Prentice Equipment Shipping
Now part of Weiler Forestry (since 2019)Source
Also known as Prentice Hydraulics, Blount Forestry, Caterpillar Forest Products
Prentice machines were built by Omark, Blount and then Caterpillar Forest Products; since 2019 the line has been made by Weiler Forestry, and the Prentice name continues on the Prentice 2124 loader. Used Prentice knuckleboom loaders ship on flat racks or RoRo when trailer-mounted, or crated in containers when removed from the mount.
Popular Prentice Models We Ship
Published transport dimensions are not available for every Prentice model, so we measure the machine at pickup before confirming the method.
Prentice 2670
Knuckleboom Loader
48,500 lb (22,000 kg)
Prentice 2470
Log Loader
39,700 lb (18,000 kg)
Prentice 2384
Knuckleboom Loader
30,900 lb (14,000 kg)
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 Prentice machines for export
- Australia and New Zealand reject machines with soil, seeds or plant material. We pressure-wash, open the belly pans and radiator cores, and book the pre-shipment cleaning inspection.
- Parts for older Prentice machines are supplied through Weiler and Cat dealers; note the serial number for the buyer.
- Knuckleboom folding for transport
- Parts and manuals through Weiler and Cat dealers
- Trailer-mount vs track configurations
- US-origin export procedures
- Forestry attachment inventory
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 Prentice machines go from the U.S.
The destinations we see most for Prentice equipment, with the import rule that most often catches buyers out.
ChileTransit 21-28 daysForestry demand, flat racks and RoRo.
Quote to Chile
AustraliaTransit 28-35 daysBiosecurity cleaning for forestry equipment.
Quote to Australia
Equipment Types We Ship
Prentice is a respected name in forestry equipment, known for knuckleboom loaders. The line passed from Blount to Caterpillar Forest Products in 2007 and to Weiler Forestry in 2019, and used Prentice loaders still work in logging operations worldwide.
- Knuckleboom Loaders
- Log Loaders
- Feller Bunchers
- Forestry Equipment
Why Ship Prentice with Us
- Forestry equipment specialists
- Knuckleboom loader expertise
- US manufacturing logistics
- Experience with legacy Prentice and Cat forestry machines
Prentice shipping questions
Who makes Prentice loaders today?
Weiler Forestry. It bought Caterpillar's purpose-built forestry line in 2019, including the Prentice engineering centre, and still sells the Prentice 2124 knuckleboom loader through Cat dealers.
Is Prentice part of Vermeer?
No. Prentice went from Omark (1967) to Blount (1985), then to Caterpillar Forest Products (2007) and Weiler Forestry (2019).
Prentice 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 Prentice.
Ready to Ship Your Prentice Equipment?
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