Shipping heavy equipment involves nine decisions, handled in order: (1) identify the machine, (2) measure it, (3) record whether it runs, (4) pick the trailer, (5) check the route, (6) pull permits, (7) vet and dispatch the carrier, (8) track the transit, (9) and inspect at delivery. The machine’s measured width, height, and weight drive almost every later decision. Mileage comes last.
What to Measure Before You Ship Heavy Equipment
Start with the machine’s transport dimensions, not the cost per mile. Those dimensions determine the trailer. The machine’s height plus the trailer deck height determines the loaded height, which affects the route and permits. You can’t price the mileage until those details are settled.
Describe the machine accurately. Heavy Equipment Shipper asks for the same details on every quote:
- Year, make, and model
- Measured transport length, width, and height
- Approximate operating weight
- Whether it runs, rolls, steers, and brakes
- Anything attached to it and anything coming off it
- Pickup and delivery ZIP codes
- The date you need it there, and whether that date can flex
Photos can answer questions that measurements alone cannot. A picture of the machine where it sits helps us assess the ground and gate conditions.
The Nine Steps in a Heavy Equipment Shipment, in Order
- Identify the machine. The year, make, and model lead to the manufacturer’s published specs, but those specs are only a starting point. Whatever is bolted to your machine now is what’s actually moving.
- Verify transport dimensions. Measure the machine’s highest and widest points rather than relying on a spec sheet. Transport dimensions determine the trailer, permits, and route.
- Record operating condition. A machine that starts and drives can load quickly. A machine that doesn’t run needs a winch. Locked brakes or no steering require more than a winch.
- Select the trailer. Deck height determines the total load height. The same machine can be a legal-size load on one trailer and need a height permit on another because the trailer deck is part of the load height.
- Check the route. Bridges, underpasses, weight-restricted roads, and construction shape the route. We also confirm site access at both ends because a lowboy needs room to enter and turn around.
- Coordinate permits. Each state issues its oversize permit on its own schedule. A route that crosses four states can involve four permit schedules, and many states restrict when an oversize load can travel.
- Dispatch the carrier. Before assigning a carrier, we check its operating authority, confirm its cargo insurance is active, and verify its experience with machines like yours. We perform these checks on every load.
- Track the transit. You should know where your machine is and who to call. Weather, driver hours, and state travel-hour rules for oversize loads can affect the schedule.
- Inspect at delivery. Walk around the machine with the driver, compare its condition with the pickup photos, and note any differences on the paperwork before the truck leaves. That record supports a claim if you ever need to file one.
Get a Plan Built Around Your Machine
Legal-Size or Oversize Load? How to Tell Which You Have
Width has a single federal standard on the National Network. FHWA holds every state to the same 102-inch limit on the National Network, so 8 feet 6 inches means the same thing in Georgia as it does in Oregon.
Height works differently. No federal limit exists, so every state sets its own, commonly from 13 feet 6 inches up to 14 feet 6 inches. The legal height depends on the states along the route, not only the machine. Length is similar, with no federal limit on most tractor-semitrailer combinations using the National Network.
| Limit or requirement | Legal size | Oversize |
| Width | 102 inches (8 ft 6 in) or under | Anything wider |
| Height | Under the limit in every state on the route | Over the limit in any single state on the route |
| Weight | Within 80,000 lbs gross and the axle limits | Over gross or axle limits, or over a bridge rating |
| Permits | None | One per state, each on its own schedule |
| Escorts | None | Possible, depending on the state and the dimensions |
| When it can travel | Normal hours | Often daylight only, with weekend and holiday restrictions |
| Carrier pool | Wide | Narrower because the transport equipment is specialized |
| Lead time | Shorter | Longer because permits must be in place before pickup |
*Width and weight figures are the federal standards for the National Network. Each state sets its own height and escort thresholds, so the route determines which limits apply.
An oversize classification changes more than the price. It requires a permit application in every state on the route and narrows the carrier pool. Many states also prohibit an oversize load from traveling at night or over a holiday weekend. Send us the dimensions and the two addresses, and we’ll confirm whether the load is legal size or oversize.
Flatbed, Step Deck, Lowboy, or RGN: Which Trailer Does Your Machine Need?
Loaded height is usually the main factor in trailer choice, though weight still matters. The machine’s height plus the trailer deck height must clear the bridges on the route. The same machine can be a legal-size load on one trailer and need a height permit on another.
| Trailer type | Loaded deck height | What it’s for | How the machine gets on |
| Flatbed | Highest deck of the four | Legal-size machines with height to spare | Driven or lifted onto the trailer |
| Step deck | Around 40 inches at the rear on published models | Machines too tall for a flatbed but within the legal width | Driven on with ramps or winched |
| Lowboy (double drop) | Roughly 14 to 20 inches on published lowbed models | The tallest and heaviest machines | Winched or driven into the deck well |
| RGN (removable gooseneck) | Roughly 20 to 26 inches on published gooseneck models | Tall, heavy machines that need to drive on at the front | The gooseneck detaches to form a ramp |
*The listed deck heights come from current manufacturer spec sheets for specific models. They vary by model and axle configuration, so use them for comparison rather than as fixed figures.
