Client Background
Carlos Mendes manages Fazenda Verde, a 5,000-hectare soybean farm in Mato Grosso, Brazil—one of the country’s top agricultural regions. In early 2024, the farm won a contract to supply 10,000 tons of soybeans to a European buyer, but there was a problem: their only 2012 Caterpillar excavator, used to dig irrigation ditches and clear land for planting, had a seized hydraulic pump. “We needed a replacement by June—our planting season starts in September, and we have to finish ditch construction by August,” Carlos explained.
His past experience made the search stressful. In 2022, he’d ordered a used excavator from a U.S. supplier who promised “30-day delivery”—but the machine was held up in customs for 6 weeks, and when it arrived, the engine had hidden rust damage. “We missed that year’s irrigation upgrade, and our soybean yield dropped by 15%,” Carlos said. “This time, I needed a supplier who’d be honest about shipping times and equipment condition—no empty promises.”
He ruled out local Brazilian suppliers quickly: their used excavators were 20% more expensive than Chinese options, and most only offered short-term leases (Carlos needed to own equipment for long-term farm use).
Core Challenges
- Ocean Freight Timeline: Brazil’s Mato Grosso is inland—equipment would need to ship from Shanghai to Santos Port (Brazil) via ocean freight (40–45 days), then 1,200km by truck to the farm. Total lead time needed to stay under 60 days to hit the August deadline.
- No Local Service: With no on-site support possible, the excavator had to be “operation-ready” on arrival, with clear remote guidance for basic maintenance.
- Equipment Reliability: After the 2022 rust issue, Carlos needed proof the machine could handle Brazil’s humid, tropical climate (high moisture risks electrical damage).
Core Challenges
- Ocean Freight Timeline: Brazil’s Mato Grosso is inland—equipment would need to ship from Shanghai to Santos Port (Brazil) via ocean freight (40–45 days), then 1,200km by truck to the farm. Total lead time needed to stay under 60 days to hit the August deadline.
- No Local Service: With no on-site support possible, the excavator had to be “operation-ready” on arrival, with clear remote guidance for basic maintenance.
- Equipment Reliability: After the 2022 rust issue, Carlos needed proof the machine could handle Brazil’s humid, tropical climate (high moisture risks electrical damage).
Our Solution: Transparent Sourcing + Streamlined Ocean Freight
When Carlos contacted us in March 2024, we first aligned on timeline realism: “We can’t cut ocean freight corners, but we can optimize every step to avoid delays,” our team told him. We shared a detailed logistics timeline:
- 7 days: Equipment inspection + refurbishment
- 42 days: Ocean freight (Shanghai → Santos Port)
- 10 days: Customs clearance + inland trucking
- Total: 59 days (just under his 60-day target)
To address his trust in quality, we focused on transparency:
- Equipment Selection: We recommended a 2019 Komatsu PC160LC-8 used excavator with 3,100 operating hours. We sent Carlos a 45-minute video of our in-house inspection: engine compression tests (91% efficiency), hydraulic system pressure checks, and a close-up of the undercarriage (no rust—stored in our Shanghai warehouse with climate control).
- Third-Party Verification: We arranged for SGS (a global inspection firm) to re-test the machine and issue a certification—Carlos received the report within 3 days.
- Pre-Delivery Prep: Since we don’t offer local service, we installed a corrosion-resistant coating on electrical components (for Brazil’s humidity) and packed a maintenance kit (filters, seals, lubricants) with the excavator. We also created a 15-minute video guide for his team, covering pre-start checks and troubleshooting common issues (e.g., hydraulic fluid leaks).
For ocean freight, we partnered with a freight forwarder specializing in heavy machinery, who secured a 40ft container with moisture barriers (to protect against sea spray) and provided Carlos with real-time tracking (he could check the vessel’s location via a mobile app daily).
On-Time Delivery, Reliable Performance
- Timely Arrival: The excavator reached Fazenda Verde on May 28—59 days after order, exactly as planned. Carlos’s team uncrated it, followed the video guide to check fluids, and started ditch construction the next day.
- Yield Recovery: By August, they’d finished 12km of irrigation ditches—on schedule for September planting. “The Komatsu runs 8 hours a day, no breakdowns,” Carlos said. “Our 2024 soybean yield is back to 2021 levels—we’ll hit that 10,000-ton export target easily.”
- Long-Term Trust: In October 2024, Carlos ordered a second used excavator (a 2020 John Deere 350G) for land clearing. He also referred two other Mato Grosso farmers to us: “Chinese suppliers don’t just sell machines—they respect your timeline and tell you the truth about shipping. That’s rare.”
“When I first thought about ocean freight, I worried about delays,” Carlos added. “But your team turned it into a predictable process. Now I know—good things take time, as long as you’re working with people who plan ahead.”