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Excavator Transport, Mini Through Mass Excavators

I have hauled excavators from 8,000 lb minis to 200,000 lb mass excavators that came apart in three pieces. Here is how each class moves, what trailer it belongs on, where the permit lines fall, and what to expect on cost. Then run yours through the checker and call me.

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8.5 ftWhere width permits start

80,000 lbWhere weight permits start

RGNTrailer for most 20 ton+

48States we cover

Excavator transport, nationwide

The Most Common Heavy Haul Load in America

More excavators move on lowboys than any other single machine. Every contractor, rental branch, dealer, and auction yard ships them constantly, and most of them are oversize. A 20 ton class machine is over legal width with the tracks on. A 35 ton class machine is overweight on anything but a multi-axle trailer. A 70 ton class machine is a planned move with escorts.

That makes excavator transport a good test of whether a broker knows what they are doing. The machine is familiar, the permits are routine, and the mistakes are all avoidable: wrong trailer, no plan for the boom, a pickup where the machine cannot be walked onto the deck, a route with a bridge that will not take the axle weights. This page is the version of the conversation I have with shippers before any of that goes wrong.

By the numbers

Excavator Dimensions and Weights by Class

Approximate shipping dims for common classes with the boom lowered and stick tucked. Actual numbers vary by model, counterweight, track width, and attachments. The columns that matter for permits are width, height, and weight.

Class	Examples	Weight	Width (tracks)	Travel height*	Verdict
Mini, 1 to 6 ton	CAT 305, Kubota KX080, Deere 60G	3,000 to 18,000 lb	4 to 7.5 ft	Under 13.5 ft	Legal. Flatbed, tilt, or step deck.
Midi, 7 to 10 ton	CAT 308, Komatsu PC88, Hitachi ZX85	16,000 to 22,000 lb	7.5 to 8.5 ft	Under 13.5 ft	Usually legal. Step deck.
14 to 16 ton	CAT 315, Komatsu PC138, Deere 135G	30,000 to 38,000 lb	8.2 to 8.6 ft	Around 13 ft on step deck	Legal or marginal width. Step deck or RGN.
20 to 25 ton	CAT 320, Komatsu PC210, Volvo EC220, Deere 210G	45,000 to 55,000 lb	9.5 to 10.5 ft	Around 12 ft on RGN	Over-width permit. RGN or 2-axle lowboy. No escort in most states.
30 to 38 ton	CAT 330/336, Komatsu PC290/360, Volvo EC350	65,000 to 85,000 lb	10.5 to 11.5 ft	12 to 13 ft on RGN	Over-width and overweight. 3-axle lowboy. Escort depends on state and route.
45 to 50 ton	CAT 349/352, Komatsu PC490, Hitachi ZX470	95,000 to 115,000 lb	11 to 12 ft	13 ft on RGN	Overweight, over-width, often over-height. 3+1 or 4-axle lowboy. Escorts likely on two-lane routes.
70 to 100 ton	CAT 374/395, Komatsu PC800/1250, Hitachi EX1200	150,000 to 250,000 lb	12 to 14 ft	13 to 15 ft	Superload range in many states. Multi-axle, often shipped in pieces: boom, stick, counterweight, tracks separate.

*Travel height is the machine's shipping height plus the deck. An RGN deck sits around 18 to 24 inches off the ground, a step deck around 36 to 42 inches, a flatbed around 58 to 62 inches. That is why a 13 ft machine is fine on an RGN and a permit problem on a step deck. The checker below does this math for you.

Equipment

Which Trailer an Excavator Rides On

Flatbed or tilt-deck. Minis and small midis. Cheap, plentiful, fast to book.
Step deck. Midis up through 16 ton class if the width is under 8 ft 6 in and the loaded height clears 13 ft 6 in. Ramps required for loading.
RGN (removable gooseneck). The standard for 20 ton class and up. The machine walks on from the front at deck height, the well keeps the travel height down, and a 2-axle RGN carries roughly 40,000 lb of payload legally, a 3-axle around 50,000 to 55,000 lb, with permits taking you higher.
Multi-axle lowboy (3+1, 4-axle, 5-axle and up). 35 ton class and up, where the axle weights need spreading to satisfy the bridge formula and state permit tables. A 3-axle lowboy with a jeep and stinger is a common setup for 45 to 50 ton machines.
Component shipping. 70 ton and up often ships in pieces: house and undercarriage on a multi-axle lowboy, boom and stick on a stretch step deck or flatbed, counterweight on a flatbed. Two or three trucks, but each permit is routine instead of one superload.

