Hydraulic excavator · Caterpillar
CAT 315: transport dimensions, weight and how it ships overseas
We load the CAT 315 in 1 × 40 ft high cube, from our own loading records. Shipped whole, it goes on a 40 ft flat rack (11 in / 0.29 m over width, 3 ft / 0.91 m over height), or RoRo where a lane serves your port.
- Transport length
- 24 ft 5 in / 7.44 m
- Transport width
- 8 ft 10 in / 2.69 m
- Transport height
- 9 ft 5 in / 2.86 m
- Weight
- 34,000 lb / 15,400 kg
CAT 315 transport drawing
Scroll sideways to read the drawing, or turn your phone.
1920 × 1240 px. Free to use with a link to this page.
Side elevation, end elevation against a 40 ft high-cube door opening, and plan, all at one scale from Caterpillar's published transport dimensions (AEXQ4105-00, checked October 2026). Red hatching marks what stands outside the door opening. Schematic; not for lifting or engineering.
CAT 315 transport specifications
| Specification | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Transport length | 24 ft 5 in / 7.44 m | boom, stick and bucket installed, transport position |
| Transport width | 8 ft 10 in / 2.69 m | over the tracks, 28 in (700 mm) shoes · 8 ft 2 in / 2.49 m with 20 in (500 mm) shoes |
| Transport height | 9 ft 5 in / 2.86 m | to the top of the machine |
| Height over the boom | 10 ft 6 in / 3.19 m | boom, stick and bucket installed |
| Weight | 34,000 lb / 15,400 kg | operating weight |
| Tail swing radius | 5 ft 2 in / 1.57 m | sets the clearance behind the swing centre on a flat rack |
| Track length | 12 ft 4 in / 3.75 m | |
| Track gauge | 6 ft 6 in / 1.99 m | |
| Upper frame width | 8 ft 2 in / 2.48 m | without the cab handrails |
| Ground clearance | 1 ft 5 in / 0.44 m | |
| Counterweight clearance | 2 ft 11 in / 0.88 m | underside of the counterweight to the ground |
| Machine type | Hydraulic excavator | |
| Configuration | Next Gen with reach boom, 9 ft 10 in (3.0 m) stick, 0.7 yd³ (0.53 m³) bucket, 28 in (700 mm) shoes and the 8,380 lb (3.8 t) counterweight. Height to the handrails; narrower shoes save width and weight. | |
Manufacturer documents
- Technical specifications (PDF, AEXQ4105-00)
- Product brochure (PDF, AEXQ4367-00)
- Caterpillar product page
Links and figures checked October 2026. Linked from the manufacturer; we do not host them.
Published figures for the configuration shown. Shoes, tyres, buckets, counterweights and options change them, so we confirm the dimensions on your machine before booking.
Every way to ship a CAT 315, best first
Loaded by Seaway
How we load the CAT 315
We have dismantled and loaded the CAT 315 for export before. It goes in 1 × 40 ft high cube.
- 1 × 40 ft high cube
- Loads with the standard preparation: fluids checked, battery isolated, machine cleaned and lashed.
From our dismantling and loading records, checked July 2026. Your machine's year, attachments and options can change the boxes; we confirm before booking.
Our loading records come first. The rest is worked out from the dimensions above against container, flat rack and RoRo limits; RoRo depends on a regular sailing to your port.
| # | Best method | Fit | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Our usual plan: 1 × 40 ft high cubeBest fit | From our loading records | Taken apart at the yard and loaded as in the plan above |
| 2 | 40 ft flat rack | Out-of-gauge | Ships assembled, blocked and lashed; out-of-gauge surcharge applies (11 in / 0.29 m over width, 3 ft / 0.91 m over height). |
| 3 | RoRo | Where a RoRo lane serves the destination | Drives on assembled where a RoRo lane serves the destination. |
| 4 | Breakbulk | Fits as is | Lifted aboard by crane as breakbulk; used when no flat rack or RoRo option suits the port. |
What goes in each box, by published component weight
1 × 40 ft high cube
33,400 lb / 15,150 kg
upper structure (less counterweight) *, undercarriage frame, track shoes and chains, counterweight, boom, boom cylinders, stick, and bucket
Component weights as published by Caterpillar (AEXQ4105-00); the survey confirms the pieces and the box each one goes in. Marked * : worked out from other published weights (the base machine less the parts listed separately). Another 550 lb / 250 kg of the operating weight is fuel and operator, which travel in no box.
