Hydraulic excavator · Caterpillar
How to ship a CAT 320 overseas
From our loading records for the CAT 320BL, the CAT 320 usually goes in 1 × 40 ft open top (1 ft (0.3 m) over the side walls) + 1 × 40 ft high cube. At 9 ft 9 in (2.98 m) wide, the CAT 320 is wider than a container door in one piece (7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m), so it ships whole on a 40 ft flat rack (1 ft 11 in / 0.58 m over width, 3 ft 4 in / 1.01 m over height). RoRo is the alternative where a lane serves your port. It can also be containerized after major disassembly (bucket off, stick and boom folded or detached, counterweight off, cab or ROPS removed and crated, upper structure lifted off the undercarriage, and track chains and shoes off), across one or more containers; we survey it first and quote both.
Loaded by Seaway
How we load the CAT 320
Our loading records list earlier and sister models of the CAT 320 (CAT 320BL, CAT 320C, CAT 320CL, CAT 320DL, CAT 320EL). The usual plan is 1 × 40 ft open top (1 ft (0.3 m) over the side walls) + 1 × 40 ft high cube; we confirm it for your machine's year and options before booking.
- 1 × 40 ft open top (1 ft (0.3 m) over the side walls) + 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.
CAT 320 shipping dimensions
- Weight
- 49,800 lb (22,600 kg)operating weight
- Machine type
- Hydraulic excavator
- Transport length
- 31 ft 3 in (9.53 m)
- Transport width
- 9 ft 9 in (2.98 m)
- Transport height
- 9 ft 9 in (2.96 m)
- Configuration
- Next Gen, 31 in (790 mm) shoes. Width 9 ft 9 in (2.98 m) is with 24 in (600 mm) shoes (10 ft 5 in / 3.17 m with 31 in / 790 mm); height 9 ft 9 in (2.96 m) to the cab, 10 ft 4 in (3.16 m) with the front installed.
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 320, best first
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 | 40 ft flat rackBest fit | Out-of-gauge | Ships assembled, blocked and lashed; out-of-gauge surcharge applies (1 ft 11 in / 0.58 m over width, 3 ft 4 in / 1.01 m over height). |
| 2 | 40 ft high-cube container | After major disassembly, across containers | Taken apart and loaded across one or more 40 ft containers, with open-tops for tall pieces: bucket off, stick and boom folded or detached, counterweight off, cab or ROPS removed and crated, upper structure lifted off the undercarriage, and track chains and shoes off. We survey the machine first and quote this next to shipping it whole. How we containerize |
| 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. |
Containerizing a machine means taking off the parts that stop it fitting, then crating, labelling and lashing them in the same box. See how we containerize heavy equipment
Container, flat rack, RoRo or breakbulk?
We quote in this order because it is usually cheapest first. Most machines that look too big for a box fit once our crew takes off the bucket, boom, cab or wheels; larger ones are taken further apart across several containers, and pieces too big or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer go breakbulk.
01Container
- Work needed
- We partially disassemble when needed (bucket, boom, cab, wheels), or take larger machines further apart across several high-cubes and open-tops, then crate, block and lash every part.
- Destinations
- Widest: almost every port worldwide, plus inland delivery by rail.
- Typical cost
- Usually the lowest, with no out-of-gauge surcharges.
- Protection
- Sealed steel box; loose parts and attachments travel locked inside.
- Best for
- Most machines: compact ones as they are, others after partial disassembly, and large ones split across several containers.
02Flat rack
Best fit- Work needed
- Ships assembled, blocked and lashed. Surcharges apply when wider than 2.4 m or taller than about 1.95 m.
- Destinations
- Most container ports, on the same vessels as containers.
- Typical cost
- Moderate; rises with every centimetre out of gauge.
- Protection
- Open to the weather; we protect cabs, electronics and hydraulics.
- Best for
- Excavators, dozers and loaders too wide for a container door.
03RoRo
- Work needed
- Drives on assembled; non-runners go on a roll trailer.
- Destinations
- Fewer destinations: regular lanes to Europe, West Africa, the Middle East, Oceania and parts of Latin America.
- Typical cost
- Often competitive for large self-propelled machines where a lane exists.
- Protection
- Below deck, but loose items and attachments cannot ride inside the cab.
- Best for
- Running machines going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
04Breakbulk
- Work needed
- Lifted aboard piece by piece by ship’s or shore cranes, on its own skids or cradle, then stowed and lashed in the hold or on deck.
- Destinations
- Ports with breakbulk berths and heavy-lift cranes; sailings are booked voyage by voyage.
- Typical cost
- Usually the highest for a single small machine; often the only option for the largest pieces.
- Protection
- In the hold or lashed on deck; we crate, wrap and protect exposed parts.
- Best for
- Pieces too large or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer: transformers, process modules, mining trucks, crane sections.
Preparing a CAT 320 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.
- D8 and larger dozers ship with the blade and ripper removed to stay within flat rack width; we crate the pins and hardware with the machine.
Where machines like the CAT 320 go
NigeriaTransit 21-30 daysForm M must be opened through a Nigerian bank before the machine ships.
Quote to Nigeria
Saudi ArabiaTransit 18-25 daysShipments need SABER conformity certificates arranged before arrival.
Quote to Saudi Arabia
AustraliaTransit 28-35 daysStrict biosecurity cleaning; dirty undercarriages are re-cleaned at the importer's cost.
Quote to Australia
ChileTransit 21-28 daysMining demand for 336 and larger excavators, usually on flat racks from Houston.
Quote to Chile
CAT 320 shipping questions
Does a CAT 320 fit in a shipping container?
From our loading records for the CAT 320BL, the CAT 320 usually goes in 1 × 40 ft open top (1 ft (0.3 m) over the side walls) + 1 × 40 ft high cube. At 9 ft 9 in (2.98 m) wide, the CAT 320 is wider than a container door in one piece (7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m), so it ships whole on a 40 ft flat rack (1 ft 11 in / 0.58 m over width, 3 ft 4 in / 1.01 m over height). RoRo is the alternative where a lane serves your port. It can also be containerized after major disassembly (bucket off, stick and boom folded or detached, counterweight off, cab or ROPS removed and crated, upper structure lifted off the undercarriage, and track chains and shoes off), across one or more containers; we survey it first and quote both.
How much does a CAT 320 weigh for shipping?
Caterpillar lists the CAT 320 at 49,800 lb (22,600 kg) (operating weight). Attachments, counterweight options and fuel change the figure, so the weight on the bill of lading comes from the machine itself.
What are the shipping dimensions of a CAT 320?
31 ft 3 in × 9 ft 9 in × 9 ft 9 in (9.53 × 2.98 × 2.96 m) (length × width × height) in transport position, from Caterpillar's published specifications. Shoes, tyres and options change them, so we check before booking.
What has to come off a CAT 320 to ship it?
To containerize it: bucket off, stick and boom folded or detached, counterweight off, cab or ROPS removed and crated, upper structure lifted off the undercarriage, and track chains and shoes off. Our crew does the work, crates and labels every part, and loads the pieces across one or more containers, with documentation for reassembly. Shipped whole on a flat rack or RoRo, it needs little or no disassembly.
Can a CAT 320 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.