Case Study: JAC Junling Single-Row Box Truck Exported to Tema, Ghana
A Ghanaian importer bought one JAC Junling single-row box truck from us at CIF Tema $9,700, shipped from Tianjin on the PACIFIC VIOLET V.26580. It is a September 2020 build with 36,000 km on the odometer, measures 5.43 × 2.005 × 2.9 m and weighs 2,800 kg. At 2.9 m tall it does not fit inside a 40HQ container — the single most common assumption buyers get wrong on Chinese light trucks. This page documents the actual shipment: dimensions, the CIF number, the documents, and what the buyer should verify before paying.
Shipment at a glance
Buyer: Tema-based importer, Ghana (name withheld)
Vehicle: JAC Junling (骏铃) single-row box truck × 1
Model year / odometer: September 2020 — 36,000 km
Body: Box van / 厢式 — 5.43 × 2.005 × 2.9 m
Gross weight: 2,800 kg
Price: CIF Tema $9,700 (one unit)
POL → POD: Tianjin, China → Tema, Ghana
Transit: 35 days at sea
Vessel / Voyage: PACIFIC VIOLET / V.26580
Customs clearance: 1 working day at Tema
B/L No.: PV26S80XGGTEM*** (partially masked at buyer’s request)
VIN prefix: LJ11 — JAC light commercial vehicle
Steering: Left-hand drive — correct for Ghana
The 2.9 m Problem: Why This Light Truck Does Not Fit in a 40HQ
A standard 40HQ container has an internal height of 2.69 m and an internal length of 12.03 m. This truck is 2.9 m tall — 21 cm too high. No amount of strapping, deflating or “the forwarder will handle it” changes that. If a supplier quotes you “two light trucks in one 40HQ”, they are quoting a flatbed or dropside unit around 2.2–2.4 m tall, not a box van.
| Shipping option | Fits this 2.9 m box truck? | Typical fit |
|---|---|---|
| 40HQ container | No — 21 cm too tall | Flatbed / dropside light trucks up to ~2.6 m |
| 40FR (flat rack) | Yes | Over-height units, one or two per rack |
| Breakbulk / conventional | Yes | Single unit, lashed on deck or in hold |
| RoRo | Yes, where the service calls | Self-propelled units, driven on |
Two consequences for your own quote. First, ask the supplier for the shipping dimension, not the brochure dimension — box vans are quoted with and without the cargo box, and the difference decides whether you are paying for one container slot or one breakbulk slot. Second, an over-height unit changes the freight number more than the truck price does, so a “$9,000 truck” can easily out-cost a “$9,700 CIF” one once freight and port handling land.
What CIF Tema $9,700 Actually Covers
CIF means the price includes the truck, inland transport to Tianjin, export clearance, ocean freight and marine insurance to Tema. It does not include anything that happens after the vessel arrives: terminal handling, agent fees, duty, VAT and delivery to your yard in Ghana are all on the buyer’s side.
- Included in CIF $9,700: vehicle, loading and lashing at Tianjin, export declaration, ocean freight, marine insurance to Tema
- Not included: Tema THC, clearing agent, port storage if you clear late, Ghana duty and levies, inland haulage
- Paid on CIF value: Ghana customs assesses duty and VAT on the CIF figure, so the invoice total is what your clearing agent will work from
| Cost line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ocean freight, Tianjin → Tema | $2,800 |
| CIF Tema total for this unit | $9,700 |
| Truck + inland haulage + export documents + insurance | $6,900 |
Freight took $2,800 of the $9,700 — 29% of the total. That ratio is high because a box truck is charged on volume, not weight. This unit measures 5.43 × 2.005 × 2.9 m = 31.6 m³ and weighs only 2,800 kg, so the carrier bills roughly 5,300 kg volumetric weight (at the standard 167 kg/m³). A flatbed light truck of the same value and the same weight is far shorter and ships for materially less. That is the real reason a cheap-looking box truck can lose to a slightly dearer flatbed on landed cost.
