit thresholds are set by Circular 12/2025/TT-BXD, amended by Circular 19/2026/TT-BXD.
Send what you have and we will ask for the rest. With these items we can usually confirm the mode and the road plan on the first reply.
| Item | Why we need it |
|---|---|
| Packing list: L × W × H and weight per piece | Mode choice, freight tons, trailer and permit class |
| Drawings with lifting points and centre of gravity | Crane size, spreader beams, lashing plan |
| Port of loading or discharge and site address | Berth, hook-to-truck option and road corridor |
| Cargo ready date and required on-site date | Vessel options and permit timing |
| Incoterm and customs regime | Who books what, and documents needed before arrival |
Over-width and over-height containers through Cat Lai, Cai Mep and Hai Phong.
OOG containers →Lowbeds, networks, customs licence and the people you will deal with.
About Project Shipping →Tony Tuan, CEO: WhatsApp +84 909 411 668 · ceo@projectshipping.vn
Nura Tu, Overseas Department: WhatsApp +84 906 770 650 · overseas@projectshipping.vn
Calling from Vietnam: 0909 411 668
Last updated: October 2026 · Vietnamese version
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