1. Decide what you are actually buying
Before contacting any supplier, know two things: which engine codes your market asks for by name, and whether your customers are counters that install engines or workshops that rebuild them. Those two answers determine the grade mix, and the grade mix determines whether the container makes money.
A counter needs Grade A and B: complete, tested, ready to fit. A rebuilder wants Grade C and Core at a price that leaves room for reconditioning. Buying the wrong mix is the single most common first-container mistake, and no supplier can fix it for you afterwards.
2. Ask for a quotation that names the mix
A serious quotation states the engine codes, the quantity of each, the grade split, the container size and the destination port. If a quotation is just a total price for 'a container of engines', you cannot check what arrives against what you bought.
Ask for photographs before payment, not after. Any supplier holding real stock can send them. A supplier who cannot is either brokering someone else's yard or does not have the engines yet.
3. Verify before you transfer
Used engines are bought sight-unseen across borders, so verification has to be built into the paperwork rather than into a factory visit. Look for per-unit identification — a serial or QR number that ties a specific engine to a specific photo set — and a written grade for each unit.
Also confirm what happens if something arrives dead. A warranty that exists only in conversation is not a warranty. Ours is 30 to 60 days replacement-or-credit on Grade A, settled against the serial number on the engine.
4. Understand the container maths
A 20-ft container holds roughly 25 to 35 engines depending on the mix and packing; a 40-ft holds roughly 55 to 75. Freight is charged per container, not per engine, so the cost per unit falls sharply as you fill the box.
That tempts first-time buyers into 40-ft loads they cannot sell through. If a 40-ft takes six months to clear at your counter, the freight saving is smaller than the cost of the money sitting still. Start with a 20-ft, learn what moves, then scale.
5. Shipping and documents
Used engines fall under HS heading 8407 for spark-ignition (petrol) engines and 8408 for compression-ignition (diesel) engines. A normal shipment travels with a commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and bill of lading.
Many destinations add a conformity or pre-shipment inspection requirement — SONCAP in Nigeria, the PVoC programme in several East African markets, SABER in Saudi Arabia. These change. Confirm the current requirement with your clearing agent before the container is booked, and have your supplier prepare the documentation to match.
6. The mistakes that cost the most
Paying in full to a supplier with no verifiable identity or address. Accepting a quotation without a grade split. Ordering a 40-ft first. Assuming last year's import rules still apply. And buying on price alone from a supplier who has never told you a single inconvenient thing — because a supplier who never says no is a supplier who will ship you Grade C as Grade A.
Ask for the current list and a price
Tell us your destination country, the codes you need and the container size. We reply within one business day — usually within hours — with photos, the grade split and container-load pricing.
Frequently asked
Can I buy fewer than one container?
Not from us. We sell by the sealed container because that is what makes the traceability and the pricing work. Single units come from local traders at local prices.
How long does shipping take?
It depends on the lane and the season. Your freight forwarder will give you a realistic transit time for your port; treat any promise made without knowing your port as marketing.
Do I need an import licence?
That depends entirely on your country. Ask your clearing agent before you order, not after.