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U.K. Chieftain Moving Costs

tmy17

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Hi, all,

Been considering a Chieftain in the U.K. Price is right for it but I'm concerned about cost to get from point A to point Me. I'm in south central Florida, maybe 100 miles from Port Everglades and 150 miles from Miami so road travel in the U.S. is at least minimal and in just one state.

Does anyone know sources who can do the shipping in U.K. and who can do the overseas shipping? Any ideas of cost? I've been told around $20-$25 K for the ocean travel. I'm guessing $2-5K for Florida roads. Not sure about any more import fees.

Any input on this process would be appreciated.

Thanks!
 

m1010plowboy

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I'm putting a bump on this because a guy doesn't meet a man everyday that is thinking of doing what you're doing. You're also kinda new here so welcome aboard. Just guessing the import guru team has missed the message and will jump in. I just got off the phone my my Canada bound English speaking mate that has some muscle around here https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafwittering/ if we can be of any help.

What part of the UK is it being shipped from? Hopefully we can come up with some resources and take the benefit of all those awesome pictures you'll put up for us. Best of luck!
 

marchplumber

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Yes, there are several members here who have experience first hand in what you are thinking of attempting! Hope they chime in! Augdog1964 comes to mind. There are probably others. I just suffer from C.R.S. LOL
 

fuzzytoaster

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I know the Chieftan you speak of and the owners should have some contacts in the UK that have hauled for them before. Sea transport will vary so much it's not going to help for me to give a ballpark, just nature of the beast. If you're in no rush then great! Just be ready to pull the trigger at any moment and make sure you have all documents filed before the tank even moves. If something gets fubbed port fees and costs will eat the bottom out of your wallet. Mileage wise in the US for something oversized and over weight (likely) will range from $5-10/mile depending on permits, guides, etc. Source: Moving an M47 Patton from Tx to Tenn
 

SETOYOTA

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I doubt it will cost 25k for shipping from the U.K. Unless it's by airplane. I bought and shipped a 436 from the UK. It will need to go on a RO/RO ship due to size. Shipping from the charleston sc to my home was about the same cost as the ocean voyage. You will also need to arrange shipment to the port over there. As mentioned before, you need to have all of your paperwork done here (USA) before it moves . The ATF form 6 in particular.
 

tmy17

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Thanks for the comments. The seller says the tank is in "Leicestershire le176nw." Some of you probably know this is a tank experience place, but I didn't know 'till I googled it. He suggested Liverpool would be the closest sea port, it's about 100-130 miles away. He further speculated road transport would be about $1300, which is in line with what Fuzzytoaster proposed. I'm encouraged by the idea the ocean travel could be less than my $25,000 guess, though I don't know what other fees might get me. Customs? Import agent? Permits?

Does anyone have any experience with the ATF forms? The last thing I want to do is screw up something there!
 

tmy17

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And thanks for the offer to help 1010Plowboy. Depending on how this goes, I may take you up on it. Those U.K. lads made a great tank and I'd like to get one.
 

m1010plowboy

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Absolutely my pleasure. Every time someone goes through this adventure we should write a book about it so the process gets easier for the next guy. I know nothing about import/export but have read the stories about equipment being held up in port and costs piling up. It would be nice to put that money into the preservation of the MV's instead of communication errors. I hope you make this happen, I want a tank but if everyone else keeps getting one, I won't need to. It'll be like my neighbor's horse, I don't have to feed it or look after it....but every so often I might get to go for a ride.

Here's a great story about a local MVPA boy that has a Cheiftain up in Fort McMurray...so it can be done. http://www.armourcrossalberta.com/about1.htm
 

tmy17

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Great pictures. Looks like he painted it a couple of times. It'd be pain to lift that engine out. I have a front end loader that can lift about 3000 lbs but I'm not sure it can go high enough.
 

tmy17

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Here's an update on my possible purchase: I found a capable shipper who can get the tank on a ship and get it off in the U.S. He wants to use the port in Brunswick, Georgia which is a lot farther than Port Everglades in Florida but he tells me there are few RORO ports (Roll-on, roll-off). There's one in Jacksonville, FL but they've had a lot of trouble bringing in military vehicles from there so I'll go with his experience.

