SOLAR
Shipping solar panels and inverters by truck from China to Iran
This page is the loading file for photovoltaic hardware — modules, inverters, transformers — not another transit table, and not the lithium / BESS page. Delivery is hub-to-customs on CPT / DAP terms.
- Modules, inverters and dry transformers are general cargo on this line when packed as declared
- Glass and frames need timber crates or factory pallets with corner protection; do not ship loose cartons in a mixed LCL stack
- Over-width or over-height transformers and skids run on the 17.5 m step-frame / low-bed; send a dimensioned weight drawing with lifting points
- Load ceiling ≤96 CBM and ≤25 T per vehicle; any over-limit portion is quoted separately, as are lifting and lashing
- Cabinets that contain UN3480 / UN3481 cells are Class 9 — declare them on the lithium page, not as “solar equipment”
What this page covers — and what it does not
Covered: crystalline PV modules, string and central inverters, and oil-filled or dry transformers moving as project cargo. Not covered here: energy-storage cabinets with lithium cells. Those are UN3480 / UN3481 Class 9 and have their own handover file. If a “solar” crate contains batteries, say so in the first line.
Modules: glass, not just CBM
Modules are billed on chargeable weight — the greater of actual and volumetric — but the binding constraint is often stacking and breakage. Factory pallets with corner boards and stretch-wrap can go FTL in a 13.6 m curtainsider. Mixed LCL with heavy stone or loose hardware on top of glass is refused. State pallet count, layers, and whether the factory allows double-stacking.
Inverters and transformers
Inverters in timber crates travel as general machinery if they contain no spare lithium packs. Transformers and skid-mounted substations that exceed curtainsider height or width go on the 17.5 m low-bed with wire lashing and centre-of-gravity locking — the same rule as other out-of-gauge machinery. Hydraulic oil, if present, is declared. Lifting, reinforcement and lashing sit outside the linehaul quote.
Where it is handed over
Unload is at the destination named on the quote: Tehran West Customs (Gomrok Gharb), Shahriyar, Aprin Dry Port, or Mashhad Customs. A Ghabz-e Anbar is issued; the consignee's licensed broker clears in ASYCUDA. We do not deliver to a site in Iran. Transit on the Wuqia line is counted from the crossing: a direct truck is currently 21–23 days to Tehran West Customs — an operating range, not a solar-specific clock, and not a guarantee. The Khorgos line has no published day count.
No published rates. Send origin hub; destination customs; HS / kg / CBM; and for OOG pieces a dimensioned drawing with lifting points.
FAQ
Do solar modules go LCL?
LCL starts at 1 CBM or 100 kg, but glass modules are only accepted when palletised and not stacked under heavy unrelated cargo. FTL is the default for a full pallet programme.
Is a BESS cabinet “solar cargo”?
No. If it contains UN3480 / UN3481 cells it is Class 9 lithium. Use the lithium batteries page and attach a 16-section MSDS.
When is the 17.5 m low-bed required?
When width or height will not fit a 13.6 m curtainsider. Send a dimensioned weight drawing with lifting points before dispatch. Over 96 CBM or 25 T is priced separately.
Do you install or deliver to the plant?
No. Delivery is to the bonded warehouse; the consignee's broker clears and arranges local haulage.
Related: Shipping lithium batteries by truck · Shipping machinery by truck · After the truck arrives at Tehran West Customs · How to request a quote