Crawler excavator · Kobelco
Kobelco SK480LC-8: transport dimensions, weight and how it ships overseas
The Kobelco SK480LC-8 usually goes in 1 × 40 ft open top + 2 × 40 ft high cube, from our loading records for related models (Kobelco SK 480LC, Kobelco SK 480LC Mass, Kobelco SK480 LC IV). Shipped whole, it goes RoRo where a lane serves your port.
- Transport length
- 39 ft 6 in / 12.03 m
- Transport width
- 11 ft 8 in / 3.55 m
- Transport height
- 10 ft 10 in / 3.31 m
- Weight
- 54 US tons / 48,800 kg
Kobelco SK480LC-8 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 Kobelco's published transport dimensions. Red hatching marks what stands outside the door opening. Schematic; not for lifting or engineering.
Kobelco SK480LC-8 transport specifications
| Specification | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Transport length | 39 ft 6 in / 12.03 m | boom, stick and bucket installed, transport position |
| Transport width | 11 ft 8 in / 3.55 m | over the tracks, 31 in (800 mm) shoes · 11 ft / 3.35 m with 24 in (600 mm) shoes |
| Transport height | 10 ft 10 in / 3.31 m | to the top of the machine |
| Height over the boom | 11 ft 9 in / 3.57 m | boom, stick and bucket installed |
| Weight | 54 US tons / 48,800 kg | operating weight |
| Tail swing radius | 12 ft / 3.67 m | sets the clearance behind the swing centre on a flat rack |
| Track length | 17 ft 11 in / 5.45 m | |
| Track gauge | 9 ft / 2.75 m | |
| Upper frame width | 9 ft 10 in / 3 m | without the cab handrails |
| Ground clearance | 1 ft 8 in / 0.51 m | |
| Counterweight clearance | 4 ft 5 in / 1.34 m | underside of the counterweight to the ground |
| Machine type | Crawler excavator | |
| Configuration | Southeast Asian build, the last machine sold as the SK480: 23 ft (7.0 m) boom, 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m) arm, 2.5 yd³ (1.9 m³) bucket and 31 in (800 mm) shoes. Height to the cab; the boom in transport stands at 11 ft 9 in (3.57 m). Kobelco now sells the SK500LC-10 in this class. | |
Manufacturer documents
- Product brochure (PDF, ACERA GEOSPEC SUPER SK460/SK480LC-SEASIA-HS-201 2012021000)
- Product brochure (PDF, ACERA GEOSPEC SUPER SK460/SK480LC-SEASIA-EGR-201 2012020500)
- Kobelco 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 Kobelco SK480LC-8, best first
Loaded by Seaway
How we load the Kobelco SK480LC-8
Our loading records list earlier and sister models of the Kobelco SK480LC-8 (Kobelco SK 480LC, Kobelco SK 480LC Mass, Kobelco SK480 LC IV). The usual plan is 1 × 40 ft open top, 1 ft / 0.3 m over the side walls + 2 × 40 ft high cube.
- 1 × 40 ft open top, 1 ft / 0.3 m over the side walls + 2 × 40 ft high cube
- Taken apart at the yard: boom, arm and bucket come off, sometimes the cab; the upper structure is lifted off the undercarriage and the pieces are loaded at an angle, the largest in the open top and the rest crated and lashed in the high cube. Larger machines are stripped further, down to the swing table.
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 open top, 1 ft / 0.3 m over the side walls + 2 × 40 ft high cubeBest fit | From our loading records | Taken apart at the yard and loaded as in the plan above |
| 2 | RoRo | Where a RoRo lane serves the destination | Drives on assembled where a RoRo lane serves the destination. |
| 3 | Breakbulk | Fits as is | Lifted aboard by crane as breakbulk; used when no flat rack or RoRo option suits the port. |
Will it fit? Published configurations
Kobelco publishes the transport dimensions for more than one configuration; pick yours and the verdict updates.