I also have a man in the U.S. who can help with the ATF forms. He's also a collector and a wealth of information about this process. He knows a customs broker that's familiar with importing military iron.

Lastly I have the name of a Chieftain expert in the U.K. who can inspect the tank and let e know if there are any problems worth canceling the sale. I think he can also handle the demilling or suggest someone that can. I'd like to try and keep the chunk of breach they have to cut off. I may try to have it welded back together or I could use it to construct a facsimilie of the original. I'm not sure how the Chieftain gun works but it was my understanding on some tanks the beach is an important counter balance for the barrel. Without that extra weight, the barrel may not move or may even dangerously bounce while driving. bounce. Anybody know anything about that? My U.S. guy says there's nothing in the regulations that should prevent including the cut-off breach chunk.

I've been impressed with everyone I've dealt with so far on this project. These are very knowledgeable and helpful folks that seem to really be pulling to make this happen.

For what it's worth, the quote for the ocean shipping is less than I expected at about $10K. This number will likely go up, however, as I may need a crane and a MAFI to transport the tank. The shipper says that often when tanks get to the U.S. they're temperamental and won't start. So what they often do is put the tank on a MAFI, which is like a low trailer. On this end then, they hook the MAFI up to a tractor and pull it off the ship. The tank never has to start. When the transport truck arrives, they use a crane to lift it off the MAFI and place it on the truck.

The more obvious way to do all this is with the tank itself. You drive the tank onto the ship, you drive the tank off. When the truck arrives, you just drive it up the ramp and you're done...except for two problems. 1) I've never even been in a Chieftain and it's unlikely the truck driver has either. You need to get the tank dead on to the truck when you're driving up the ramp. 2) If you manage to get the tank started and moving up the ramp, you'll eventually find your 60 ton tank is at a 30 degree angle or so with nearly a third of it off the ramp, hovering over the trailer bed. Imagine a teeter totter. As a driver you can't even really see if you're still aligned and I suspect there will be a pretty sickening feeling as that tank starts to tip onto the trailer. Now imagine you've never even started a Chieftain and you have to do that.

So, does anyone know of any experienced Chieftain drivers? I'd like to chat with one and see if it would make sense to use him to start & load the tank onto the truck...assuming it starts, of course.
 

Jericho

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Contact Colin, the ex Household Calvery type at the Collins Foundation in Massachesetts , He is an ex tank driver and a wealth of knowledge. BE AWARE British DEMIL , is not anything like AMERICAN DEMIL. My last two shipments were done using Polish Lines, much cheaper and easier to deal with, Having said that every thing came at a price, Be sure to use a BONDED carrier and import agent . If you get stuck for a "failure to comply" or a "Violation" you could end up paying to cut your tank up and dispose of it and never get it out of impoundment . There is a reason Chieftians are so cheap, do you due diligence . Good Luck
 

tmy17

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Update: I have an approved ATF form 6 and an approved U.K. export license. I just had the main gun demilled and have set up all the transportation except in the U.K. It looks like I can probably have a man at the Southampton port drive the tank onto a MAFI but due to tighter restrictions in the U.S. will have to have it lifted by crane from the MAFI to the transport truck. Costs have gone up considerably, as expected. The shipping will now run around $15K as will the U.S. road transport from Brunswick, Georgia to my property in South, Central Florida. As many of you know, actual import costs to the U.S. are almost zero, so that's a nice plus. The tank could be on a ship within two weeks but since I've never done this, there may still be a wrinkle or two.

