Heavy Equipment Transport

Heavy equipment transport moves construction, agricultural and industrial machinery by road — excavators, dozers, loaders, backhoes, forklifts, pavers, compactors, tractors, cranes and everything adjacent.

It is a different business from moving cars. The equipment class, the permits, the route survey and the loading method are all decided by the machine's dimensions, and getting those wrong is what turns a scheduled delivery into a machine sitting on a lowboy at a weigh station.

Genius Auto Trans is a licensed and bonded property broker — USDOT 3674601, MC 1274912, Broker Property, ACTIVE with the FMCSA. We do not own trucks or trailers. We source from a vetted network of more than 10,000 carriers, including heavy-haul operators.

Four numbers decide the trailer

Give us these and the equipment question answers itself. Guess at them and the quote is fiction.

Transport height. The single most consequential number, and the one most people overlook in favour of weight. Height determines whether the machine can travel on a step-deck or has to drop into the well of a lowboy or RGN — and once you are into permitted height, route planning and permit cost follow.

Weight. Operating weight, not shipping weight from a brochure. Attachments, counterweights, fuel and ballast all count.

Width. Tracks, blades, buckets and dual wheels push width out fast. Width is the usual trigger for an oversize permit.

Length. Including boom, arm or attachment position. Much of the length on an excavator is in where the boom sits, which is often adjustable.

Also tell us: does it drive or roll under its own power, does it track or wheel, and can attachments come off. Removing a blade or bucket frequently drops a load out of permit territory entirely.

Trailer classes

Flatbed. Smaller and lower machines — skid steers, compact equipment, attachments. Cheapest and most available.

Step-deck (drop deck). A lower rear deck buys height over a flatbed. The workhorse for mid-size machinery.

Lowboy. A dropped well between the gooseneck and the rear axles, giving the lowest deck height available. For tall machines that will not clear on a step-deck.

RGN (removable gooseneck). A lowboy whose gooseneck detaches so the trailer becomes a ramp, and the machine drives on at ground level. Where there is no dock or ramp, this is often the only way to load. More expensive and a smaller pool.

Multi-axle and extendable. For very heavy or very long loads, spreading weight across more axles to stay within per-axle limits.

We tell you which class your machine needs based on your four numbers. We have no equipment of our own to steer you toward.

Permitted and oversize loads

When a machine exceeds legal limits for height, width, weight or length, the move needs permits, and often a specific routed path and escort or pilot vehicles. Limits differ by state, and a multi-state move can mean several sets of requirements on one trip.

Two things worth being straight about:

Thresholds are state-specific and we will not quote you a general figure. What is routine in one state is permitted in the next. We confirm what your actual route requires rather than repeating a number off a competitor's page.

We are a broker, and permitting is executed by the carrier. Several companies on this search advertise permits, pilot cars and load assistance as their own in-house services. We coordinate with the assigned heavy-haul carrier on what a permitted move requires, and we will tell you plainly at quote stage what is included and what is not, rather than implying a capability we do not directly supply.

What we do not do

• No Canada or Mexico, and no cross-border moves
• No port-to-port or international shipping
• No rail or barge intermodal
• No Alaska or Hawaii

We arrange road transport within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC. Two competitors on this search advertise all fifty states plus international; we do not, and would rather say so before you request a quote.

What heavy equipment transport costs

No rate card and no per-mile figure. What drives your quote:

• Trailer class required — flatbed to RGN is a wide price range
• Permits — whether the load needs them, and how many jurisdictions
• Escort or pilot vehicles — where the permit requires them
• Weight and axle configuration — heavier loads need more axles
• Loading and unloading method — drive-on, ramp, dock or crane
• Site access at both ends — job sites, yards and quarries vary enormously, and a machine that cannot be reached cannot be loaded
• Distance and corridor — heavy-haul carriers are a much smaller pool than car carriers
• Whether the machine runs — a non-running machine needs winching or lifting

Cost detail: FAQ — Cost & Pricing.

What we move

Excavators and mini excavators · Bulldozers · Wheel and track loaders · Backhoe loaders · Skid steers · Forklifts and telehandlers · Graders · Scrapers · Compactors and rollers · Pavers · Cranes and boom lifts · Trenchers · Agricultural tractors and implements · Combines · Generators and industrial plant · Attachments and buckets

If it does not appear here, ask. The four numbers matter more than the category.

