When it comes to the transport of a whole excavator, it becomes even more daunting – specifically, dealing with international shipping and the necessary export/import procedures. Done poorly, you are likely to run into all kinds of delays, damage, and extra costs. So, proper planning is the key. Bottom line: Make sure the customer can figure out how to secure the equipment, knows they have options when it comes to modes of shipping, and knows what it’s going to cost to ship it wherever they need to.

Transporting excavators requires careful planning to ensure safe delivery. Key considerations include choosing the right transport method, understanding costs, and properly preparing your equipment. Whether you are shipping a mini or heavy-duty excavator, working with experienced transporters and following best practices will help you avoid delays and ensure safe arrival.

Now, let’s explore the best methods for transporting your excavator and the factors that influence shipping costs.

What are the Key Considerations When Transporting Excavators?

When it comes to transporting excavators, several critical factors must be considered to choose the best method:

Importance of Choosing the Right Method

The mode of transportation you choose can have a massive impact on the cost, time, and risk of your shipment. So, whether your shipping a small excavator or a 60-ton behemoth, to make the right decision, you need to understand the product’s shipping requirements and highlights in both modes of transportation.

Size and Weight of Excavator

Thus, sometimes it is advantageous to rent a machine when the need arises. There are rental companies for bulldozers, backhoes, motor graders, and large excavators. I recommend renting heavy machines for the first job, just before a job ends, or for work next month. If you have enough work to pay for heavy equipment, buy and maintain it. The ultimate goal should be the ownership of the equipment used on projects.

Destination and Accessibility

The delivery location not only affects the route, but it could also impact the logistics of the transport. For example, straying off the beaten path can make some equipment less practical or require extended planning and specialty equipment to pull off road transport in rocky, hilly, remote, or difficult-to-reach areas. Conversely, delivering to Las Vegas or Atlanta or Charlotte or a metropolitan area is often cake by comparison and doesn’t affect the delivery route one iota.

How to Transport Mini Excavators

Transporting mini excavators is easier, as they can be loaded on smaller trailers pulled by regular pick-up trucks. You have three primary options:

Best Methods for Transporting Mini Excavators

ading a mini excavator onto a flatbed truck is pretty simple and cost-effective and can usually be done with a forklift. So, oftentimes you can get a deal sending your machine on a flatbed truck in a container for short to medium distances. In many cases, a mini excavator can be loaded on a flatbed trailer with loading ramps, secured with chains or straps, and transported without much difficulty.

Advantages of Transporting Mini Excavators by Sea or Road

Mini excavators are small and lightweight enough that you can transport them via containers and on roll-on / roll-off boats and ships across the ocean. However, decades of experience have shown that the quickest, most flexible, most available road transport is always the flatbed.

How to Ensure Safe Transport of Small Excavators

While the movement of such lightweight equipment is relatively easy, always make sure it is cable-bound, banded, or otherwise staged so it cannot slide, shift, slip, or roll-off. If you’re shipping by sea, you can always put a weather-resistant tarp over the cabin and tracks for minimal protection against salt spray and the elements .

How to Transport Heavy Equipment like Excavators

Hey, you can move those pieces no problem all over the world. You can load them on an open trailer hauled behind a tractor, or on a lowboy or anything like that. Depending on the size of the machine, you may be able to take it apart and put it in a container and ship it that way.

Choosing the Right Transport for Heavy Excavators

Now if you’re going to deal with heavy excavators, well, that’s a problem. You’re going to have to get some serious mobility gear to work with something that heavy. You’ll more than likely use flatbed trailers, or perhaps you will put them on a lowboy. If you’re going to ship them overseas, a roll-on roll-off, or Ro-Ro ship is the best bet. All of them are wide, stable, and strong.

