Bart Shipping: machinery and heavy cargo transport across Tanzania
We move machinery and large cargo by road between towns in Tanzania: crushers, mills, generators, tanks, containers, steel structures and complete processing plants, from Dar es Salaam port and our Mwanza base to mine sites, plants and construction projects. Bart Shipping is for heavy and bulky loads, not parcels or small goods, and it does not cross borders yet.
Cargo types and how long they take
A loaded truck is slower than a car: it is heavier, stops at weighbridges and checkpoints, and oversize loads travel with a pilot vehicle. These classes set the truck and the travel time for a move.
| Cargo | Typical loads | Time on the road |
|---|---|---|
| Medium cargo | Crushers, mills, tanks, generators on a flatbed | About 1.7× the light-vehicle driving time, plus 20-40% for weighbridges, checkpoints and loading. |
| Heavy cargo | Complete plants, large gensets, bulk consignments | About 2.3× the light-vehicle driving time, plus 20-40% for weighbridges, checkpoints and loading. |
| Abnormal load (lowboy) | Excavators, dozers, cranes, oversize single units | Typically 3+ days on the road regardless of distance within Tanzania. Speed is limited by the lowboy itself, and abnormal-load permits and a pilot vehicle are required for most routes — arrange these before the truck loads, not after. |
How long will my cargo take?
Pick the starting point, the destination and the cargo type for a planning range. Confirmed figures are our own logged times; the others are estimates until a delivery confirms them.
Click a town on the map, or use the dropdown, to see a delivery estimate.
Crushers, mills, tanks, generators on a flatbed
Pick a destination to see an estimated delivery time.
Planning figures, not a delivery promise. Every quotation states the actual transit time for that consignment and route once it is confirmed.
Permits for oversize and heavy cargo
A load that is wider, longer or higher than the legal limits, or heavier on its axles, is an abnormal load. Tanzania applies the East African Community vehicle load control law, under which such a load needs a special permit before it travels, and weighbridges and road checks enforce it. Most abnormal loads also travel with a pilot vehicle and move more slowly, so the trip usually takes 3 days or more within Tanzania.
The permit has to be in place before the truck is loaded, not after. That is why we ask for the weight and the dimensions of every piece first: they decide the truck, whether a permit is needed and the route.
Delivery is part of the order
Bart Shipping moves your cargo wherever it was bought. If you are buying equipment from Bart Mining, delivery to your site is planned with the order, including import from overseas suppliers, as our delivery and shipping page explains. Need power once the plant arrives? See generator rental.
How to move heavy cargo with us
- 01
Send the cargo list
What needs moving, with the weight, length, width and height of each piece, and whether it can be split into smaller loads.
- 02
Tell us the route and date
Where it is collected and where it goes, the road into the site, and when it must arrive.
- 03
Get a quotation
We work out the truck, the route and whether a permit is needed, and quote the move.
- 04
Load and deliver
The cargo is loaded, secured on the truck and driven to the site on the agreed date.
Heavy cargo transport questions
How much does it cost to transport a machine in Tanzania?
Each move is quoted on its own, because the price depends on the weight and size of the cargo, the truck it needs, the distance, the condition of the road into the site, whether an abnormal-load permit and a pilot vehicle are required, and whether the truck returns empty. Send the cargo list, the collection and delivery points and the date, and we will quote the whole move.
How long does it take to move heavy cargo from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza?
A car drives the route in about 19 to 20 hours. Loaded trucks are slower, so medium cargo such as a crusher, mill or generator on a flatbed takes about 1.5 to 2 days, and heavy cargo such as a complete plant takes about 2 to 2.5 days, including time for weighbridges, checkpoints and loading. An abnormal load on a lowboy usually needs 3 days or more on the road, plus the time to arrange its permit before loading.
Do I need a permit to move an oversize or very heavy load?
Yes, when the load is wider, longer, higher or heavier on its axles than the legal limits. Under the East African Community vehicle load control law, which Tanzania applies, such a load needs a special permit before it travels, and most abnormal loads also need a pilot vehicle. The permit should be arranged before the truck is loaded. We check the dimensions and weights with you when we plan the move.
What cargo does Bart Shipping carry?
Machinery and large cargo: crushers, mills, generators, tanks, containers, steel structures, complete processing plants and similar loads, moved by road between towns in Tanzania. We do not carry parcels or small goods, and we do not cross borders yet.
Can you move equipment I did not buy from Bart Mining?
Yes. Bart Shipping is a transport service for your cargo, wherever it was bought. If you are buying equipment from us, the delivery to your site is planned as part of the order, as described on our delivery and shipping page.
What information do you need for a quotation?
A list of every piece with its weight and its length, width and height; photos if the shape is unusual; the collection and delivery points; the condition of the road into the site; how the cargo will be loaded and offloaded; and the date it must arrive. With these we can choose the truck, check whether a permit is needed and price the move.
Moving machinery?
Send the cargo list for a quote
Tell us what needs moving, with the weight and size of each piece, where it is collected and delivered, and when it must arrive.