Guide · Updated October 2026
Shipping an Expedition Truck Overseas: RORO or Flat Rack, Costs and the Rules for Heavy Campers
An expedition truck almost always ships by RORO: it drives into the ship's enclosed hold, where the decks take vehicles far taller than any container, because a 40ft high-cube container door is only about 2.58 m high. The price is set by its length, width, height and weight. Typical RORO sea freight for an expedition truck is £3,440–5,140 from the UK to the USA, US$5,470–7,950 from Europe to Southern Africa and US$7,890–11,450 to Australia, based on our quotes in the last 90 days. Trucks over 3.5 t meet extra rules at the other end: the US emissions rules for heavy-duty engines, carnets for Australia, New Zealand and Africa, heavy-vehicle limits on the road and the driving licence category you hold.
Usual method
RORO, inside the enclosed hold
Container
Only if it fits a 2.58 m door
Flat rack
When a route has no RORO, or the truck is too wide or high
Price set by
Length, width, height and weight
UK licence
C1 for 3.5–7.5 t; C above 7.5 t
Carnet
Australia, New Zealand, Southern Africa; not the Americas
RORO, flat rack or container?
- RORO
- The usual choice. The truck is driven on and lashed inside the enclosed hold; car-carrier decks take high-and-heavy vehicles several metres tall
- Flat rack
- An open platform loaded by crane, for a route without RORO or a truck too wide or tall for the ship's decks. Quoted for each truck
- Container
- Only for a small truck that clears a 2.58 m door and 2.34 m width, usually with tyres let down; most expedition trucks do not fit
We confirm the method when we have your measurements and weight, including roof boxes, spare-wheel carriers, ladders and bike racks.
How much does it cost to ship an expedition truck?
Typical RORO sea freight for an expedition truck, from our customer quotes in the last 90 days (the lower and upper quartiles):
- UK to the USA
- £3,440–5,140
- Europe to the USA
- €4,100–5,860
- UK to Canada
- £3,660–5,290
- Europe to Canada
- €4,200–6,130
- UK and Europe to Australia and New Zealand
- US$7,890–11,450
- Europe to Argentina and Uruguay
- €3,980–4,760
- Europe to Colombia
- US$4,990–7,470
- UK and Europe to Southern Africa
- US$5,470–7,950
- Home from the USA to the UK
- US$4,130–6,010
Destination port and customs costs, marine insurance and any carnet are extra. A truck over the ship's standard height or weight bands is quoted individually.
Taking an expedition truck to the USA
The US safety rule is the same for a truck as for a car: a non-resident can import a vehicle for personal use for up to one year (DOT form HS-7, box 5), and a vehicle at least 25 years old can stay permanently (box 1).
Emissions are different. Heavy-duty engines are declared on EPA form 3520-21, not the car form, and that form has no tourist code and no 21-year exemption; heavy-duty highway engines made before 1970 are outside the rules. Ask us before you book a heavy truck to the USA: we check the EPA route for your engine first. A lighter van conversion is normally treated like a motorhome.
Canada
A visitor can keep a vehicle in Canada until the departure date they declare, up to 12 months. Customs can extend that to 18 months only when leaving is impossible, for example through illness or essential repairs. Weight and size limits on the road are set by each province. To stay permanently, a vehicle built to foreign standards must be at least 15 years old by its month of manufacture.
Australia and New Zealand
- Australia: carnet
- A carnet de passages is needed for a visitor's vehicle; with one, no vehicle import approval is needed
- Australia: road
- Heavy-vehicle law applies above 4.5 t gross; general limits are 2.5 m wide, 4.3 m high and 12.5 m long for a rigid truck. States issue a visitor's vehicle licence, often after a roadworthiness inspection
- New Zealand: entry
- Usually up to 12 months, on a carnet or a temporary import entry, after a biosecurity inspection and a basic safety check by an entry certifier
- New Zealand: road user charges
- Diesel vehicles and vehicles over 3.5 t pay road user charges, bought in advance
- Both: cleaning
- Biosecurity checks are strict: clean every chassis rail, wheel arch and locker before the truck is shipped
Southern Africa and South America
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini accept one carnet for all five countries. South Africa also began an online traveller declaration with a temporary import permit for foreign vehicles on 1 June 2026; we confirm how it applies to your truck when we quote. South America needs no carnet: each country issues a free temporary import permit at the border, for example up to 8 months in Argentina.
Driving licence
On a UK licence, category C1 covers vehicles of 3.5 to 7.5 t and category C anything heavier. Drivers who passed a car test before 1997 usually hold C1 already; check your licence before you buy or ship. EU rules set a minimum age of 18 for C1 and 21 for C. Some countries also ask for an International Driving Permit.
Frequently asked questions
How do you ship an expedition truck?
Usually by RORO: the truck is driven into the ship's enclosed hold and lashed in place. Flat rack is used where there is no RORO or the truck is too big for the decks. Most expedition trucks are too tall for a container, whose door is about 2.58 m high.
How much does it cost to ship a Unimog or MAN camper?
Typical RORO sea freight for an expedition truck is £3,440–5,140 from the UK to the USA and US$7,890–11,450 to Australia, from our quotes in the last 90 days. The price depends on size and weight; destination costs are extra.
Will my expedition truck fit in a container?
Only if it is under about 2.58 m high and 2.34 m wide at the door of a 40ft high-cube container. Most expedition trucks are taller, so they ship RORO or on a flat rack.
Can I take my expedition truck to the USA for a year?
The one-year non-resident rule covers its safety standards. For emissions, a heavy-duty engine is declared on EPA form 3520-21, which has no tourist exemption, so we check the EPA route for your engine before you book.
Do I need a carnet for an expedition truck?
For Australia, New Zealand (or a temporary import entry) and Southern Africa, yes. The USA, Canada and South America do not use carnets for visitors.
What licence do I need to drive a 7.5 tonne expedition truck?
On a UK licence, category C1 covers 3.5 to 7.5 t; above 7.5 t you need category C. Drivers who passed a car test before 1997 usually have C1.
Official sources
- NHTSA: importation and certification FAQs
- EPA: form 3520-21 (heavy-duty engines)
- 19 CFR 12.73: motor vehicle emission controls
- CBSA Memorandum D2-1-1: temporary importation of conveyances
- Transport Canada: importing older vehicles
- Australian Border Force: CPD carnets
- National Heavy Vehicle Regulator: general dimension requirements
- NZTA: inspection of temporarily imported vehicles
- NZ Ministry of Transport: road user charges FAQs
- SARS: CPD carnet policy
- GOV.UK: driving licence categories
This guide summarises the rules as published in October 2026. Rules change; we confirm what applies to your vehicle when we quote.
Related routes and guides
Member of
IVSS is a member of BIFA, the British International Freight Association, and FIATA, the international federation of freight forwarders.
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