Ditch Witch Equipment Shipping
Now part of The Toro Company (since 2019)Source
In our loading records Ditch Witch JT3020 and JT4020 directional drills each ship in one 40 ft high cube. A current JT40 is 24 ft 2 in (7.37 m) long and 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) wide with the open station, which also fits a high cube.
Ditch Witch machines we have loaded in containers
2 Ditch Witch models are in our dismantling and loading records, each with the boxes it went in and the parts that came off. Containers reach more ports and usually cost less than RoRo or flat racks.
Drill rigs · 2 models
| Model | Boxes | Dismantling |
|---|---|---|
| Ditch Witch JT3020 | 1 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
| Ditch Witch JT4020 | 1 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
How each Ditch Witch model ships
Weights and transport dimensions come from the manufacturer's published specifications (linked under each model). The method is worked out from those dimensions against container, flat rack and RoRo limits, in the order we quote them.
| Model | Weight | L × W × H (transport) | Best method | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ditch Witch JT20Horizontal directional drillSpec source | 11,900 lb (5,390 kg)operating weight | 17 ft 3 in × 4 ft 4 in × 7 ft 6 in (5.26 × 1.31 × 2.29 m) | 40 ft high-cube containerFits as is | Ships as it is, blocked and lashed. |
| Ditch Witch JT40Horizontal directional drillSpec source | 20,500 lb (9,300 kg)operating weight | 24 ft 2 in × 7 ft 5 in × 8 ft 1 in (7.37 × 2.26 × 2.46 m) | 40 ft high-cube containerFits as is | Ships as it is, blocked and lashed. |
Dimensions vary with shoes, tyres, buckets and options, so we confirm them on your machine before booking. Container limits used: 40 ft high-cube door 7 ft 8 in (2.34 m) wide and 8 ft 6 in (2.58 m) high, 39 ft 6 in (12.03 m) long inside.
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
Best fit- 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
- 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 Ditch Witch machines for export
- Drilling fluid is flushed from the pump, lines and rod, and the rod box secured or packed separately.
- A JT40 cab goes in its narrowest position; batteries are disconnected and the drill chocked and lashed.
- In our loading records a Ditch Witch JT3020 and JT4020 each go in one 40 ft high cube.
- A JT20 is 17 ft 3 in (5.26 m) long and 4 ft 4 in (1.31 m) wide, and a JT40 24 ft 2 in (7.37 m) long and 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) wide with the open station; both fit a 40 ft high cube.
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
Where Ditch Witch machines go from the U.S.
The destinations we see most for Ditch Witch equipment, with the import rule that most often catches buyers out.
MexicoTransit 5-14 daysDirectional drills for fiber and utility work, by truck or in high cubes to Manzanillo.
Quote to Mexico
ColombiaTransit 12-18 daysDrills for fiber installation, in high cubes to Cartagena or Buenaventura.
Quote to Colombia
KenyaTransit 25-35 daysDrills through Mombasa; KEBS pre-export inspection is arranged before loading.
Quote to Kenya
Equipment Types We Ship
Ditch Witch grew out of a blacksmith shop Carl Frederick Malzahn opened in Perry, Oklahoma, in 1902; his grandson Ed Malzahn built the first compact service-line trencher there in 1949. The Charles Machine Works builds JT directional drills, trenchers and utility loaders in Perry, and has been part of The Toro Company since 2019.
- Horizontal directional drills
- Trenchers
- Compact utility loaders
- Vacuum excavators
Why Ship Ditch Witch with Us
- Ditch Witch drills in our own loading records
- Pickup from contractor yards, dealer lots and auctions across the US
- One-box plans for drills that fit whole, with rod and tooling packed alongside
Ditch Witch shipping questions
Does a Ditch Witch JT40 fit in a container?
Yes. A JT40 is 24 ft 2 in (7.37 m) long and 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) wide with the open station, and 8 ft 1 in (2.46 m) high with the cab in the mobiling position, which fits a 40 ft high cube. In our loading records the earlier JT4020 goes in one high cube. We confirm the plan with photos of your machine before booking.
Who owns Ditch Witch?
The Toro Company, which completed its purchase of The Charles Machine Works, the parent of Ditch Witch, on April 1, 2019.
Ditch Witch and its logo are trademarks of their respective owner, shown only to identify the equipment we ship. Seaway Project Cargo is an independent shipper and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ditch Witch.
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