- Transport envelope
- 39 ft 6 in × 11 ft 8 in × 10 ft 10 in (12.03 × 3.55 × 3.31 m)54 US tons (48,800 kg)
- Best fit
- RoRoWhere a RoRo lane serves the destination
- 40 ft high-cube door
- 4 ft / 1.21 m over the door width, 2 ft 5 in / 0.73 m over its heightAfter disassembly, across containers
Only configurations the manufacturer publishes; the survey at pickup confirms the figures before booking.
Kobelco SK480LC-8 generations and how each has shipped
| Generation | Years (approx.) | How Seaway has loaded it |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Acera SK450 / SK480 | 2000 | 1 × 40 ft open top, 1 ft / 0.3 m over the side walls + 1 × 40 ft high cube2 machines on record: Kobelco SK 450LC-6, Kobelco SK 480LC |
| ACERA GEOSPEC SUPER SK480LC-8current | — | 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.
Comparable excavators from other brands
| Machine | L × W × H (transport) | Weight | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kobelco SK480LC-8 | 39 ft 6 in × 11 ft 8 in × 10 ft 10 in (12.03 × 3.55 × 3.31 m) | 54 US tons / 48,800 kg | 1 × 40 ft open top, 1 ft / 0.3 m over the side walls + 2 × 40 ft high cube |
| Komatsu PC490LC-11 | 39 ft 2 in × 11 ft 11 in × 11 ft 11 in (11.93 × 3.64 × 3.63 m) | 54 US tons / 48,920 kg | 1 × 40 ft open top, 1 ft / 0.3 m over the side walls + 3 × 40 ft high cube |
| Volvo EC480E | 40 ft 1 in × 11 ft 11 in × 11 ft 7 in (12.22 × 3.64 × 3.53 m) | 54 US tons / 49,381 kg | 1 × 40 ft open top, 1 ft / 0.3 m over the side walls + 2 × 40 ft high cube |
| Hitachi ZX490LC-7 | 39 ft 5 in × 12 ft 6 in × 12 ft 2 in (12.01 × 3.81 × 3.71 m) | 55 US tons / 50,200 kg | RoRo |
| CAT 350 | 39 ft × 10 ft 11 in × 11 ft 2 in (11.89 × 3.34 × 3.4 m) | 51 US tons / 46,000 kg | 1 × 40 ft open top, 1 ft / 0.3 m over the side walls + 1 × 40 ft high cube |
Same machine type within 20% of the weight. Each links to its own page with its published dimensions and verdict.
Where machines like the Kobelco SK480LC-8 go
AustraliaTransit 28-35 daysImport duty 0–5%HS 8429.52 · 2023
Biosecurity cleaning before loading.
Quote to Australia
PhilippinesTransit 18-28 daysImport duty 0%HS 8429.52 · 2023
West Coast flat rack lanes.
Quote to Philippines
NigeriaTransit 21-30 daysImport duty 5%HS 8429.52 · 2023
Form M before shipment.
Quote to Nigeria
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 Kobelco SK480LC-8 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.
Kobelco SK480LC-8 shipping questions
Does a Kobelco SK480LC-8 fit in a shipping container?
Not in one piece: at 54 US tons (48,800 kg) it is heavier than one container carries. Taken apart, it goes in 1 × 40 ft open top, 1 ft / 0.3 m over the side walls + 2 × 40 ft high cube, the plan from our loading records.
How much does a Kobelco SK480LC-8 weigh for shipping?
Kobelco lists the Kobelco SK480LC-8 at 54 US tons (48,800 kg) (operating weight); the bill of lading uses your machine's own weight.
What are the shipping dimensions of a Kobelco SK480LC-8?
39 ft 6 in × 11 ft 8 in × 10 ft 10 in (12.03 × 3.55 × 3.31 m) (length × width × height) in transport position, from Kobelco's published specifications for the Kobelco SK480LC-8.
What has to come off a Kobelco SK480LC-8 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 at least 2 containers, with documentation for reassembly. Shipped whole on a flat rack or RoRo, it needs little or no disassembly.
Can a Kobelco SK480LC-8 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.