Auction Equipment Shipping From the Yard to Your Jobsite or Port
Auction equipment shipping starts before the hammer falls. Once you win a lot, the clock runs on pickup, and the seller rarely holds your machine for long. Texas International Freight plans the load out, the inland truck, and the export booking so your excavator, crane, or lift leaves the yard on time and reaches its buyer abroad.
Do you know how your machine will leave the yard before you place your bid? Most buyers who call us late wish they had asked that question first.
What to Check Before You Bid
One buyer recently asked us for a shipping quote on an excavator listed in a timed online auction, before bidding closed. Smart move. Freight can change the true cost of a lot, and a quote in hand helps you set your maximum bid.
Collect these details from the listing or the auction office:
- Exact location of the yard and its loading hours
- Length, width, height, and operating weight
- Attachments, buckets, or counterweights that travel separately
- Pickup deadline after the sale closes
- Loading help on site, such as a forklift or crane
- Running condition: can the machine drive onto a trailer?
A non-running machine changes everything. It needs a winch, a crane, or a forklift on site, and our truck plan has to match. Large auction companies such as Ritchie Bros. and IronPlanet, both part of RB Global, publish pickup rules for each sale. Read them before you bid.
Auction Pickup Windows and Storage Fees
Every auction sets its own pickup window. Some give you days, some give you weeks, and many charge storage once the window closes. A buyer recently called us about a portable air compressor bought at auction that needed immediate pickup. Small units like that can move on a flatbed within days if you book fast.
Larger machines take more planning. Oversize loads need state permits, sometimes escorts, and a trailer that fits the axle weights. Book your truck as soon as the payment clears, and send us the release paperwork from the auction so the driver can load without delay.
Inland Trucking to Houston and Gulf Ports
Most of our auction buyers export through Houston or another Gulf port. Our heavy haul trucking team picks up from the yard on a flatbed, step deck, or lowboy and delivers to the port or to a packing warehouse.
Recent auction moves we have quoted include:
- A used 60 to 80 ft man lift from a Houston auction site, bound for India. Boom lifts often ship on flat racks or roll on and off.
- A Grove RT600E rough terrain crane in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Crane shipping needs boom and counterweight details before we can pick the trailer.
- Excavators from online sales across Texas. Our excavator shipping service covers removal of buckets and booms when a load runs over height.
Shipping a lift or excavator to South Asia? Our shipping to India desk handles the ocean leg to Nhava Sheva, Mundra, and Chennai.
Export Documents for Auction Equipment
Your export file depends on what you bought.
Titled Equipment
Trucks, trailers, and other titled vehicles fall under CBP vehicle export rules. For an ocean export, you present the original title, or a certified copy, plus two copies to CBP with the vehicle at least 72 hours before export. Get the title from the auction house early. A missing title can cost a truck its sailing.
Electronic Export Information
Electronic Export Information goes into AES when the value under one Schedule B number exceeds 2,500 dollars or when the shipment needs a license. Used self-propelled vehicles exported from the US also require an EEI filing, regardless of value. We prepare the filing with you.
Bill of Sale and Invoice
Keep the auction invoice and bill of sale. Destination customs uses them to value the machine.
Cleaning for Agricultural and Soil Inspection
Auction machines often arrive straight from a jobsite or a farm, caked in mud. Several countries inspect imported used machinery for soil and plant material. Australia requires used machinery to arrive free of soil, seeds, and plant material. Officers inspect hidden spots such as hollow channels and axle beams. Heavily contaminated machines can be sent back out of Australia at the importer’s expense. New Zealand applies similar biosecurity checks.
Wash the machine before it ships, including tracks, radiators, and cabs. Our heavy machinery export to Australia team can arrange cleaning before loading.
Cross-Border Auction Pickups in Canada and Mexico
Many big auctions run in Canada. A buyer recently asked us to move a truck and a lowboy trailer bought at a Ritchie Bros. auction in Nisku, Alberta. Cross-border pickups need customs paperwork on both sides and a carrier with authority to run in each country. Our shipping to Canada team handles pickups and deliveries north of the border, and our trucking to Mexico service covers machines heading south.
Bidding on a machine now? Send us the lot details for a quote or call +1 877-489-9184 before the auction closes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Auction Equipment Shipping
Can I get a shipping quote before I bid?
Yes. Send us the lot link, yard location, dimensions, and weight. We quote excavators, wheel loaders, tractors, and combines from online auctions before bidding closes, so you know your landed cost.
What happens if I miss the auction pickup deadline?
Most auctions charge storage after the pickup window closes, and rules vary by sale. Book your truck as soon as payment clears. For oversize items like rough terrain cranes or mining haul trucks, permits take time, so start early.
Do I need the title to export a truck bought at auction?
Yes. CBP requires the original title or a certified copy, plus two copies, at least 72 hours before export for titled vehicles such as heavy trucks, lowboy trailers, and truck-mounted drilling rigs.
Does auction equipment need cleaning before export?
Often, yes. Australia requires used machinery to arrive free of soil, seeds, and plant material, and New Zealand runs similar checks. Farm tractors, harvesters, and construction excavators need a full wash before loading.
Can you pick up auction equipment in Canada or Mexico?
Yes. We arrange cross-border pickups from Canadian auction yards and deliveries into Mexico for trucks, trailers, cranes, and oil and gas equipment, with customs paperwork for both sides of the border.
