Crawler excavator · Volvo Construction Equipment
Volvo EC480E: transport dimensions, weight and how it ships overseas
The Volvo EC480E usually goes in 1 × 40 ft open top + 2 × 40 ft high cube, from our loading records for related models (Volvo EC 480EL, Volvo EC480DL). Shipped whole, it goes RoRo where a lane serves your port.
- Transport length
- 40 ft 1 in / 12.22 m
- Transport width
- 11 ft 11 in / 3.64 m
- Transport height
- 11 ft 7 in / 3.53 m
- Weight
- 54 US tons / 49,381 kg
Volvo EC480E 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 Volvo Construction Equipment's published transport dimensions. Red hatching marks what stands outside the door opening. Schematic; not for lifting or engineering.
Volvo EC480E transport specifications
| Specification | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Transport length | 40 ft 1 in / 12.22 m | boom, stick and bucket installed, transport position |
| Transport width | 11 ft 11 in / 3.64 m | over the tracks, 35 in (900 mm) shoes · 11 ft 3 in / 3.44 m with 28 in (700 mm) shoes |
| Transport height | 11 ft 7 in / 3.53 m | to the top of the machine |
| Height over the boom | 12 ft 4 in / 3.75 m | boom, stick and bucket installed |
| Weight | 54 US tons / 49,381 kg | operating weight |
| Tail swing radius | 12 ft 9 in / 3.88 m | sets the clearance behind the swing centre on a flat rack |
| Track length | 17 ft 7 in / 5.37 m | |
| Track gauge | 9 ft / 2.74 m | |
| Upper frame width | 9 ft 10 in / 2.99 m | without the cab handrails |
| Ground clearance | 1 ft 8 in / 0.52 m | |
| Counterweight clearance | 4 ft / 1.21 m | underside of the counterweight to the ground |
| Machine type | Crawler excavator | |
| Configuration | North American EC480EL, fixed undercarriage: 23 ft (7.0 m) boom, 11 ft (3.35 m) arm, 4,850 lb (2.2 t) bucket, 35 in (900 mm) shoes and the 21,500 lb (9.75 t) counterweight. Height to the exhaust (cab 10 ft 9 in / 3.28 m); the boom in transport stands at 12 ft 4 in (3.75 m). | |
Manufacturer documents
- Product brochure (PDF, VOE2230009333)
- Product brochure (PDF, 20057532_B)
- Volvo Construction Equipment 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 Volvo EC480E, best first
Loaded by Seaway
How we load the Volvo EC480E
Our loading records list earlier and sister models of the Volvo EC480E (Volvo EC 480EL, Volvo EC480DL). 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
Volvo Construction Equipment publishes the transport dimensions for more than one configuration; pick yours and the verdict updates.
- Transport envelope
- 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)
- Best fit
- RoRoWhere a RoRo lane serves the destination
- 40 ft high-cube door
- 4 ft 3 in / 1.3 m over the door width, 3 ft 1 in / 0.94 m over its heightAfter disassembly, across containers
Only configurations the manufacturer publishes; the survey at pickup confirms the figures before booking.
Volvo EC480E generations and how each has shipped
| Generation | Years (approx.) | How Seaway has loaded it |
|---|---|---|
| EC460B | — | No record yet; measured at pickup and quoted both ways |
| EC480D | — | 1 × 40 ft open top, 1 ft / 0.3 m over the side walls + 2 × 40 ft high cube1 machine on record: Volvo EC480DL |
| EC480Ecurrent | — | 1 × 40 ft open top, 1 ft / 0.3 m over the side walls + 2 × 40 ft high cube1 machine on record: Volvo EC 480EL |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 Volvo EC480E go
NigeriaTransit 21-30 daysImport duty 5%HS 8429.52 · 2023
Form M through a Nigerian bank before shipment.
Quote to Nigeria
Saudi ArabiaTransit 18-25 daysImport duty 5%HS 8429.52 · 2023
SABER certificates are needed before arrival.
Quote to Saudi Arabia
GermanyTransit 14-21 daysImport duty 0%HS 8429.52 · 2023
Regular RoRo from Baltimore and New York to Bremerhaven.
Quote to Germany
AustraliaTransit 28-35 daysImport duty 0–5%HS 8429.52 · 2023
Clean to biosecurity standard before loading.
Quote to Australia
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 Volvo EC480E 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.
- Volvo CareTrack telematics can be transferred to a dealer in the destination country before export.
Volvo EC480E shipping questions
Does a Volvo EC480E fit in a shipping container?
Not in one piece: at 54 US tons (49,381 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 Volvo EC480E weigh for shipping?
Volvo Construction Equipment lists the Volvo EC480E at 54 US tons (49,381 kg) (operating weight); the bill of lading uses your machine's own weight.
What are the shipping dimensions of a Volvo EC480E?
40 ft 1 in × 11 ft 11 in × 11 ft 7 in (12.22 × 3.64 × 3.53 m) (length × width × height) in transport position, from Volvo Construction Equipment's published specifications for the Volvo EC480E.
What has to come off a Volvo EC480E 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 Volvo EC480E 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.