Will it fit? Published configurations
Caterpillar publishes the transport dimensions for more than one configuration; pick yours and the verdict updates.
- Transport envelope
- 24 ft 5 in × 8 ft 10 in × 9 ft 5 in (7.44 × 2.69 × 2.86 m)34,000 lb (15,400 kg)
- Best fit
- 40 ft flat rackOut-of-gauge · 11 in / 0.29 m over width, 3 ft / 0.91 m over height
- 40 ft high-cube door
- 1 ft 2 in / 0.35 m over the door width, 11 in / 0.28 m over its heightAfter disassembly, across containers
Only configurations the manufacturer publishes; the survey at pickup confirms the figures before booking.
CAT 315 generations and how each has shipped
| Generation | Years (approx.) | How Seaway has loaded it |
|---|---|---|
| 315 / 315L (first series) | — | 1 × 40 ft high cube1 machine on record: CAT 315L |
| 315B / 315B L | — | 1 × 40 ft high cube1 machine on record: CAT 315B |
| 315C / 315C L | — | No record yet; measured at pickup and quoted both ways |
| 315D L | — | No record yet; measured at pickup and quoted both ways |
| 315F L CR | — | No record yet; measured at pickup and quoted both ways |
| 315 (Next Gen)current | — | No record yet; measured at pickup and quoted both ways |
Production years are approximate; the serial plate settles the generation, and transport dimensions differ a little between them.
Where machines like the CAT 315 go
NigeriaTransit 21-30 daysImport duty 5%HS 8429.52 · 2023
Form M must be opened through a Nigerian bank before the machine ships.
Quote to Nigeria
Saudi ArabiaTransit 18-25 daysImport duty 5%HS 8429.52 · 2023
Shipments need SABER conformity certificates arranged before arrival.
Quote to Saudi Arabia
AustraliaTransit 28-35 daysImport duty 0–5%HS 8429.52 · 2023
Strict biosecurity cleaning; dirty undercarriages are re-cleaned at the importer's cost.
Quote to Australia
ChileTransit 21-28 daysImport duty 6%HS 8429.52 · 2023
Quote to Chile
Duty rates (most-favoured-nation, averaged across the HS lines of the machine class): UNCTAD TRAINS via World Bank WITS: MFN applied tariff
Preparing a CAT 315 for export
- Tier 4 Final and Stage V engines need ultra-low-sulfur diesel (15 ppm or less) and DEF. Where only high-sulfur diesel is sold, the after-treatment clogs, so check fuel quality or source a lower-tier export machine.
- Telematics (such as Cat Product Link, Komtrax or JDLink) may stop working abroad; the dealer can transfer or end the subscription before export.
CAT 315 shipping questions
Does a CAT 315 fit in a shipping container?
Not in one piece: at 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) wide it is wider than a 40 ft high-cube door (7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m). Taken apart, it goes in 1 × 40 ft high cube, the plan from our loading records.
How much does a CAT 315 weigh for shipping?
Caterpillar lists the CAT 315 at 34,000 lb (15,400 kg) (operating weight); the bill of lading uses your machine's own weight.
What are the shipping dimensions of a CAT 315?
24 ft 5 in × 8 ft 10 in × 9 ft 5 in (7.44 × 2.69 × 2.86 m) (length × width × height) in transport position, from Caterpillar's published specifications for the CAT 315.
What has to come off a CAT 315 to ship it?
For 1 × 40 ft high cube: 1 × 40 ft high cube: upper structure (less counterweight), undercarriage frame, track shoes and chains, counterweight, boom, boom cylinders, stick, and bucket (33,400 lb / 15,150 kg). Our crew does the work, crates and labels the loose parts and documents everything for reassembly.
Can a CAT 315 ship RoRo?
Yes, where a RoRo lane serves your destination port. It drives on under its own power. RoRo from the U.S. reaches fewer countries than containers and flat racks, so we check your port first.