How to Ship an Engine

How to Ship an Engine

How to Ship an Engine and Transmission

Since the automobile and auto parts trade became more popular, demand for engine transportation has drastically increased. The shipping industry provides various shipping services that make motor shipping more convenient. Carriers mostly offer LTL, truckload, and expedited delivery to ship an engine. 

How to ship a motor without the hustle and bustle? You need to seriously prepare it for transportation and choose the carrier that offers the best price/quality correlation. You can check out our other piece, where we talk about the proper preparation of the engine for shipping. 

After cleaning the engine, you need to decide whether you want to ship it on a pallet or inside a  crate. Both methods are valid and have their pros and cons. We will look closely at them.

Engine Shipping in a Crate

Shipping inside a crate is a better choice in terms of protection. The crate fully protects the motor from being hit or knocked. Some carrier companies will require you to crate the engine in case of LTL shipping. The downside is that crating is expensive, and it is not just throwing a motor into a box. You will need a special engine storage stand that will be bolted to the bottom of the crate. It secures the engine so it won\’t move around.

Engine Shipping on a Pallet

Shipping on a pallet can be inappropriate in terms of protection. However, with enough resources, you can make it possible. First off, you\’ll need a big pallet that provides at least 4 inches of space around the engine. Then, you must secure it with straps or, even better, with chains. Once the motor is secured – cover it with a blanket or a cardboard box. Also, the carrier probably will ask you to provide some sort of soaking material in case of unexpected leakage.

It is for you to decide which transportation method to choose. We recommend using crating for new and expensive engines, as you don\’t want it to get damaged along the way.