Preparing a machine for transport

• Clean it. Mud and debris fall off at highway speed and you cannot document condition through dirt.
• Secure or remove attachments. Buckets, blades, forks. This is often where permit savings come from.
• Lower and secure booms and arms, and lock out hydraulics.
• Top up nothing. Minimal fuel reduces weight.
• Disconnect the battery where the carrier asks.
• Note leaks and defects honestly at quote stage.
• Photograph it thoroughly, dated, from every angle including undercarriage where possible.
• Confirm site access at both ends — ground conditions, overhead clearance, gate widths, and whether a loaded lowboy can physically get in and out.

More: FAQ — Vehicle Preparation · FAQ — Vehicle Types & Conditions

Insurance

We are a licensed and bonded broker, not the carrier. Every carrier we assign is required to hold active cargo insurance, and we will provide that carrier's certificate on request.

On machinery, request the certificate and check the limit against the machine's actual replacement value before it moves. More: FAQ — Carriers, Insurance & Safety.

Who ships equipment

• Contractors moving plant between job sites
• Equipment dealers and rental fleets — see the car dealer discount
• Auction buyers and sellers moving lots
• Farms and agricultural operations moving tractors and implements seasonally
• Municipalities and government agencies — see the government agents discount
• Industrial and plant relocations

Where we ship

The 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC. Alaska and Hawaii are not served.

Heavy Equipment Transport Texas · Heavy Equipment Transport Houston

Locations Hub · Routes Hub · Services Hub

Also arranged: Boat Transport · RV Transport · Motorcycle Transport

Frequently asked questions

How do you transport heavy equipment? On a flatbed, step-deck, lowboy or RGN trailer depending on the machine's height, weight, width and length. The machine drives or is winched on, is secured to the deck, and travels on a route cleared for its dimensions. Oversize loads need permits.

What trailer does my machine need? Height usually decides it. A low machine goes on a flatbed; a taller one needs the lower deck of a step-deck; taller still means a lowboy or RGN well. Give us height, weight, width and length and we will tell you.

What is a lowboy trailer? A trailer with a dropped well between the gooseneck and the rear axles, giving a much lower deck height than a flatbed. That extra clearance is what lets a tall machine travel legally.

What is an RGN and when do I need one? A removable gooseneck lowboy. The front detaches so the trailer forms a ramp and the machine drives on at ground level. You need one when the machine is tall and there is no dock or ramp to load from.

How do you transport a forklift? Smaller forklifts go on a flatbed or step-deck and usually drive on under their own power. Larger telehandlers may need a lowboy on height. Mast height is the number that decides it, so measure it as it will travel.

How do you transport a crane? Usually in parts. Boom sections, counterweights and the carrier itself often travel as separate permitted loads. Tell us the model and configuration and we will scope it properly rather than quoting it as one movement.

Does my load need a permit? It depends on your dimensions and the states on your route, and the thresholds genuinely differ between them. We confirm what your specific route requires at quote stage instead of quoting a general limit.

How much does it cost to ship a tractor? It depends on the trailer class, whether the load is permitted, the corridor and site access at both ends. An agricultural tractor with the wheels set wide can be an oversize load on width alone, which changes the figure considerably.

Can you move a machine that does not run? Yes. It needs winching or lifting onto the trailer, which is a narrower pool of carriers and a different price. Tell us at quote stage whether it rolls or tracks freely.

Are oversized loads more expensive? Yes, and not only for the permits. They need specific equipment, sometimes escorts, restricted routes and occasionally travel only in daylight or outside peak hours. All of that is time as well as money.

Do you handle permits and pilot cars? Permitting on a heavy-haul move is executed by the assigned carrier. We coordinate it and tell you exactly what your move requires and what is included before you book. We do not present it as an in-house service we supply ourselves.

Do you ship equipment to Canada or overseas? No. Road transport within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC only.

More answers: Car Shipping FAQs · FAQ — Specialty Transport

Have your four numbers ready? Call (800) 780-1113 — answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Related pages

• Car Shipping (core hub)