Shipping Buses and Trucks by Breakbulk Vessel: A Field Guide

When a bus or heavy truck is too large to containerise or cannot roll up a RoRo ramp, it moves as breakbulk project cargo. The unit is lifted directly onto the ship with the vessel’s own cranes and a purpose-built lifting beam, then stowed and lashed for the voyage.

Step 1 — Lifting, not driving

A spreader beam or four-point lifting frame is attached to the vehicle’s engineered lift points. The crane hoists the bus or truck clear of the quay and lowers it through the hatch into the hold or onto a prepared deck position. Because the load is suspended, the lifting plan and the centre of gravity must be calculated before the lift.

Step 2 — Stowage

In the hold, buses and trucks are lined up on dunnage and blocked; tall units such as coaches are often carried on the upper deck where headroom allows. Heavy units are placed low for stability. Trucks and buses are stowed so that subsequent cargo can be loaded around them without shifting the lashing.

Step 3 — Lashing

Once positioned, the vehicle is secured with chains or web lashings to fixed points and braced with timber where needed. Proper lashing is what prevents movement in heavy sea conditions and is checked at departure and during the voyage.

Why breakbulk for buses and trucks

• No size limit from container dimensions.
• One accountable party from the Chinese yard to the destination port.
• Combined with destination clearance for West Africa and Madagascar.

For a complete comparison of methods, see loading methods compared.