How Atlantic Project Cargo synchronized, sanitized, and shipped an entire fleet of John Deere CP690 and CP770 cotton pickers from Tennessee to the Port of Paranaguá — fully MAPA-compliant, with every unit arriving together and zero delays.
Moving a single piece of massive agricultural machinery across the world involves standard logistical hurdles. Moving a fleet of CP690 and CP770 units simultaneously multiplies those hurdles exponentially — Brazil enforces some of the strictest agricultural import regulations globally, and risk multiplies with every additional unit on the manifest. The objective: full compliance with Brazilian import regulations, a predictable timeline so every machine arrived before planting season prep, and zero delays or rework at the destination port.
This case follows the export of a fleet of John Deere CP690 & CP770 cotton pickers from Tennessee, USA to the Port of Paranaguá, Brazil — combining synchronized inland transport, a dedicated in-house preparation facility in Savannah, Georgia, and strict MAPA phytosanitary compliance, executed via out-of-gauge flat rack ocean freight.
Note: unlike the JD 9650RT and Case IH cases, the source text gives no total day count for this project — only qualitative “no delay” and “synchronized” outcomes. Left unfilled below rather than invented.
Why fleet shipments succeed — or fail as a group.
Brazil’s MAPA phytosanitary rules are zero-tolerance — a few grams of foreign soil or plant material can trigger an immediate quarantine order.
Multi-unit shipments multiply risk: one unit failing inspection can delay the entire fleet.
A single in-house facility (Savannah) for disassembly, washing, and loading removes the coordination risk of fragmented third-party vendors.
A CP690 with header attached is 18.2 ft wide versus a 7.8 ft flat rack deck — header removal is mandatory, and the shipment remains out-of-gauge by design even after prep.
Receita Federal customs and IBAMA emissions rules sit on top of MAPA phytosanitary requirements — three overlapping jurisdictions, zero margin for error.
Brazilian terminal storage for out-of-gauge flat racks can exceed $250/day per unit — a 14-day delay across a 5-machine fleet would cost $17,500 in storage alone.
This case follows the export of a fleet of John Deere CP690 & CP770 cotton pickers from Tennessee, USA to the Port of Paranaguá, Brazil — where scale multiplies every point of failure.
One machine left dirty or under-prepped jeopardizes the whole fleet’s inspection and arrival timing.
All disassembly, washing, and loading handled under one roof in Savannah — consistent quality and timing across every unit.
Cotton lint and soil from one machine can re-contaminate an already-cleaned one, restarting the process and the clock.
Each unit cleaned separately with high-pressure hot water and specialized degreasers to full MAPA standard, then fumigated and certified.
Mismatched serial numbers, engine codes, or weights across even one unit’s paperwork stalls customs clearance for the whole shipment.
Full documentation per unit coordinated directly with Brazilian customs brokers before the vessel leaves Georgia, aligned to Receita Federal tariff classification.
Limited flat rack availability means unbooked space forces machines to sit at the port, accumulating fees — at scale, fast.
Vessel space and flat rack allocation booked ahead for the full fleet, with in-house prep speed controlled to never miss a cut-off date.
From synchronized farm pickups to fleet-wide delivery in Paranaguá.
Unlike the JD 9650RT and Case IH cases, the source material gives no day-by-day or total timeline figure for this project — only that coordination “meant no machine sat idle.” Durations are marked “not specified” rather than estimated.
Nothing improvised. Every step below was pre-planned and validated before execution began.
The project began with synchronized pickups from multiple locations in Tennessee. Route planning for oversized machinery required specific state permits and escort vehicles; transporting a CP770 (68,900 lbs) required specialized lowboy trailers. All transport routed directly to the Savannah facility for a controlled intake of all units, beginning parallel processing.
All work happened under one roof at the Savannah hub. No reliance on third parties meant faster turnaround and full control over quality and timing — a key differentiator when shipping multiple machines internationally, since a single facility handling disassembly, washing, and loading eliminates the friction of moving equipment between vendors.
Mechanics performed strategic disassembly — header removal and picker head lowering — to optimize the footprint and ensure consistency across the order. A CP690 with header attached is 18.2 ft wide (six-row, narrow) versus a roughly 7.8 ft-wide standard 40-foot flat rack bed. Removing and separately securing the headers reduced the machine body width to around 12 feet — still exceeding the deck width and remaining out-of-gauge by design, but with reduced overhang that lowers surcharges and simplifies vessel stowage.
Removing soil, cotton lint, and organic material was the most labor-intensive phase — opening access panels, removing belly pans, and deep-cleaning complex surfaces. Cotton lint is notoriously difficult to remove from hydraulic lines and cooling fans, and cross-contamination risk across multiple units is high. Dedicated, isolated wash bays kept equipment separated, using high-pressure hot water and specialized degreasers to meet MAPA requirements.
Following the wash, fumigation of all units neutralized any microscopic pests or pathogens. Compliance with Brazilian regulations dictated specific chemical applications and exposure times, with certificates issued immediately after treatment and integrated into the final documentation package to prove the cargo is sterile.
A full documentation package per unit had to be flawless. Coordination with Brazilian customs brokers ensured alignment with destination requirements before the vessel left Georgia, including exact tariff classification for advanced equipment systems under Receita Federal review.
Flat rack allocation for all units was secured well in advance. Loading, blocking, bracing, and lashing required certified riggers, with the exact center of gravity calculated for each CP770 to keep the load stable during ocean transit. Pre-shipment inspections verified all lashing points met maritime safety standards, with final shipment via the Port of Savannah on direct vessel routes to South America.
Whether it’s a single tractor or an entire fleet of cotton pickers, Atlantic Project Cargo manages synchronized, MAPA-compliant shipping to Brazil and across South America.
Every phase of the shipment and what happened in it — door to door. Durations are marked “not specified” where the source material didn’t give a figure, rather than estimated.
Total Timeline: Not specified in the source material — reported outcome is “synchronized delivery” with zero delays across the fleet, without a stated total day count.
All units arrived safely in Paranaguá. Every machine cleared Brazilian customs successfully, with no re-treatment orders, no quarantine delays, and no additional destination costs.
Full fleet arrived safely and synchronized in Paranaguá.
Every unit cleared Brazilian customs successfully, no re-treatment orders or quarantine delays.
No additional destination costs; potential $17,500+ storage-fee exposure avoided.
Synchronized delivery let the buyer deploy the entire fleet simultaneously.
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