Budget your landed cost from the CIF number upward, never from the FOB price. If you need the full method, our shipping cost guide breaks RoRo, container and CIF pricing line by line, and the Ghana import page covers the Tema clearance sequence.
Transit and Clearance: 35 Days at Sea, 1 Working Day at Tema
This unit spent 35 days at sea from Tianjin to Tema and cleared Ghana customs in 1 working day after the vessel berthed. The 35-day leg is a direct sailing; routing through a transhipment hub adds a week or more, so ask which service the quote is based on. The 1-day clearance is not a lucky break — it comes from having the full document set in the clearing agent’s hands before the ship arrives. When the certificate of origin or the export deregistration document is still outstanding at berthing, the unit sits in port while storage and agent fees accumulate, and those costs land on the buyer, not the seller.
Two numbers to hold a supplier to: the sailing date and the document date. A deposit paid against a sailing date that keeps slipping, or a document set that only appears after departure, is the pattern behind most “my truck is stuck at the port” complaints in Ghana.
Ghana Is Left-Hand Drive — Why That Matters for a JAC
Ghana drives on the right, so left-hand-drive Chinese trucks enter without conversion. This is a real cost advantage over Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa, where right-hand drive is mandatory and conversion adds $2,500–$4,000 per unit plus paperwork risk. If you are comparing Ghana against an East African destination, the same JAC Junling is $2,500–$4,000 cheaper landed in Tema simply because nothing has to be re-engineered.
Documents the Buyer Received for This Shipment
Any export that cannot produce these on request is not ready to take your deposit. For this Tema shipment the file contained:
- Bill of Lading (original + telex release option), showing vessel, voyage, POL and POD
- Commercial invoice and packing list with CIF value
- Certificate of Origin
- Vehicle title and export deregistration documents
- Inspection photos: VIN plate, odometer, engine bay, cargo box interior, tyres
- Shipping dimensions and gross weight as declared to the carrier
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a JAC Junling single-row box truck cost CIF Ghana?
This unit was $9,700 CIF Tema, of which $2,800 was ocean freight. The number moves with box length, engine, model year and freight rates, but a single-row box light truck from Tianjin to Tema generally lands in the $9,000–$12,000 CIF band. Always compare CIF, not FOB — the freight difference between a container-fit and an over-height unit can exceed the price difference between two suppliers.
Can two light trucks fit in one 40HQ container?
Only if both are under 2.6 m tall and under 12 m combined length. Flatbed and dropside light trucks usually fit two per 40HQ; box vans at 2.9 m do not fit one. Ask for the shipping height before you agree to a container quote.
Is a JAC light truck suitable for Ghana roads?
Yes. JAC light trucks are common across West Africa because parts are widely stocked and the drivetrain is simple. Ghana also runs left-hand drive, so the vehicle arrives road-legal without conversion — unlike Kenya or Tanzania, where RHD conversion is required and adds both cost and inspection risk.
How long does shipping a truck from China to Tema take?
On this shipment, 35 days at sea from Tianjin to Tema plus 1 working day to clear customs — roughly five weeks from loading to a cleared unit. Add inland haulage to your yard in Ghana. Transhipment services take longer, and clearance stretches to a week or more whenever the document file is incomplete on arrival.
What We Would Check Before Wiring the Deposit
Four things decide whether a light truck shipment goes smoothly, and all four are visible before payment:
- Shipping height in writing. Get the height with the box fitted, not the chassis height.
- Freight basis named. “Container” and “breakbulk” are not interchangeable for an over-height unit — the quote must say which.
- VIN and documents before the vessel sails. A VIN that appears only after departure is a red flag.
- Insurance named on the B/L. CIF includes insurance; ask for the certificate, not a promise.
Need the Same Truck Priced to Your Port?
We export used and new light trucks, cargo trucks and tractor heads from Tianjin and Shanghai to West Africa every month. More real shipments are listed on our export case studies page. Send us your destination port and required body type, and we will return the CIF number, the shipping dimensions and the earliest sailing. Contact us on WhatsApp +86 15717687720 or email [email protected].