Ask three carriers “how much to ship an excavator?” and you will get three different guesses. Send them the length, width, height, weight and loading method, and you will get three real quotes. Open-deck and heavy-haul pricing is built on dimensions, because dimensions decide the trailer, the route and whether the load needs permits.
Why a few inches matter
An oversize permit is issued for specific dimensions. If the load on the deck is taller, wider or heavier than the permit says, the permit does not cover it — and a load stopped at a scale or an inspection with the wrong numbers can be held until it is put right. Getting the numbers right before booking costs nothing. Getting them wrong after pickup costs time and money.
Measure in the travel position
Measure the load the way it will ride on the trailer: boom lowered, bucket curled, blade down, mirrors folded, anything removable removed. Then:
Length
From the very front to the very back — including the bucket, blade, ripper, forks or anything else that sticks out.
Width
At the widest point. On equipment that is usually the tracks or tires, but check steps, mirrors, blades and fenders. 8 ft 6 in is the line between a legal load and an oversize one.
Height
From the ground (or the bottom of the skid) to the highest point: the cab, the roll-over protective structure, the exhaust stack, the boom. Measure to the top of whatever is highest, not the top of the cab.
Weight
For equipment, the operating weight from the spec plate, the operator’s manual or the manufacturer’s brochure — plus anything shipping with it: a second bucket, a thumb, a hammer, a counterweight. For other freight, a scale ticket or the weight on the bill of lading.
How it loads, at both ends
The trailer and the equipment at pickup and delivery have to agree:
- Does it run? Running equipment drives onto an RGN. Equipment that does not run needs a winch, a forklift or a crane — arranged ahead.
- What is on site? A forklift (and its capacity), a crane, a loading dock, or nothing at all.
- Tie-down points. Where the machine is designed to be chained. Most equipment has them marked.
- Access. Can a long truck and trailer get in, turn and get out? Gates, soft ground, overhead lines and tight corners all matter.
Photos help most
Four sides of the load, the data plate, the tie-down points, and the pickup spot if access is tight. Photos answer questions nobody thought to ask. You can text them straight to our number.
The quote checklist
| What | Example |
|---|---|
| Pickup | Fresno, CA 93725 |
| Delivery | Mississauga, ON L5T |
| What it is | Tracked excavator, make and model |
| Dimensions (L × W × H) | 31 ft × 10 ft 6 in × 10 ft 2 in |
| Weight | 48,500 lb with bucket |
| Loading | Runs — drives on and off |
| Ready | From the 14th |
The example is illustrative; send your own load’s numbers. Our quote form asks for exactly these, in this order — or send them by text and we will work from there.