Tadano Equipment Shipping
Now part of Tadano Ltd.Source
Also known as Tadano Iron Works
Tadano prints the GR-1000XL-4 at 47 ft 2 in × 10 ft 10 in × 12 ft 6 in (14.38 × 3.31 × 3.81 m) and 59 US tons (53,170 kg) with its counterweight, and the GR-550XL at 42 ft 10 in × 9 ft 9 in × 12 ft 4 in (13.06 × 2.98 × 3.77 m) and 74,800 lb (33,951 kg). Tadano has owned the Demag mobile crane business since 2019.
How each Tadano 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tadano GR-1000XL-4Rough-terrain craneSpec source | 59 US tons (53,170 kg)gross vehicle weight | 47 ft 2 in × 10 ft 10 in × 12 ft 6 in (14.38 × 3.31 × 3.81 m) | RoRoWhere a RoRo lane serves the destination | Drives on assembled where a RoRo lane serves the destination. |
| Tadano GR-800XL-4Rough-terrain craneSpec source | 99,800 lb (45,269 kg)gross vehicle weight | 47 ft 2 in × 10 ft 10 in × 12 ft 6 in (14.38 × 3.31 × 3.82 m) | RoRoWhere a RoRo lane serves the destination | Drives on assembled where a RoRo lane serves the destination. |
| Tadano GR-550XLRough-terrain craneSpec source | 74,800 lb (33,951 kg)gross vehicle weight | 42 ft 10 in × 9 ft 9 in × 12 ft 4 in (13.06 × 2.98 × 3.77 m) | RoRoWhere a RoRo lane serves the destination | Drives on assembled where a RoRo lane serves the destination. |
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
- 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
Best fit- 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 Tadano machines for export
- The boom is fully retracted and stowed, the jib folded and pinned, and the hook block secured.
- The removable counterweight is weighed and listed with the crane so the carrier stays within its ramp and deck limits.
- The GR-1000XL-4 and GR-800XL-4 are 47 ft 2 in (14.38 m) long and 10 ft 10 in (3.31 m) wide; the GR-550XL is 42 ft 10 in (13.06 m) long and 9 ft 9 in (2.98 m) wide.
- The GR-1000XL-4 weighs 59 US tons (53,170 kg) with its 20,100 lb (9,117 kg) self-removable counterweight, which can travel separately.
- All three are over a flat rack's width, so we compare RoRo and breakbulk for each.
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 Tadano machines go from the U.S.
The destinations we see most for Tadano equipment, with the import rule that most often catches buyers out.
Saudi ArabiaTransit 18-25 daysCranes for industrial projects; SABER certificates are arranged before arrival.
Quote to Saudi Arabia
PeruTransit 10-12 daysRough-terrain cranes for mining work, through Callao.
Quote to Peru
AustraliaTransit 28-35 daysStrict biosecurity cleaning of the carrier, outriggers and counterweight.
Quote to Australia
Equipment Types We Ship
Tadano dates its founding to August 29, 1919, when Masuo Tadano started a welding business, and was incorporated in Takamatsu, Japan, in 1948. It built Japan's first hydraulic truck crane in 1955 and bought the Demag mobile crane business from Terex in 2019.
Why Ship Tadano with Us
- Model pages built from Tadano's own datasheets
- Counterweight and hook blocks listed as separate pieces before booking
- RoRo and breakbulk compared in one quote
Tadano shipping questions
How much does a Tadano GR-1000XL-4 weigh to ship?
Tadano gives 59 US tons (53,170 kg) gross on 29.5-25 tyres with the counterweight on. Taking off the 20,100 lb (9,117 kg) self-removable counterweight brings it to about 97,000 lb (44 t).
Are Demag cranes part of Tadano?
Yes. Tadano bought the Demag mobile crane business from Terex in 2019.
Tadano 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 Tadano.
Ready to Ship Your Tadano Equipment?
Get a competitive quote for shipping Tadano machinery to any destination worldwide.