Compact Track Loaders Shipping
A compact track loader goes in a container whole, two or three to a 40 ft high cube. Bobcat prints the T650 at 1.852 m wide and 2.065 m high; even a Takeuchi TL12R2, at 1.96 m wide, clears the door.
Overview
Compact track loaders fit containers whole. Bobcat prints the T650 at 3.475 m long, 1.852 m wide and 2.065 m high, Kubota the SVL75-2 at 1.675 m wide, and Deere the 333G at 2.05 m wide. Takeuchi prints the TL12R2, one of the largest, at 4.045 m long, 1.96 m wide and 2.311 m high: inside the 2.34 m by 2.58 m door of a 40 ft high cube.
A 40 ft high cube is 12.03 m long inside, so two or three loaders share a box depending on their length and the attachments that travel with them. The buckets, forks and mulching heads ride in the same container.
The rubber tracks are cleaned of soil before loading, because destination ports inspect for it. Each machine is driven in, chocked, and lashed through its tie-down points, and the battery is disconnected.
Containers sail from Houston, Savannah, Miami and most US ports. Our model pages for Bobcat, CAT, Deere, Kubota and Takeuchi list the published dimensions and the plan for each. We pick up from dealers, rental yards and auctions, and confirm the plan with photos of your machines before booking.
Send the model, serial number and the attachment list. Compact track loaders share boxes well with attachments and with other compact equipment, so combining a purchase in one container lowers the freight per unit. Clean the tracks and undercarriage of soil before the loader reaches the port.
Cost depends on how many loaders share a box. Two compact track loaders with attachments often fit one 40 ft high cube, priced per box, which lowers the cost per machine. Trucking from the seller to the port is quoted on top.
Typical Specifications
| Weight Range | 3 - 6 metric tons |
|---|---|
| Transport Width | 1.7m - 2.1m |
| Transport Height | 2.0m - 2.2m |
| Tracks | Rubber track undercarriage |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
Caterpillar 299D3 (large frame CTL): 13 ft 9 in / 4.18 m long, 7 ft / 2.13 m wide, 7 ft 3 in / 2.21 m high, 11,200 lb / 5,100 kg.
The ladder below is worked out from these figures. Larger or smaller units of the same type can land on a different rung.
Cheapest first: the shipping cost ladder
We price every machine from the bottom rung up. A machine only moves up a rung when a measurement rules out the cheaper method.
Caterpillar 299D3 (large frame CTL) fits a container in one piece, the cheapest way to ship it.
- Rung 1
Container
Lowest cost
Best fit for Caterpillar 299D3 (large frame CTL)
When: Fits through a 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m × 8 ft 6 in / 2.58 m door and under 59,500 lb / 27,000 kg, whole or after we take off the bucket, boom, cab or wheels.
- Rung 2
Flat rack
Mid cost
When: Too wide or tall for a container door, but within 14 ft 9 in / 4.5 m wide, 13 ft 1 in / 4 m tall and 86,000 lb / 39,000 kg on one rack.
- Rung 3
RoRo
Mid cost
When: Drives or tows aboard, under 19 ft 8 in / 6 m tall and 110 US tons / 100,000 kg, going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
- Rung 4
Breakbulk
Highest cost
When: Past flat-rack and roll-trailer limits, or shipped as modules lifted aboard piece by piece.
Container Shipping
RecommendedCTLs fit standard containers and consolidate well.
Flat Rack Container
For larger CTLs or tall cabs.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
RecommendedSimple drive-on shipping option.
Container, flat rack, RoRo or 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
- 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.
Handling & Preparation Requirements
- Lower the loader arms and secure
- Secure or crate attachments
- Protect rubber tracks from shifting
- Disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Consolidate units for container efficiency
Transport dimensions by model
Published dimensions, a scale drawing and every way to ship each one.
- Takeuchi TL12R2Compact track loader13 ft 3 in × 6 ft 5 in × 7 ft 7 in (4.05 × 1.96 × 2.31 m)12,600 lb (5,710 kg)
- John Deere 333GCompact track loader12 ft 2 in × 6 ft 9 in × 7 ft 3 in (3.71 × 2.05 × 2.2 m)12,100 lb (5,493 kg)
- Kubota SVL97-2Compact track loader12 ft 11 in × 6 ft 5 in × 6 ft 11 in (3.93 × 1.96 × 2.12 m)11,600 lb (5,240 kg)
- CAT 299D3Compact track loader12 ft 11 in × 6 ft 4 in × 7 ft (3.93 × 1.93 × 2.13 m)11,500 lb (5,200 kg)
- Bobcat T770Compact track loader11 ft 10 in × 6 ft 6 in × 6 ft 9 in (3.6 × 1.98 × 2.07 m)10,500 lb (4,770 kg)
- Kubota SVL75-2Compact track loader11 ft 9 in × 5 ft 6 in × 6 ft 10 in (3.58 × 1.68 × 2.08 m)9,310 lb (4,225 kg)
- Takeuchi TL8R2Compact track loader11 ft 5 in × 5 ft 5 in × 7 ft 4 in (3.49 × 1.66 × 2.23 m)9,180 lb (4,165 kg)
- CAT 259D3Compact track loader11 ft 5 in × 5 ft 6 in × 6 ft 11 in (3.49 × 1.68 × 2.11 m)8,990 lb (4,076 kg)
- Bobcat T650Compact track loader11 ft 5 in × 6 ft 1 in × 6 ft 9 in (3.48 × 1.85 × 2.07 m)8,980 lb (4,073 kg)
- Bobcat T595Compact track loader11 ft 1 in × 5 ft 7 in × 6 ft 6 in (3.37 × 1.69 × 1.97 m)7,910 lb (3,586 kg)
Auction yards that sell compact track loaders
Yards whose published equipment categories include compact track loaders. Each yard page lists its nearest export ports and how we collect from it.
Common Models We Ship
- Bobcat T595, T650, T770
- Caterpillar 259D3, 289D3, 299D3
- John Deere 333G, 331G
- Kubota SVL75, SVL97
- Takeuchi TL10, TL12
Manufacturers We Ship
Brands that build compact track loaders, the ones in our loading records first, with model dimensions and the shipping method each one fits.
Where compact track loaders shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on compact track loaders bookings, and what avoids them.
- Soil packed around bogie wheels and inside the track frame fails Australian and New Zealand biosecurity inspection even when the body looks clean, so the undercarriage needs separate washing.
- An 84 inch bucket makes a large-frame CTL about 2.13 m wide, so two machines cannot sit side by side and a 40 ft container usually takes them nose to tail.
- Rubber tracks at low tension can come off the idlers if the loader is winched or skidded sideways at the terminal, so CTLs should be driven aboard under power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do CTLs fit in containers?
Yes, most compact track loaders fit in standard containers and consolidate well.
Are the rubber tracks protected?
Yes, we secure the machine to prevent track and undercarriage shifting.
Can I ship attachments too?
Yes, attachments ship with the unit or crated alongside.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below, each checked on the date shown. Carriers and authorities revise them, so we confirm the current figure when we book.
- [1]Takeuchi TL12R2: manufacturer specification, checked October 2026
- [2]John Deere 333G: manufacturer specification, checked October 2026
- [3]Seaway Project Cargo brand and model guides, checked October 22, 2026
Plan your shipment
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Route Finder
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Ready to Ship Your Compact Track Loaders?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote compact track loaders by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.