Link-Belt Equipment Shipping
Now part of Sumitomo Heavy Industries (cranes) and Sumitomo Construction Machinery (LBX excavators)Source
Also known as Link-Belt Speeder, FMC Link-Belt, LBX Company, Link-Belt Cranes
Link-Belt excavators usually ship in one or two 40 ft high cubes after the boom and bucket come off. Crawler cranes such as the LS-218H ship as a kit across open tops, flat racks and high cubes, with every boom section tagged.
Link-Belt machines we have loaded in containers
16 Link-Belt 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.
Excavators · 13 models
| Model | Boxes | Dismantling |
|---|---|---|
| Link-Belt 240LX | 1 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
| Link-Belt 330XL | 2 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
| Link-Belt 2650 | 1 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
| Link-Belt 2800 | 1 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
| Link-Belt 2800 LF Quantum | 1 × 40 ft open top | Standard preparation |
| Link-Belt 3400 | 2 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
Crawler cranes · 3 models
| Model | Boxes | Dismantling |
|---|---|---|
| Link-Belt LS-218H150 t capacity | 2 × 40 ft open top + 2 × 40 ft flat rack + 6 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
| Link-Belt LS-428 | 1 × 40 ft open top + 4 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
| Link-Belt LS40860 t capacity | 1 × 40 ft open top + 2 × 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 Link-Belt machines for export
- Crane boom sections, pendants and pins are tagged, photographed and listed before loading.
- Counterweights travel in open tops or on flat racks to keep each box within its payload.
- Mid-size Link-Belt excavators go in one or two 40 ft high cubes depending on boom and counterweight.
- Crawler cranes ship as a kit: base, crawlers, boom sections and counterweights across open tops, flat racks and high cubes.
- Boom sections are tagged and loaded in erection order so the crane goes back together quickly.
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 Link-Belt machines go from the U.S.
The destinations we see most for Link-Belt equipment, with the import rule that most often catches buyers out.
ColombiaTransit 12-18 daysCranes and excavators through Cartagena and Buenaventura.
Quote to Colombia
ChileTransit 21-28 daysCrawler cranes for mining projects, shipped as kits from Houston or Long Beach.
Quote to Chile
Saudi ArabiaTransit 18-25 daysShipments need SABER conformity certificates arranged before arrival.
Quote to Saudi Arabia
Equipment Types We Ship
Link-Belt sells Sumitomo-designed excavators in the Americas through LBX, and builds lattice-boom and telescopic cranes through Link-Belt Cranes, both in Lexington, Kentucky. Older LS-series excavators and cable cranes are common at US auctions.
- Crawler excavators
- Lattice-boom crawler cranes
- Rough-terrain cranes
- Truck cranes
Why Ship Link-Belt with Us
- Link-Belt excavators and crawler cranes in our own loading records
- Crane crews who tag every boom section and pin
- One booking for every box of a crane kit
Link-Belt shipping questions
How many containers does a Link-Belt crawler crane take?
It depends on the crane. In our loading records a 165 US tons (150 t) LS-218H ships as a kit across open tops, flat racks and high cubes. Smaller cranes need fewer boxes. We list every box before you book.
Are Link-Belt excavators the same as Sumitomo?
They are Sumitomo SH-series designs, sold in red Link-Belt colours in the Americas by LBX, which Sumitomo has owned outright since 2010.
Link-Belt 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 Link-Belt.
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