You don’t need to choose the trailer yourself. Send us the machine’s height and weight, and we’ll match it to the right deck. If a step deck clears the same bridges, there’s no reason to pay for a lowboy.
How a Non-Running Machine Gets Loaded
A machine that runs and drives can load quickly. Any other condition needs a different plan before we dispatch the driver, not after the driver reaches your yard.
| Machine condition | How the machine loads | Information we need |
| Runs and drives | Drives on under its own power | Confirm that it steers and brakes normally |
| Runs, won’t drive | Winched on, engine running for hydraulics | Whether the machine rolls freely |
| Dead but rolls | Winched on with the trailer’s winch | Whether the brakes release |
| Dead, brakes locked | Manual brake release or a crane | Whether someone on-site knows the release procedure |
| Missing parts or seized | Crane or forklift | Weight, lift points, and missing parts |
Many machines use spring-applied brakes that release with hydraulic pressure, so a dead engine leaves the brakes locked. There’s a manual release procedure, and someone needs to know it before load day. If you’re unsure of the machine’s condition, tell us so we can plan for it.
How to Vet a Heavy Equipment Shipping Company Before You Book
Before you book, verify the company’s operating authority, business role, cargo coverage, and quote terms. The following questions help you compare specific answers.
Look up the company’s operating authority
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration offers a free lookup called the Company Snapshot. Search by USDOT number, MC number, or company name. FMCSA states that the tool returns a company’s identification, size, and safety record, including a safety rating if one exists. It also provides roadside out-of-service inspection results and crash information. Ask for the USDOT number, run the search, and compare the result with what the company told you.
Ask whether the company is a broker or a carrier
A carrier owns trucks and hauls the freight. A broker arranges the move with carriers it sources and vets. Both are legitimate. A broker’s reach is often useful for an unusual machine or a thin lane. Look for a company that clearly states whether it is acting as a carrier or a broker.
Brokers also have a financial requirement: federal regulation states that a broker must have a surety bond or trust fund of $75,000 in effect. Heavy Equipment Shipper sources and vets carriers from a nationwide network rather than operating its own fleet, and we’ll explain our authorization whenever you ask.
Ask specifically about cargo insurance
Public liability coverage and cargo coverage serve different purposes. Public liability under 49 CFR 387.303(b) covers bodily injury and property damage the truck causes to other people. It doesn’t cover your machine. Cargo coverage pays if your machine is damaged. The federal cargo minimums in 49 CFR 387.303(c) apply to household goods carriers, not general freight carriers hauling equipment.
A company can be fully compliant without telling you anything about coverage for your machine. Ask for a certificate of insurance that shows the cargo limit in dollars. Check that the limit exceeds the machine’s value. Heavy Equipment Shipper confirms that the assigned carrier’s coverage is active before the load goes out, and we’ll provide the paperwork if you want to review it.
Ask what the quote leaves out
Similar-looking quotes often have different exclusions. Before comparing prices, ask each company the same six questions.
| Questions to ask the shipping company | What a useful answer includes |
| Are permits and escorts included or billed separately? | A specific answer that names the states on your route |
| What’s the deposit, and when is the balance due? | Written terms provided before booking |
| What happens if the machine can’t be loaded on arrival? | The specific charge and what triggers it |
| Who do I call while it’s in transit? | A named contact, not a general inbox |
| How do I file a claim, and what’s the deadline? | A written procedure and a time limit |
| Have you moved this type of machine before? | Specific details about the machine, not general claims about the company |
Someone who has hauled your type of machine can discuss its widest point and loading method. Someone who hasn’t may give a general answer about the company.
How Heavy Equipment Gets Secured on the Trailer
Federal securement rules for equipment are specific. 49 CFR 393.130 sets securement rules for heavy vehicles, equipment, and machinery that operate on wheels or tracks and weigh 10,000 pounds or more. The rule requires at least four tiedowns to restrain the machine in every direction. It also requires the carrier to lower and completely secure accessory equipment such as hydraulic shovels and to restrain articulated machines so they can’t articulate in transit.
On the trailer deck, the bucket comes down, the boom is stowed and chained, and an articulated machine is locked so it can’t fold in transit. If an attachment is still raised as the load goes on, say something. Most drivers will have handled it already.
What to Send Us to Start a Heavy Equipment Quote
You don’t need to settle all nine decisions before you call. Send the year, make, and model, any dimensions you have, the two locations, and your dates. We move machines across town, across the state, and across the country. We confirm the details before pickup.
If you’re still working out the dimensions, see how to measure a machine for transport. If you’re pricing a move, read what sets heavy equipment shipping rates for the full list of cost factors.
