Forestry Harvesters Shipping
A cut-to-length harvester ships whole by RoRo or on a flat rack with the head off and the crane folded. In a container it needs the head, crane and wheels off.
Overview
Cut-to-length harvesters are wheeled machines with a long crane and a harvesting head, and the head is the first thing that comes off for any method. With the crane folded, a wheeled harvester is wider than the 2.34 m container door on its bogies, so it usually drives aboard a RoRo ship from Baltimore or Brunswick where a lane serves the destination, or goes on a 40 ft flat rack.
The harvesting head ships on its own pallet or frame, in a high cube or on the same flat rack, with the saw bar and chain removed and the measuring system protected. The control system and its computer are the most valuable parts and travel with the cab.
Tracked harvesters built on excavator carriers follow the excavator plans: the head and boom come off, and the base machine ships in containers or on a flat rack by width.
Harvesters carry sawdust, bark and soil, and destination ports inspect for all three. Every machine is pressure-washed before loading. We have no harvesters in our own loading records yet, so this page sets out the method; we confirm the plan with photos before booking.
Send the model, serial number and the harvesting head model. The head comes off for transport and ships with its hoses capped. Clean the machine of bark, soil and wood debris before the port, since forestry equipment is closely inspected for pests on arrival.
Cost depends on whether the harvester ships by RoRo or on a flat rack. RoRo is priced by the cubic metres of the machine, so taking the head off can lower the rate. Flat racks are priced per rack plus any overhang surcharge.
Typical Specifications
| Weight Range | 14 - 30+ metric tons |
|---|---|
| Transport Width | 2.7m - 3.3m |
| Transport Height | 3.5m - 4.0m |
| Harvester Head | Secured and protected (often shipped attached) |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
Ponsse Scorpion King, head lowered: 30 ft 2 in / 9.2 m long, 9 ft 10 in / 3 m wide, 13 ft / 3.95 m high, 49,600 lb / 22,500 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.
Ponsse Scorpion King, head lowered is 9 ft 10 in / 3 m wide, over the 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m container door, so shipping it whole starts on the next rung up.
- Rung 1
Container
Lowest cost
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
Best fit for Ponsse Scorpion King, head lowered
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.
Flat Rack Container
RecommendedFor taller units or head shipped separately.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
RecommendedBest for self-propelled harvesters within limits.
Heavy Haul Trucking
RecommendedPermitted inland transport to the port.
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 and secure the boom and harvester head
- Protect harvester-head knives, rollers, and hoses
- Reduce fluids to ocean-transport levels
- Disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Document hours, head model, and condition
Common Models We Ship
- Ponsse Ergo, Scorpion, Bear
- John Deere 1170, 1270, 1470
- Komatsu 901, 911, 931
- Tigercat 1185, H822
- Rottne H8, H11
Manufacturers We Ship
Brands that build forestry harvesters, the ones in our loading records first, with model dimensions and the shipping method each one fits.
Where forestry harvesters shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on forestry harvesters bookings, and what avoids them.
- Harvester heads carry measuring wheels and diameter sensors that drift out of calibration after a hard set-down, so cut lengths are re-calibrated on arrival before the buyer trusts the bucking data.
- Wheeled harvesters with leveling cabs and rotating cranes rely on transport pins that are easy to leave in the cab, so the pins are fitted and checked before the crane is lashed.
- Saw bars and chains left on a harvester head work loose at sea, so the bar and chain are removed and packed, and the saw box is closed to protect the saw motor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the harvester head shipped attached?
Usually yes, lowered and protected. High-value heads can be removed and crated separately on request.
Can harvesters ship by RoRo?
Yes, if within height limits; otherwise flat rack or breakbulk is used.
Do you handle export cleaning for forestry machines?
Yes, we coordinate washdown and any phytosanitary requirements for the destination country.
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]Seaway Project Cargo: about the company, checked October 22, 2026
- [2]Seaway Project Cargo country shipping guides, checked October 22, 2026
Plan your shipment
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Ready to Ship Your Forestry Harvesters?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote forestry harvesters by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.