Road vs. Sea Transport

• Train Transport: Some countries, especially in Europe, have significant railways, which allow for a more ecological transport of heavy machinery. Devoted rail carriers are made especially for these types of loads, and if a project is particularly remote these prove to be very effective as a large section of most countries are covered with rail lines.
• Air Transport: Air transport is another possibility, although it is more expensive than sea transport. If a business has customers in urgent need, the cost may be worth it. However, it is not as easy to secure a plane to transport heavy equipment as it is to find a ship to transport it. In addition, the cost of insurance for aviation is significantly higher. For these reasons, transporting heavy machinery by air is not a common practice.

Challenges of Transporting Heavy Excavators

Heavy equipment, such as excavators, are subject to various regulations, especially when being transported on the road. Special permits are needed to haul oversize loads and sometimes road conditions can delay the shipping process. Also, the higher the weight of your machine, the more it may cost to transport.

How Much Does It Cost to Transport an Excavator?

Knowing the costs involved in shipping your excavator is important for budgeting purposes. There are a lot of variables when it comes to the cost, and each shipment will be priced based on several factors. It depends on the size, weight, distance, and mode of transportation. Shipping an excavator overseas is going to be more expensive than shipping one a state over because of the added complexity of international freight and customs clearance.

Factors Influencing Excavator Transport Costs

everal factors contribute to the cost of transporting an excavator which we’ll delve into further. Size/Weight – The dimension and weight of the excavator will impact the price to transport.

Size and Weight: Larger and heavier excavators require more space, specialized handling, and stronger equipment. This can result in higher shipping costs. For example, a mini excavator is far less expensive to transport than a 50-ton crawler excavator. Transporting large equipment might involve special permits, escorts, or other added services, which increase the overall cost.

Destination: The farther the destination, the higher the cost. If you’re shipping from one continent to another, the cost will be much higher than domestic transport. Additionally, if the destination is remote or hard to reach, the transport company may need to take extra steps (like additional trucking or air transport) to complete the delivery, which adds to the cost.

Type of Transport: The method of transport—whether by road, sea, or air—can dramatically change the price. Road transport may be cheaper for local shipments but expensive for long-distance deliveries. Sea transport is often more economical for international shipments, but this method may require more time and careful coordination with ports, customs, and unloading services.

Average Transport Costs for Mini and Heavy Excavators

The cost of transporting an excavator varies significantly based on its size, weight, and the type of transport selected.

Mini Excavators: Shipping costs for mini excavators (weighing less than 10 tons) can range from $500 to $2,000 depending on the distance and method used. For short distances (within the same country), road transport by flatbed trucks or trailers is typically the most cost-effective option. For international shipments, sea transport via container shipping or RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) ships is common.

Heavy Excavators: Larger excavators (weighing 20 tons or more) can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 or more to ship internationally. The cost depends largely on the type of transport (sea, air, or land) and the destination. For instance, road transport might cost around $3,000–$5,000 for shorter distances, whereas shipping via RoRo vessels for international routes could increase costs due to the logistics and port fees.

Best Practices for Preparing Your Excavator for International Transport

Preparing your excavator properly is vital to prevent damages during transport and ensure smooth customs clearance. Here’s how to get your equipment ready for international shipping.

Inspection and Maintenance Before Shipping

With excavators, always do an inspection before you transport to make sure it’s in good shape. Not only to make sure it’s good mechanical-wise, but also to find any issues before you transport it that could turn into a bigger issue.

• Check fluid levels: Ensure the fuel, hydraulic oil, and engine oil are at the correct levels.
• Inspect the undercarriage: This part of the machine is likely to be the most exposed during transport. Make sure nothing is hanging off the underside and inspect the tracks for any rocks or debris that could damage them. Check for signs of wear and tear in the undercarriage as well.
• Ensure it’s operational safe: Check to make sure all the internal and external parts are secure, and make sure nothing is loose and can move during transport.

Disassembling or Securing the Excavator

If necessary, secure and/or pad the boom, stick, and bucket. If you have a thumb, tiltrotator, or compactor, these items, of course, need to be secured. Once it’s backed onto the trailer, the tracks need to be secured.

