KATO Equipment Shipping
Now part of KATO WORKS CO., LTD. (independent, listed in Tokyo)Source
Also known as KATO Works, KATO HICOM, IHI Construction Machinery
KATO HD excavators ship in containers once the boom, stick and counterweight come off; an 800HD takes an open top plus a high cube. KATO rough-terrain and truck cranes usually ship RoRo or on flat racks.
KATO machines we have loaded in containers
1 KATO model is 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.
Excavators · 1 model
| Model | Boxes | Dismantling |
|---|---|---|
| Kato 800HD VII LC | 1 × 40 ft open top (1 ft (0.3 m) over the side walls) + 1 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
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 KATO machines for export
- Crane booms are retracted and locked, and the hook block is secured or removed.
- Since KATO absorbed IHI Construction Machinery, IHI parts come through KATO; we record the serial plate.
- Large HD excavators such as the 800HD take an open top for the boom and a high cube for the upper structure.
- Rough-terrain cranes usually ship RoRo or on flat racks because of their width.
- Counterweights and outrigger pads come off and travel in the same booking.
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 KATO machines go from the U.S.
The destinations we see most for KATO equipment, with the import rule that most often catches buyers out.
ColombiaTransit 12-18 daysCranes and excavators through Cartagena.
Quote to Colombia
PhilippinesTransit 18-28 daysCranes and excavators for construction, to Manila.
Quote to Philippines
KenyaTransit 25-35 daysMachines through Mombasa; KEBS pre-export inspection is arranged before loading.
Quote to Kenya
Equipment Types We Ship
KATO Works of Tokyo builds rough-terrain, all-terrain and truck cranes and HD-series excavators. KATO machines reach US auctions as imports, and buyers ship them on to Latin America, Africa and Asia.
- Hydraulic excavators
- Rough-terrain cranes
- Truck cranes
- All-terrain cranes
Why Ship KATO with Us
- KATO excavators in our own loading records
- Crane and excavator dismantling by our own crews
- RoRo and flat rack options for cranes that do not fit a box
KATO shipping questions
How do you ship a KATO 800HD excavator?
In our loading records the 800HD goes in a 40 ft open top for the boom and a 40 ft high cube for the upper structure and tracks. We confirm the plan with photos first.
KATO 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 KATO.
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