Heavy & specialist
Truck Shipping.
Tractor units, rigids, tippers, mixers, cranes, fire appliances and buses shipped by roll-on roll-off from UK ports to West Africa, East Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and beyond.
The UK is one of the world's biggest exporters of used commercial vehicles, and NLX Logistics moves trucks every week from UK ports to buyers in West and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, South Asia and Eastern Europe. Tractor units, rigid flatbeds, tippers, concrete mixers, tankers, sweepers, fire appliances, coaches and service buses all travel by RoRo on high-clearance decks, driven aboard and lashed down by the crew.
Commercial vehicles need more preparation than cars because they are bigger, older on average and frequently sold at auction with paperwork that needs chasing. We will check the V5C or de-registration status, confirm the vehicle is a genuine runner, arrange the drive or low-loader move to the port, lodge the export entry and issue the bill of lading in the name your buyer's bank requires.
Truck & bus guide prices — per unit, port to port
Rates assume a running, empty vehicle with no attached trailer or loose equipment.
| 4x2 tractor unit | From £1,750 per unit |
| 6x4 tractor unit | From £2,150 per unit |
| Rigid truck 7.5t to 18t | From £1,950 per unit |
| Tipper, mixer or tanker over 18t | From £2,650 per unit |
| Coach or single-deck service bus | From £2,950 per unit |
| Double-deck bus (height restricted sailings) | From £3,950 per unit |
These are indicative rates. Contact us for precise rates.
Preparing a commercial vehicle for RoRo
- Vehicle must start, drive, steer and brake; declare any defects in writing
- Fuel no more than a quarter of a tank on most services
- Bodies, cranes and tipping gear lowered and secured
- Tool boxes and cabs emptied of loose items and personal effects
- Trailer coupling plates greased and fifth wheels locked
- Accurate measured length, width and height including exhaust stacks and beacons
How the booking process works
Every truck shipping booking with NLX Logistics follows the same simple sequence, and you keep the same reference number and the same contact from the first email to final delivery. You send us the details, we send you a written quotation, and once you are happy we confirm space and issue a booking pack with everything you need to prepare.
We never ask for paperwork you do not need, and we never spring charges on you at destination without warning. If a cost is likely to arise at the other end — terminal handling, customs examination, quarantine inspection, storage after free time expires — we tell you about it in the quotation so you can budget for it rather than discover it later.
- Send us the details and we reply with a written price, usually within the hour
- Confirm the booking and we reserve space on the next suitable departure
- We arrange UK collection or you deliver to the port, terminal or warehouse
- We lodge the UK export declaration and issue the transport document
- You receive sailing or flight confirmation, tracking and arrival notification
- Our destination agent handles import formalities and onward delivery if instructed
Documents and information we will ask for
Good paperwork is what keeps freight moving, so we front-load it. For commercial cargo we need a commercial invoice and packing list, your EORI number, the commodity codes and the incoterms you have agreed with your buyer. For vehicles we need the V5C or bill of sale, photographic identification for the owner and the keys. For personal effects we need a detailed inventory and, where relevant, evidence of residence.
If anything is missing we will tell you exactly what to obtain and where to get it. We would far rather spend ten minutes on the phone before the cargo moves than deal with a detention charge at destination because a certificate was never applied for.
Insurance, liability and protecting your cargo
Standard carrier liability is limited by international convention and is calculated on the weight of the cargo rather than its value, which means an expensive, lightweight shipment is barely protected at all. We therefore recommend all-risks marine cargo insurance on the declared commercial or replacement value of every consignment, which we can arrange at the point of booking for a small percentage of the insured value.
Cover runs warehouse to warehouse, includes general average contribution, and is underwritten on Institute Cargo Clauses A for most cargo types. Claims are handled with a single point of contact, and we will help you assemble the survey report, photographs and commercial evidence a claim requires.
Why shippers stay with NLX Logistics
Transparent guide pricing before you commit, in-house customs clearance, UK-wide collection and a named freight specialist who answers the phone. Move more. Worry less.