• Disassembly: For large machines, an excavator may need to be disassembled to make the size smaller so it complies with legal size limitations and takes up less room on the road.
• Securing the Excavator: If an excavator does not need to be disassembled, it must now be secured. The key is to prevent the machine from moving or sliding around during transportation. Always use high-quality tie down straps, chains, and other approved tie downs to prevent the equipment from shifting.

Documentation and Customs Requirements

Relevant documentation is critical when it comes to transporting construction equipment. Particularly when shipping equipment overseas you want to ensure that you have all of your T’s crossed and I’s dotted, as having the proper documentation will make the customs clearance process go smoothly and avoid delays in getting your equipment to the job site. Here are some examples of documentation:

• Commercial Invoice: You need to declare the value of the excavator for customs
• Bills of Lading: These are a legal document that prove ownership of the excavator while being shipped
• Customs Declarations: Every country has its own customs requirements. So make sure you understand what’s required so you don’t run into delays or have your equipment held up in customs.

How to Choose the Right Transport Company for Excavators

Getting a good transport company is the key to getting your excavator delivered safely, on time, and within budget.

Factors to Look for in a Transport Company

When selecting the transport company to move a machine you want to make sure they have the following:

Experience in Heavy Equipment Transport: Make sure the company has a history of successfully hauling heavy machinery such as excavators. Do they have the right equipment to handle oversized loads? Do they understand how to move an oversized load through multiple states or across international lines without a bunch of red tape or fines?

Licensing and Insurance: Make sure they are licensed to transport international loads. What kind of insurance coverage do they offer? If they’re moving your excavator on a boat, what happens if it ends up at the bottom of the ocean, due to the negligence of their employees?

Customer Reviews and Testimonials: Do some digging to find out what past customers say. Are they reliable? Do they do what they say they will? Are there any horror stories about delays, damage, or other problems during transport?

What Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Transporter

To ensure you’re hiring the best transport provider for your needs, ask the following questions:

• Have you shipped an excavator internationally before, and can your company handle heavy equipment?
• What types of insurance do you offer to transport my excavator?
• What is your delivery timeline, and how do you handle any delays in delivery?
• Can you provide a detailed cost estimate, including all potential fees?

Why Working with Specialized Heavy Equipment Transporters is Crucial

Of course, it does cost more to hire a specialized transporter. They have to keep their large trailers, pay for oversized permits, manage customs, and make sure everything is compliant. If your excavator has to wait for a permit at the border, it’s not only expensive, but you could have more work or contracts lined up and waiting for that machine. Why complicate things? The decision is easy.

Save money and use your general transport company, but with a great big expensive piece like an excavator, you’re having to ship it that far, you don’t want to take chances. You want to make sure everything is done right—especially all those logistics, the customs on both sides, and the permits. Let’s say the company says they can run it without a permit, and they cross the border. If you or your operator get stopped, you can be fined. You want to use a company that’s totally on the up and up. You want to make sure everything is legal and everything is taken care of because it costs too much money for it not to be done right.

experienced engine or finished goods hauler if you buy an excavator in Oregon, and you need it in Texas, these companies are usually free to give you a quote to bring your machine to you. By having a freeway entrepreneur or hauler who’s good at it and has the equipment necessary to keep your transport needs handled properly and safely, then you can concentrate on all the other aspects of your business instead of worrying about how to off and on-load your attachment three times on the way from New Jersey to your jobsite.

Conclusion

Transporting an excavator internationally, particularly to a country where excavators are less readily available, can require a lot of planning and the best way to transport. By considering these things as well as the actual size of the excavator, weight, and budget before you buy, you will have a smoother shipping process. Whether it is a mini, midi, or large excavator, make sure to buy from good people, use experienced transporters, and prepare your equipment correctly to get it to its final destination untouched and safe.

If you are ready to start the process and get your equipment where it’s needed, reach out to a trusted company today for a custom quote to move your excavator ASAP.Our company HIXEN specializes in all kinds of second-hand construction machinery and has 15 years of experience. When purchasing second-hand machinery from our company, you don’t have to worry about transportation problems. We can help you solve all problems and deliver the machine to you safely.