Crane Transport
Rough-terrain, all-terrain and crawler cranes moved in one piece or as a planned set of loads, all 48 states
Quick answer
How are cranes transported?
It depends on the crane. Most all-terrain and rough-terrain cranes travel as one unit, sometimes with counterweights on a second truck. Lattice boom crawler cranes are broken down into many loads: the base, tracks, boom sections and counterweights each go on their own trailer. Every load over the legal size or weight needs its own permit in each state on the route.
Updated November 2026 by the Quickway Transports broker team (FMCSA MC# 1245224).
How cranes are transported
How a crane travels depends on its type. A rough-terrain crane such as a Grove RT765E-2 rides on an RGN as one load, about 10 ft 11 in wide and 89,000 lbs with its counterweight pinned on. An all-terrain crane such as a Liebherr LTM 1100-5.2 drives on public roads under its own power, with part of its counterweight left off. A crawler crane is taken apart and shipped as many loads.
Manitowoc's own load list for an MLC165-1 crawler crane with a 276 ft boom and 80 ft jib runs to 9 trailer loads: the 84,000 lb base unit, two crawlers, counterweights and boom sections. We book carriers for each load, sequence them so the crane can be assembled in order on site, and coordinate the permits each overweight or oversize piece needs.
FMCSA Licensed
Broker MC# 1245224
Rough-terrain cranes
One RGN load
Crawler cranes
9 loads for an MLC165-1
Free Quotes
Commercial shippers
Crane transport sizes and weights
Transport dimensions published by the crane makers. Crawler crane rows are the base unit only; crawlers, counterweights and boom sections ship on further trailers.
| Machine | Transport size (L x W x H) | Transport weight | On a 2 ft RGN deck | Over legal on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grove RT765E-2 | 44' 8" x 10' 11" x 11' 10" | 89,349 lbs | about 13' 10" tall | width, height, weight |
| Link-Belt 100|RT | 50' 7" x 10' 11" x 12' 7" | 88,450 lbs | about 14' 7" tall | width, height, weight |
| Tadano GR-1000XL-4 | 47' 2" x 10' 11" x 12' 6" | 92,210 lbs | about 14' 6" tall | width, height, weight |
| Liebherr LTM 1100-5.2 | 44' 9" x 9' 0" x 13' 1" | 132,277 lbs | drives on its own axles | width, axle weight |
| Manitowoc MLC165-1 | 34' 7" x 9' 10" x 10' 6" | 84,000 lbs | about 12' 6" tall | width, weight |
| Liebherr LR 1160.1 | 33' 10" x 9' 10" x 10' 5" | 77,162 lbs | about 12' 5" tall | width, weight |
OEM figures from each maker's spec sheet, brochure or operator's manual, checked October 2026, for one standard configuration. "Over legal" compares the machine on a 2 ft RGN deck with an 8 ft 6 in width limit, a 13 ft 6 in height limit and an 80,000 lbs gross limit, assuming a tractor and trailer weighing 35,000 to 45,000 lbs.
What crane transportation does each crane type need?
Rough-Terrain Cranes
Grove, Link-Belt and Tadano rough-terrain cranes ride on an RGN in travel configuration, with the jib, hook block and headache ball often loaded separately.
All-Terrain & Truck Cranes
Road-going cranes drive to the site under their own power on an overweight permit, with counterweight carried on support trucks when the axle limits require it.
Lattice Boom Crawler Cranes
Broken down into the base unit, crawlers, counterweights and boom sections, each on its own trailer with its own permit, then delivered in assembly order.
Tower Cranes
Mast sections, jibs, counter-jibs and climbing frames shipped as a coordinated set of dimensional loads for an installation.
Crane Transport Questions
Disassembly, load counts, cost and escorts for crane moves.
Does a crane need to be disassembled for transport?
How many truckloads does a crawler crane need?
How much does crane transport cost?
Do cranes need escorts in transport?
Can an all-terrain crane drive itself to the job?
Sources
We last checked the figures above against these official sources in November 2026. Before each move, the carrier's permit service confirms the rules in force that day.
Get a Crane Transport Quote
Free crane transport quote
Send the crane make, model and configuration, or the maker's transport plan, with both sites. We price each load and coordinate the carriers, permits and escorts.
Keep reading
- Heavy Equipment Transport →Which trailer, permits and preparation each kind of construction, farm, mining and industrial machine needs.
- Excavator Transport →RGN and lowboy moves for excavators, and which buckets, thumbs and counterweights come off before loading.
- Bulldozer Transport →Dozer moves from compact crawlers to mining-class machines like the Cat D11, with blade and ripper removal.
- Mining Equipment Transport →Haul trucks, loaders, drills and crushers, often shipped in pieces under superload permits to remote sites.
- Agricultural Equipment Transport →Combines, wide planters, sprayers and tractors, with header removal and harvest-season timing.
- Machinery Transport →CNC machines, presses, generators and plant relocations on flatbed, step-deck or RGN trailers.