Forestry Mulchers Shipping
A mulching head ships in a container with its carrier or on its own; a dedicated tracked mulcher ships on a flat rack or by RoRo. Compact carriers with a mulching head fit a 40 ft high cube.
Overview
Forestry mulchers come in two forms. A mulching head mounted on a compact track loader or excavator ships with its carrier, often in the same container: a compact track loader with a head attachment fits a 40 ft high cube, whose door is 2.34 m wide and 2.58 m high. The head is taken off and crated or chained beside the machine.
Dedicated tracked mulchers and right-of-way machines are wider and heavier. They go on a 40 ft flat rack, which carries about 39,000 kg, or drive aboard a RoRo ship where a lane serves the destination.
Mulching drums and rotor teeth carry wood chips, soil and plant seed. Every head and machine is pressure-washed, including the drum housing and the cooling package, before loading, because destination ports inspect for plant matter.
We have no dedicated mulchers in our own loading records yet, so this page sets out the method rather than a past plan. Our compact track loader page lists published sizes for the carriers. We confirm the plan with photos before booking.
Send the make, model and serial number and the mulching head width. The head often decides the box. Clean the mulcher thoroughly of wood chips, soil and plant material, because mulchers carry a lot of debris and are closely inspected at the destination.
Cost depends on the carrier machine. Compact track mulchers fit a 40 ft high cube at a per-box rate, and larger dedicated mulchers go on a flat rack or by RoRo. The mulching head can share a box with other equipment, which lowers the cost.
Typical Specifications
| Weight Range | 8 - 25+ metric tons |
|---|---|
| Transport Width | 2.4m - 3.2m |
| Transport Height | 2.8m - 3.4m |
| Mulching Head | Drum or disc, guarded for transport |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
Fecon FTX150 mulching tractor, head on: 17 ft 5 in / 5.3 m long, 7 ft 10 in / 2.4 m wide, 8 ft 9 in / 2.67 m high, 17,400 lb / 7,900 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.
Fecon FTX150 mulching tractor, head on is 7 ft 10 in / 2.4 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 Fecon FTX150 mulching tractor, head on
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 (after partial disassembly)
RecommendedCompact mulchers and mulching heads fit a 40 ft high-cube; we remove the head and guards where needed.
Flat Rack Container
RecommendedFor compact units and detached heads.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
RecommendedFor self-propelled tracked mulchers 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
- Secure and guard the mulching head
- Protect hydraulic motors and lines
- Reduce fluids to ocean-transport levels
- Disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Document hours and condition
Common Models We Ship
- Fecon FTX / Blackhawk
- Caterpillar 299D mulcher configs
- Gyro-Trac GT-25, GT-13
- Tigercat M726, 480B
- ASV / Takeuchi mulching loaders
Manufacturers We Ship
Brands that build forestry mulchers, the ones in our loading records first, with model dimensions and the shipping method each one fits.
Where forestry mulchers shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on forestry mulchers bookings, and what avoids them.
- Mulching drums pack wood chips, soil and seed into the housing where ordinary washing misses it, so the drum is rotated or removed during cleaning for Australia, New Zealand or Chile.
- Carbide teeth on drum mulchers chip if the head is set down on bare steel, so the head is lowered onto timber and the teeth are wrapped before the machine is lashed.
- A compact mulcher clears the 2.34 m container door only after the head comes off, so the head is detached and crated on its own pallet rather than forced through in place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the mulching head removed for shipping?
Usually it stays on with guards secured; compact heads can be detached and crated where it lowers cost or dimensions.
Can mulchers ship in a container?
Smaller mulchers and skid-steer-mounted heads can ship in flat rack or standard containers; larger tracked units use RoRo.
Do you handle land-clearing fleet exports?
Yes, we ship complete land-clearing fleets including mulchers and carriers.
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 Mulchers?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote forestry mulchers by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.