Start with the spec you actually need: model, year range, hours, and the work it has to do. On any listing, ask the dealer for the serial number, current location, recent photos, and a video walkaround. A serious seller provides all of it quickly; a hesitant one is telling you something.
Cross-check the machine with the serial plate in the photos. If you can, send a local inspector — independent inspection services operate in every major US equipment market and typically cost a few hundred dollars. On a six-figure machine, that is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy. Our inspection checklist covers exactly what to look at.
Before money moves, confirm the company is real: call the listed phone number, ask for a video call from the yard, check how long the domain and business have existed, and ask for a reference from a past international buyer in your region. Pay to a company bank account that matches the company name on the invoice — never to a personal account, and never through gift cards, crypto, or "agents."
The standard flow is a written offer, a commercial invoice, then a bank-to-bank wire transfer. The invoice should state the machine (with serial number), the price, what is included (loading, trucking to port, ocean freight or not), and the delivery term — for example FOB (free on board a vessel at the US port) or CFR/C&F (cost and freight to your port). Ask which term the price uses; it changes who pays for what.
For the US side you should expect the dealer to handle the export declaration (EEI/AES filing), the commercial invoice, and the bill of lading issued by the shipping line. You will need these at your end to clear customs. What your own country requires on top — import permits, age limits on machines, duties and taxes — varies widely, so check with a local customs broker before you buy.
The machine is trucked from the yard to the departure port, then ships either roll-on/roll-off (RORO) or in a container — see our RORO vs container guide for how to choose. Ocean transit runs roughly 2 to 6 weeks depending on the route. You will receive the bill of lading and tracking details once the vessel sails.
At destination, your customs broker presents the documents, duties are paid, and the machine is released. Line up the broker and any import permits before the vessel arrives — port storage charges accumulate fast on a 40-ton machine sitting on the quay.
Verify the machine, verify the seller, pay bank-to-bank against a clear invoice, let the dealer handle US export paperwork, and have your customs broker ready at your end. Done right, the whole process is routine — we do it every week.
Plan for 4 to 10 weeks door to port: about 1 to 2 weeks for payment and paperwork, 1 to 2 weeks for inland trucking and port handling, and 2 to 6 weeks on the water depending on your destination.
Yes — and you should if you can. We welcome on-site inspections, and for buyers who can't travel we provide detailed video walkarounds and any extra photos you ask for.
This is why steps 1 and 2 matter: independent inspection plus a dealer with a track record. Everything we sell is described honestly, with the serial number on the invoice matching the machine that ships.
Every machine on our stock list is inspected, export-ready, and priced to move. Tell us your port and we'll handle the rest.
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