Moving Bottling and Process Equipment: Open- Deck and Out-of-Gauge Freight for Beverage Plants
A Sacramento craft brewery buys a used 40-foot tunnel pasteurizer from a plant closing in Wisconsin. The unit is 22 tons and 11 feet tall, and you can't take it apart without voiding the manufacturer's service agreement. It won't fit in a normal dry van or enclosed trailer. Now the brewery has to figure out how to move it 2,000 miles without damaging equipment that cost $380,000.
That's where open-deck and out-of-gauge freight come into play: specialized transport for beverage plant equipment that exceeds standard trailer or container dimensions. If you're a beverage producer, plant operator, or project team moving a bottling line, fermentor, pasteurizer, or other oversized equipment for the first time, this is the part that determines whether the shipment arrives safely, on schedule, and without expensive avoidable mistakes. This guide explains what counts as out-of-gauge cargo, why beverage plants generate it, which open-deck trailer and ocean freight options apply, how cost and safety requirements change, and how Forsla handles these moves.
What Gauge Cargo is and Why Beverage Operations Generate So Much of It
Out-of-gauge cargo is any freight that exceeds the internal dimensions of a standard shipping container, which for a typical 40-foot box are 12.05 meters in length and 2.33 meters in width. Overland transport uses equipment that exceeds standard trailer height, width, or weight limits.
That sort of freight is more prevalent in the beverage business than most people realize. Pasteurizers, rotary fillers, blow-molding machines, CIP (clean-in-place) systems, and stainless steel fermentation tanks are all built as large, single units. Many cannot be disassembled for shipment without expensive reassembly and recalibration at the destination. A rotary filler on a mid-size bottling line might weigh 15 tons and be 10 feet across. It was supposed to be a one-and-done installation.
The majority of transport containers, standard cargo shipping containers that are rectangular, are useless. Beverage production equipment requires specialized freight methods, and the right approach depends on whether the equipment moves by road, sea, or both.
Open Deck Freight Options For The Beverage Industry
The most common way to move beverage equipment over land is as open-deck freight. The cargo is loaded onto a trailer, with no sides or roof. You can load it from the top, side, or rear. It generally allows for faster loading and unloading than enclosed options.
In the beverage industry, three types of open-deck trailers are commonly used on a trailer truck for these overland moves. Normal flatbeds work well for equipment within legal height limits. Step-deck trailers sit lower to the ground, providing an additional 12 to 18 inches of vertical clearance for taller machines that may exceed the limits of normal equipment. Removable gooseneck (RGN) trailers drop all the way down to the ground level, allowing equipment to drive or roll onto the deck from the rear. Beverage plants also need adequate loading and unloading infrastructure for oversized shipments, including enough space, site access, and lifting capability. A 40-foot deck flatbed trailer has a payload capacity of up to 39 tons. That will work for most individual pieces of beverage equipment.
The tradeoff is risk exposure. Open-deck loads are subject to the weather. Rain, road spray, dust, and UV hit the equipment on a multi-day trip. Route planning also matters, since oversized moves often avoid busy roads and peak hours. Protection matters for beverage machines with electronic controls, polished stainless surfaces, or sensitive instrumentation. Tarps, plastic or canvas sheets, and shrink-wrapping are the most common ways shippers protect a load. But none of that compares to an enclosed trailer, and that's a tension beverage companies face every time they move equipment that physically can't fit inside a box.
How Flat Rack Containers and Open Top Containers Move Oversized Cargo By Sea
Standard ocean containers typically won't do when shipping beverage equipment internationally, whether it's imported from a European manufacturer or being moved from one plant to another in different countries.
The first option is flat rack containers or flatbed containers, both wall-less options for oversized sea freight. They're steel platforms with collapsible or fixed end walls, but no side walls or roof. A 20-foot flat rack can carry about 25 to 30 tons of payload, which is enough for most individual beverage production equipment, including fillers, labelers, and medium-sized tanks. Platform containers flatbeds are another specialized format used for very large loads.
Use open-top containers when equipment fits the width and length of a standard box but is too tall for the container roof; open top units are commonly available in both 20-foot and 40-foot sizes. A 40-foot open top container can be loaded with up to 26 tons and can be loaded by crane from above. Such containers still require optimal weight distribution. If you are shipping tall equipment (vertical tank, palletizer frame), an open-top container provides room for the height overshoot but keeps the cargo enclosed on three sides, unlike conventional containers.
Both container types are considered oversized cargo once loaded, with cost implications that often catch first-time shippers by surprise.
What Gauge Cargo Onboard Ships Actually Costs and Why OOG Cargo Adds Up
Oversize equipment doesn't just take up one container slot when it ships on a cargo vessel. When the load overhangs the container walls, the shipping line or cargo carrier must leave empty slots adjacent for safety and lashing access. These empty spaces are called lost slots, or wasted space, and the shipping company will charge the shipper for each one because those positions can't be sold to other freight.
Using a flat rack or open top instead of a regular box adds a base surcharge of $250 to $500. Plus, lashing and securing materials can add $200 to $800, and out of shape cargo eats into adjacent vessel capacity as well.