The wrong trailer is the most common excavator transport mistake. A 336 on a 2-axle RGN is overweight on the axles no matter what the permit says, and the scale house will find it.

Before pickup

Prepping an Excavator for Transport

Boom down, stick curled, bucket on the deck. Lowest profile, and the boom cylinders are not carrying the load in transit. Measure the height in this position, not the spec sheet's.
Know the track width. Many machines have adjustable or optional wide tracks. An extra foot of width can be the difference between a routine permit and an escort.
Attachments off if they add width or height. Thumbs, wide ditching buckets, and hammers can go on the deck beside the machine or on a second flatbed.
Fuel under half. Weight, and some carriers require it.
Loading site. The truck needs level, firm ground, room to back in, and swing room for the gooseneck. A machine that cannot be walked onto the trailer is a crane rental.
Tie-down points and chains. The driver secures it, but knowing where the factory tie-down points are saves time.

Pricing

What Excavator Transport Costs

Rates move with the market, the lane, and the season, so treat these as the shape of the answer rather than a quote.

Mini and midi on a flatbed or step deck: priced like flatbed freight, per mile with a minimum. Short regional moves are often a few hundred dollars; cross-country is priced by the mile.
20 to 30 ton on an RGN: a premium over flatbed for the specialized trailer plus the permit. Over-width permits are typically $15 to $150 per state.
35 to 50 ton on a multi-axle: multi-axle lowboys are scarcer and the rate reflects it. Add overweight permits, which scale with weight and miles in many states, and escorts where required, typically a few hundred dollars per day per pilot car.
70 ton and up: project pricing. Superload permits, route surveys, possibly bridge analysis, and multiple trucks if the machine ships in components.

What makes a quote accurate is the route. Permits and escorts are per state, curfews cost days, and a 50 ton machine from Portland to Phoenix is a different move from Portland to Denver even at similar mileage. That is why every Vector quote is built on the actual route.

Example: CAT 336, 11 ft wide, 12 ft 6 in travel height, 84,000 lb, Salem, OR to Reno, NV. Over-width and overweight permits in Oregon, California, and Nevada. 3-axle lowboy. Daylight-only travel, no escort on this route at this width. Two days. Permits in the low hundreds combined, escort cost zero.

Same machine, Salem to Los Angeles: California escort rules and metro curfews change the plan and the price.

Instant answer

Will Your Excavator Need Permits?

Punch in the piece you need moved. We will tell you whether it runs legal, what trailer it belongs on, and what to expect before you ever pick up the phone. Add origin and destination and we will map the route and break down permits state by state.

Your answer shows up here. Trailer match, permit outlook, and what it means for your timeline.

Estimates based on standard federal and state limits as of June 2026. States change fees and rules, and exact requirements depend on route and axle configuration, so check with your broker for current information. Permits, routing, and escorts are exactly the work we handle for you. Routing by OSRM, geocoding © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Questions we get

Frequently Asked

Does a 20 ton excavator need a permit to transport?

Almost always, for width. A CAT 320 class machine is roughly 9 feet 6 inches to 10 feet 6 inches wide over the tracks, which is over the 8 foot 6 inch legal limit in every state. On an RGN it is under legal weight and height, so it is a routine over-width permit with no escort on most routes.

What trailer do you use to haul an excavator?

Minis and small midis ride on a flatbed or step deck. 20 ton class and up ride on an RGN lowboy so the machine can walk on at deck height and the travel height stays low. 35 ton class and up need a multi-axle lowboy to spread the weight. Very large excavators ship in components.

How much does it cost to ship an excavator?

Small machines price like flatbed freight. Mid-size machines on an RGN carry a specialized-trailer premium plus permits of roughly $15 to $150 per state. Large machines add multi-axle trailers, overweight permits, and escorts. Route, season, and market set the final number, which is why we quote on the actual lane.

Can you transport an excavator with the bucket and thumb on?

Usually, as long as the attachments do not add width or height beyond what the permit covers. Wide ditching buckets and some thumbs come off and ride on the deck. We tell you before pickup.

Do you ship excavators cross-country?

Yes. Vector Logistics moves excavators in all 48 states as an agency of CRST, with CRST's asset-based capacity and cargo insurance behind every load. Cross-country moves are priced on the full route with permits for every state.

How long does excavator transport take?

Regional moves are typically one to two days. Cross-country is five to seven days for a permit load because oversize travel is daylight only in most states and curfews apply in metro areas. Superloads take longer and need lead time for permits.

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