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When is an excavator too big to ship?

cderekbower · 2009-04-22 02:28

I have a job that can best be done by a large excavator, however I will have to ship it from the USA to Belize (Central America), and possibly ship it back if I want to sell it. What I want is the largest possible excavator for straight forward shipping. Folks have been telling me a Cat 320 D can do the job of pushing over thousands of trees about 18" in diameter. Is this machine easy to ship do you think, or is my Belize hauler going to have to load it sideways and take up both lanes on the road? If the excavator is shipped by sea from Florida (a cheap option) will a Cat 320 present a shipping problem? I don't think it will fit in a shipping container. If an excavator is small enough to fit in a container, how big are the trees that it can comfortably push over? I anticipate that my shipping costs will jump significantly at some point. Ideally I hope to stay under that point.

Replies8
  1. #1joispoi2009-04-22 03:26

    Talk to your shipping company. Excavators don´t go in shipping containers. They get hoisted directly onto the deck of the ship. You can ship anything provided there´s a crane that can lift it off at the destination port.

  2. #2cderekbower2009-04-22 05:47

    I checked container widths... 7' 8''. Ha! way too small for my needs.

  3. #3CM19952009-04-22 08:14

    Look for a shipper that has "roll-on roll-off" service like this one - http://www.carexshipping.com/international-shipping-services.html . I have checked on shipping rates for a friend in Costa Rica for backhoes and other smaller equipment and the going rates from Jacksonville or Mobile to Limon CR was in the $2500 range, roll-on and roll-off. Of course taxes and port fees are not included. How much is the import tax in Belize for construction equipment? In Costa Rica it's 13% import tax on equipment and absolutely ridiculous import taxes on cars. Plus any "expediting" charges you pay directly - in cash, to the customs officer that signs your goods out.:cool2 On edit this is the site I was looking for earlier - http://www.freight-calculator.com/Car-RO/carocr.asp

  4. #4JoeS19892009-04-22 14:39

    IVe seen 385's fully assembled being shipped on the ocean

  5. #5cps2009-04-22 16:22

    Found these on the net being shipped!

  6. #6roddyo2009-04-22 20:11

    Roll on Roll off Transport Sefco is another one the check with. They will measure the Height X Width X length plus weight for pricing. On a big machine it MIGHT be cheaper to ship the Boom and Stick in a seperate container. There used to be a Ferry than ran out of Mississippi either Bi'weekly or Monthly and Hit every major port in Central America. If you have any Questions send me a PM.

  7. #7RMB2009-04-22 20:20

    wow very nice pics! , I had bought lot of machines and never see how the load it tnx

  8. #8BrianHay2009-04-22 20:39

    My machine fits in a shipping container and will easily push over 18" trees.