I am interested in finding a skilled individual who can "re-mill" my tank, that is weld the breach block and other parts back together so that it at least looks correct. I have a neighbor that might be able to do it, he's a professional welder, but he's so busy I might have to get someone else. It's way too much metal for me to heat up with my little wire feed welder!
 

tmy17

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Update: The proposed shipping date from the U.K. is now August 29, though I bet it'll be pushed back a little. Thanks to member SD T16 I'll be saving a ton of money on the road transport from Brunswick Georgia to my Florida land. The ocean shipper guy found someone who'd do it for $15K but SD T16 put me on to Prestige Transport (Todd) and they;re willing to do the same trip for $5K! Wow, what a difference. And Prestige has moved plenty of tanks before so it's not their first rodeo. It's only a distance of about 350 miles so $15K seemed high to me, but never having done this, I just figured that was the going rate.

For those that are keeping score my shipping costs are working out to::
$1300 for trucking in the U.K.,
$400 to get tank from truck to ship (half that if it can be done in one trip - truck to ship),
$15,000 for the ocean transport (includes use of a MAFI)
$1500-$3000 for crane in the US to put tank on the trailer,
$5000 to truck it to me.
All in all, this is about what I figured I'd be paying so I'm not too shocked at the cost.

My next door neighbor, who is a professional welder, thinks he can weld the breach and gun back together, so that's a convenient plus. He actually did the same work on a Sherman tank many years ago.

So far, so good.
 

B3.3T

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Good luck on your move. You need to add the brokerage fees to your list. Also, I would be very careful discussing rewelding the breech. Without an approved Form 1, you're suggesting a felony violaton of the NFA with 10 years/$50,000 fine.
 

simp5782

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Update: The proposed shipping date from the U.K. is now August 29, though I bet it'll be pushed back a little. Thanks to member SD T16 I'll be saving a ton of money on the road transport from Brunswick Georgia to my Florida land. The ocean shipper guy found someone who'd do it for $15K but SD T16 put me on to Prestige Transport (Todd) and they;re willing to do the same trip for $5K! Wow, what a difference. And Prestige has moved plenty of tanks before so it's not their first rodeo. It's only a distance of about 350 miles so $15K seemed high to me, but never having done this, I just figured that was the going rate.

For those that are keeping score my shipping costs are working out to::
$1300 for trucking in the U.K.,
$400 to get tank from truck to ship (half that if it can be done in one trip - truck to ship),
$15,000 for the ocean transport (includes use of a MAFI)
$1500-$3000 for crane in the US to put tank on the trailer,
$5000 to truck it to me.
All in all, this is about what I figured I'd be paying so I'm not too shocked at the cost.

My next door neighbor, who is a professional welder, thinks he can weld the breach and gun back together, so that's a convenient plus. He actually did the same work on a Sherman tank many years ago.

So far, so good.

As far as trucking and crane go. I think there is a member on here in Florida, at least on the east coast anyway, that has recovered a few tanks using his HET and 916. Might want to check his rates since he can just use the truck winches to dead drag the tank like it was designed. So it might save you the money on that and be cheaper on the transport to you from the port. Even to me $5,000 seems high for 350 miles. A 55 ton RGN is all you need really since the tank is 55 tons in combat mode you will be under the trailers rating. Honestly I bet there is a company near you that has a Lull trailer. Some of these things can go up to 60 tons.
 

tmy17

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Thanks for the ideas. Not sure I'd be able to take advantage of your suggestion since it's my understanding not everyone can get into the port to do that sort of work, security clearances and all. If you know someone who has actually been able to get into Brunswick port, I'd be interested in talking to him.

The tank may be a little heavier than you think. It's 55 U.K. tonnes (aka long tons) which is 2240 lbs vs. a USA ton (short ton) which is 2000 lbs. That makes it weigh about 60 U.S. tons in combat mode, but, yes, it'll be a little lighter without all that ammo.
 

tmy17

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The tank is now sitting on my land in south Florida. It took around 7-8 months to accomplish from first inquiry to arrival. tank on land a.jpg
Thanks to all who offered advice. I'm now in the process of cleaning her out, repainting some interior parts, installing an original radio, etc. It drives OK but no more driving until I get a chance to check all the fluid levels and see the engines. Can't do that yet because there's a 500 lb breech ring on top of the engine compartment.
 

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