Excavator Transport and Hauling
Mini, standard and large excavators moved on step deck, RGN and lowboy trailers in all 48 states
Quick answer
What trailer does an excavator need?
Most full-size excavators ride on an RGN or lowboy, which keeps the cab and folded boom under the 13 ft 6 in to 14 ft height limit. Mini and compact excavators fit on a flatbed or step deck. Taking off the bucket, thumb or counterweight can bring a machine under the 8 ft 6 in width limit or within the weight the trailer can carry.
Updated November 2026 by the Quickway Transports broker team (FMCSA MC# 1245224).
What decides how an excavator moves
Size decides almost everything. A Cat 308 CR mini excavator is 7 ft 7 in wide and about 20,800 lbs, small enough for a step deck at legal size. A Cat 320 is already 10 ft 5 in wide and 49,800 lbs, so it needs a width permit and, with a typical truck and RGN, an overweight permit. A Cat 336 at 81,100 lbs is a permitted load on any trailer.
The largest machines come apart: Cat's 395 is 207,400 lbs and 17 ft 8 in tall with its boom and stick on, so the counterweight and front linkage usually travel on separate trucks. We book carriers with the right RGN or lowboy, ask what can come off before we price, and coordinate the permits and escorts with the carrier.
FMCSA Licensed
Broker MC# 1245224
Mini to 395 class
OEM sizes for 11 models
Step deck to RGN
Matched to the machine
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Commercial shippers
Excavator transport dimensions and weights
Transport sizes from Caterpillar, Komatsu, John Deere and Volvo in the standard shipping configuration. Width is usually the first permit trigger, then weight.
| Machine | Transport size (L x W x H) | Transport weight | On a 2 ft RGN deck | Over legal on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caterpillar 305 CR | 17' 6" x 6' 6" x 8' 4" | 12,688 lbs | about 10' 4" tall | none at legal size |
| Caterpillar 308 CR | 22' 7" x 7' 7" x 8' 4" | 20,771 lbs | about 10' 4" tall | none at legal size |
| Caterpillar 320 | 31' 3" x 10' 5" x 10' 4" | 49,800 lbs | about 12' 4" tall | width, weight |
| Komatsu PC220LC-12 | 31' 9" x 10' 5" x 10' 0" | 54,013 lbs (operating) | about 12' 0" tall | width, weight |
| Volvo EC230 | 31' 10" x 9' 10" x 9' 11" | 51,588 lbs (operating) | about 12' 0" tall | width, weight |
| Caterpillar 336 | 36' 8" x 11' 9" x 12' 0" | 81,100 lbs | about 14' 0" tall | width, height, weight |
| Komatsu PC360LC-11 | 36' 7" x 11' 3" x 10' 9" | 80,488 lbs (operating) | about 12' 9" tall | width, weight |
| John Deere 350 P-Tier | 37' 0" x 11' 1" x 11' 10" | 80,985 lbs (operating) | about 13' 10" tall | width, height, weight |
| Caterpillar 349 | 39' 1" x 11' 7" x 12' 1" | 105,200 lbs | about 14' 1" tall | width, height, weight |
| Komatsu PC490LC-11 | 39' 2" x 11' 11" x 11' 11" | 107,850 lbs (operating) | about 13' 11" tall | width, height, weight |
| Caterpillar 395 | 49' 6" x 12' 9" x 17' 8" | 207,400 lbs | about 19' 8" tall | width, height, 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.
Excavators We Arrange Transport For
Mini & Compact Excavators
Machines like the Cat 305 CR and 308 CR, under about 8 ft wide and 21,000 lbs, which ride on a step deck or flatbed at legal size.
Standard Excavators (20 to 40 tons)
The Cat 320 to 336 and Komatsu PC220 to PC360 classes, 10 to 12 ft wide, which move on an RGN under width and overweight permits.
Large Excavators (40 to 100 tons)
Machines like the Cat 349 and Komatsu PC490LC-11 on multi-axle RGNs; the counterweight sometimes comes off to bring the weight down.
Mining Excavators
Cat 395 class and larger, shipped with the counterweight and front linkage on separate trucks, and ultra-class machines broken down into many loads.
Excavator Transport Questions
How much does excavator transport cost?
How tall is an excavator on the trailer?
Do I need to remove the bucket before transport?
How do you tie down an excavator for transport?
Can you transport a Cat 336 or Komatsu PC360?
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 an Excavator Transport Quote
Free excavator transport quote
Provide your excavator details and we respond with pricing. We match the excavator to an RGN or lowboy carrier and coordinate permits and pilot cars for the route.
Keep reading
- RGN Transport →Removable gooseneck and lowboy trailers for machines that drive on, from mid-size excavators to mining dozers.
- Excavator Weight Chart →Operating weights for 11 excavators from the Cat 305 CR to the 395, size classes, and which ones need overweight permits.
- Heavy Equipment Transport →Which trailer, permits and preparation each kind of construction, farm, mining and industrial machine needs.
- Bulldozer Transport →Dozer moves from compact crawlers to mining-class machines like the Cat D11, with blade and ripper removal.
- Crane Transport →Cranes moved in travel configuration or broken down into several loads, with superload permits where needed.
- Mining Equipment Transport →Haul trucks, loaders, drills and crushers, often shipped in pieces under superload permits to remote sites.