How to Compare Used Machinery Quotes With a Landed Cost Worksheet
Crane assemblies on a flatbed trailer, illustrating a transport element of the purchase budget.
The cheaper machine quotation can require more cash before work starts. Missing components, freight, destination charges and first service may change the result after a buyer has already paid a deposit. A useful comparison makes those costs visible while there is still time to choose a different machine or negotiate the scope.
Before you request a quote
Build two totals: the estimated cost to get the equipment to the agreed destination, and the cash budget to put it into service. The second total also includes installation, initial maintenance and a separately identified contingency. Keep tax recovery and financing separate so they do not disappear inside a vague “all included” price.
Make both quotations describe the same purchase
Record the machine identity, proposed configuration, condition, included accessories, inspection scope and destination for each offer. A crane supplied with its agreed mast sections cannot be compared fairly with a machine-only offer that leaves those sections to the buyer.
Use the same currency, quotation date and exchange-rate assumption. Record quotation expiry dates. Treat an unpriced required component as an open cost, rather than entering zero.
Write the delivery term and named place in full
The trade term explains a contractual allocation of costs and risk; it does not by itself describe every local charge in your budget. Under Incoterms 2020 CIF, the seller pays the agreed main carriage and insurance, while transport risk transfers when the goods are on board at the shipment port. The destination named in a CIF quotation is therefore different from the point of risk transfer. ICC Academy explanation of delivery and risk.
For containerised or multimodal movements, discuss an appropriate rule such as FCA with your forwarder instead of assuming FOB suits every shipment. Put the named place or port and the Incoterms version in the quotation. ICC’s checklist distinguishes rules by transport and delivery arrangement. ICC Incoterms 2020 checklist.
Ask what is included, what is excluded and which party must arrange each remaining step. A CIF price does not automatically mean import duty, local clearance, unloading and site delivery are included.
Use a worksheet that exposes missing costs
The following figures are invented solely to demonstrate the comparison. They are not market prices, freight quotations, tax estimates or suggested repair reserves. Each amount must be replaced with an actual quotation or a clearly labelled estimate for your transaction.
| Budget line in USD | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Machine and stated supplied configuration | 42,000 | 48,000 |
| Required components excluded from machine price | 3,800 | 0 |
| Origin inland transport | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Origin export and loading charges | 1,200 | 1,200 |
| Main carriage and insurance | 8,200 | 7,000 |
| Destination clearance, duties and site transport allowance | 4,800 | 4,800 |
| Installation and initial service allowance | 2,600 | 1,600 |
| Separately budgeted contingency | 3,000 | 2,500 |
| Illustrative cash budget before work starts | 67,100 | 66,600 |
Offer A has a machine price that is USD 6,000 lower. In this example its total cash budget is USD 500 higher. That result comes from the assumed scope and costs in the table, not from a general rule about cheaper used equipment.
In a real comparison, split the destination allowance into brokerage, duties, taxes, port charges, unloading and inland transport. Confirm classification and applicable charges with the destination broker. Add a separate column showing whether each line is quoted, estimated or unresolved.
Prevent double counting
If freight is already included in a supplier’s price, identify that amount or inclusion before adding another freight line. Apply the same check to loading, insurance and delivery. Mark each responsibility against the contract and forwarder’s quotation.
Record cargo dimensions and weights for the actual packing arrangement. Ask whether the quotation assumes standard containers, special equipment or another shipping method. Do not infer container count from a product photograph.
Put the insurance coverage, deductible, insured value and claims contact in the file. Separately ask about quote exclusions such as storage, demurrage, detention, additional lifts or waiting time; do not invent allowances without checking the route and contract.
Compare readiness dates alongside money
Request separate dates for inspection completion, packing readiness, scheduled departure, estimated arrival, customs release and site readiness. Estimated arrival is not a commitment that the machine can start work that day. Link each unresolved document, component or local approval to its owner and next confirmation date.
Frequently asked questions
Is CIF the same as delivery to my jobsite
No. Confirm the named destination, included services and remaining import, unloading and inland transport responsibilities in the contract.
What should I do with an unknown repair cost
Keep it visibly unresolved. Obtain a condition assessment and scope before deciding what allowance belongs in your budget.
Can the supplier calculate my import duty
The supplier can provide machine information for review. Your importer or broker should confirm classification, eligibility and current destination charges for the specific transaction.
Request unit-specific information
The used tower crane price guide introduces broader buying considerations. When requesting a machinery quotation, include the required configuration, destination port, site location and preferred delivery scope. Use the same worksheet when comparing current product listings.