Manitowoc Equipment Shipping
Now part of The Manitowoc Company, Inc.Source
Also known as Manitowoc Shipbuilding, Manitowoc Cranes
Manitowoc lists 12 trailer loads for a 999, 17 for an MLC300 and 21 for a 16000, with the basic crane or upperworks the heaviest piece at about 88,200 lb (40 t). Older cranes in our loading records went in containers: a 3900B in an open top and four high cubes.
Manitowoc machines we have loaded in containers
2 Manitowoc 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.
Crawler cranes · 2 models
| Model | Boxes | Dismantling |
|---|---|---|
| Manitowoc 3900B100 t capacity | 1 × 40 ft open top + 4 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
| Manitowoc 4000Vicon150 t capacity | 2 × 40 ft open top + 5 × 40 ft high cube | Standard preparation |
How each Manitowoc 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manitowoc 999Lattice-boom crawler craneSpec source | 87,500 lb (39,689 kg)base weight | 38 ft 11 in × 9 ft 10 in × 11 ft 1 in (11.87 × 3 × 3.38 m) | Breakbulk, in modules | Too large to move whole: dismantled into modules at the site and shipped breakbulk, with an engineered lift and stowage plan. |
| Manitowoc MLC300Lattice-boom crawler craneSpec source | 93,900 lb (42,600 kg)base weight | 38 ft 1 in × 9 ft 10 in × 10 ft 6 in (11.6 × 3 × 3.2 m) | Breakbulk, in modules | Too large to move whole: dismantled into modules at the site and shipped breakbulk, with an engineered lift and stowage plan. |
| Manitowoc 16000Lattice-boom crawler craneSpec source | 87,300 lb (39,612 kg)base weight | 43 ft 6 in × 10 ft 6 in × 9 ft 5 in (13.25 × 3.2 × 2.87 m) | Breakbulk, in modules | Too large to move whole: dismantled into modules at the site and shipped breakbulk, with an engineered lift and stowage plan. |
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 Manitowoc machines for export
- We build the load list from Manitowoc's transport data and the crane's own boom and counterweight configuration.
- Crawlers come off the carbody and counterweight boxes are listed one by one, so no box or trailer goes over its payload.
- Manitowoc lists every transport piece of its crawler cranes: the 999 travels in 12 trailer loads, the MLC300 in 17 and the 16000 in 21.
- The heaviest pieces are the basic crane or upperworks module, about 88,200 lb (40 t) each, and the crawlers, up to 72,000 lb (32,665 kg) apiece on the 16000.
- In our loading records a 3900B went in a 40 ft open top and four 40 ft high cubes, and a 4000 Vicon in two open tops and five high cubes.
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 Manitowoc machines go from the U.S.
The destinations we see most for Manitowoc equipment, with the import rule that most often catches buyers out.
Saudi ArabiaTransit 18-25 daysCrawler cranes for industrial projects; SABER certificates are arranged before arrival.
Quote to Saudi Arabia
BrazilTransit 18-28 daysCranes for energy projects through Santos.
Quote to Brazil
PhilippinesTransit 18-28 daysCranes for ports and piling, to Manila.
Quote to Philippines
Equipment Types We Ship
The Manitowoc Company was founded in 1902 and has built lattice-boom crawler cranes since 1925. It is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and its crane brands also include Grove, National Crane and Potain.
- Lattice-boom crawler cranes
- Mobile cranes (Grove)
- Boom trucks (National Crane)
- Tower cranes (Potain)
Why Ship Manitowoc with Us
- Piece lists built from Manitowoc's own transport data
- Manitowoc crawler cranes in our own loading records
- Container, flat rack and breakbulk in one booking
Manitowoc shipping questions
How many truck loads is a Manitowoc 999?
Manitowoc lists 12 trailer loads for a Series 3 999 with 299 ft 10 in (91.4 m) of boom and an 80 ft 1 in (24.4 m) fixed jib. The heaviest piece is the 87,500 lb (39,689 kg) basic crane; each crawler is 43,300 lb (19,622 kg).
Can an older Manitowoc crawler crane go in containers?
Yes, for the cranes in our loading records: a 3900B went in a 40 ft open top and four 40 ft high cubes, and a 4000 Vicon in two open tops and five high cubes.
Manitowoc 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 Manitowoc.
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