Add that to the misdeclared dimensions. If the actual measurements differ from the booking, it disrupts the cargo vessel's stowage plan, which is why gauge cargo requires accurate dimensions and shipment details at booking. That could be delays at port, rehandling charges, or the load being bumped to the next sailing altogether. Regulatory hurdles for OOG freight can also complicate delivery timelines. For a beverage plant waiting for a paid-for $400,000 filler, a two-week delay because someone measured the height wrong is a very expensive mistake.
Platform Containers, Break Bulk, and Safe Containers Standards For The Heaviest Beverage Equipment
Flat rack containers can't accommodate some beverage equipment that is too large or heavy. A 60,000-liter stainless steel fermentor or a complete depalletizer system may be too heavy for the largest flat rack or exceed its footprint.
That's where platform containers and break bulk come in. Platform containers have no walls and are flat steel decks built for the heaviest and most irregularly shaped loads. In break bulk shipping, individual pieces are loaded directly onto the cargo ship, bypassing containers. Shippers secure these pieces with chains, turnbuckles, and custom cradles.
Both methods have to strictly comply with international safety standards. All containers for international sea transport must carry a valid CSC (Container Safety Convention) safety approval plate, with technical data such as maximum gross weight, test date, and the container manufacturer's identification details. The International Maritime Organization sets the international safety standards for securing such cargo, which port authorities enforce. For a beverage company shipping one big piece of equipment overseas for the first time, knowing that safe container certification isn't optional will save a lot of hassle at the loading point.
How Forsla Handles Open Deck and Out-of-Gauge Freight For Beverage Plants
Forsla works with shipping and transport companies on oversized freight planning and execution, with extensive knowledge of over-dimensional and out-of-gauge freight, including access to specialized heavy-duty equipment trailers, permit coordination, route planning from the manufacturing plant, and pickup staging at the OOG cargo storage location for abnormally shaped indivisible loads.
Forsla handles carrier selection, load planning, and the permit work required for oversized cargo traveling on public roads for beverage plants shipping bottling lines, fermentation tanks, pasteurizers, or process equipment between facilities, helping transport cargo from plant pickup through final delivery. The company’s TMS monitors each shipment with real-time updates from pickup through delivery. Request a quote today to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is out-of-gauge cargo in beverage equipment shipping?
Gauge cargo transporting involves any freight that exceeds the standard internal dimensions of a shipping container, typically 12.05 meters in length or 2.33 meters in width for a 40-foot box. In beverage equipment shipping, this includes pasteurizers, rotary fillers, blow-molding machines, and large stainless steel tanks that can't be disassembled for transport. OOG cargo requires specialized containers or open-deck trailers and usually costs more than standard freight due to handling, permits, and lost container slots.
Q2. What is the difference between a flat rack container and an open top container?
A flat rack container is a steel platform with end walls but no side walls and no roof, which lets cargo protrude in both width and height, while special cargo may call for custom made containers or other non-standard open-top solutions. An open top container has full side walls but no fixed roof, allowing tall cargo to extend above the container line while staying enclosed on the sides. Flat racks handle wider or irregularly shaped loads, and on platform-style units without walls or a roof, hence the only restriction is typically the cargo’s weight and securement rather than enclosure. Open top containers handle taller equipment that still fits the standard width. Payload capacity change can occur by container series and manufacturer.
Q3. How much can a flat rack container carry for beverage plant equipment?
A 20-foot flat rack container’s container payloads are roughly 25 to 30 tons, depending on the manufacturer and condition. A 40-foot flat rack can handle up to 40 tons, according to XChange container specifications, with that payload referring to the weight available for carrying cargo. Carrying excess weight can lead to container sagging, so always confirm how much the gauge cargo weigh limit allows before loading. That covers most individual pieces of beverage production equipment. The actual usable payload is slightly lower once you account for the weight of lashing materials, blocking, and any custom cradles used to secure the equipment during transit.
Q4. Why do transport companies charge extra for OOG cargo?
Transport companies charge extra because oversized cargo takes up more space than a single standard container slot, and below deck storage can also be restricted for OOG loads because of vessel clearances. When a load protrudes beyond the container walls on a cargo vessel, the shipping line has to leave adjacent positions empty for safety and lashing access, while planning constraints like hatch cover clearance can also limit stowage and increase charges. Those are called lost slots, and the shipper pays for the revenue the line loses. Add in surcharges for specialized containers, lashing materials, and port handling, and OOG freight typically costs significantly more than standard shipping.
Q5. How do beverage plants meet safe container standards when shipping oversized equipment?
Containers used in international sea transport that fall within CSC scope must carry a valid CSC safety approval plate that shows the maximum gross weight, test data, and container manufacturer information. Beverage plants shipping equipment overseas should verify before use that any flat rack, open top or platform container they use has current CSC certification, sometimes through a container depot inspection, and open top units are not the only equipment types subject to that approval. The International Maritime Organization sets the safety standards, and port authorities enforce them at loading. Using an expired or uncertified container can result in the load being held at port.