Buying Used Heavy Trucks for Export: Watch Out, Port Fees & Demurrage Can Eat Up Your Profit

Many overseas fleet owners, mining contractors and truck dealers buy used heavy trucks from China. But a lot of them run into the same trap: suppliers only quote the truck price at first. They do not clearly explain ocean freight, insurance, port charges, destination taxes, demurrage and detention fees. When the vessel arrives at the port, unexpected extra charges pop up. Your budget goes over the limit, and your profit disappears.

These unexpected costs can cause big trouble. If documents are incomplete or customs clearance is slow, demurrage fees are charged daily and keep rising. Some buyers run out of funds and have to pause their transport projects at mines. Smaller fleets especially struggle to cover these surprise expenses.

We have a reliable solution to help customers avoid this risk:

✅ Break down the quotation clearly: truck price, freight, insurance and all other charges. Mark which costs are fixed and which ones are variable.

✅ Explain port rules in advance: tell you the free storage period and how demurrage & detention fees are calculated before you confirm the order.

✅ Check all documents carefully before shipment to prevent clearance delays caused by document errors.

✅ Cooperate with trustworthy local customs brokers to finish clearance quickly after arrival and reduce detention time.

Many clients have benefited from this. A customer from West Africa once bought used dump trucks. He only focused on the low truck price at first. Clearance took a long time after arrival, resulting in heavy detention fees. Later he worked with us. We gave him a full breakdown quotation and checked all documents in advance. The trucks cleared customs smoothly with no surprise charges and started work at the mine on time. We also send risk reminders for breakbulk shipments to Southeast Asia.

Transparent pricing and early risk communication build long-term business. If you plan to buy used HOWO, SHACMAN tractors, dump trucks or construction machinery and want a clear cost breakdown, feel free to send us your inquiry.