Forwarders Shipping
A forwarder ships whole by RoRo or on a flat rack with the crane folded and the bunks lowered. A container plan needs the crane, bunks and wheels off.
Overview
Forwarders are long articulated machines with a loading crane and a load bed. With the crane folded over the bed and the bunk stakes lowered, most are still wider than the 2.34 m container door on their tyres and bogies, so they drive aboard a RoRo ship from Baltimore or Brunswick where a lane serves the destination, or go on a 40 ft flat rack, whose deck is 12.06 m long.
A container plan is possible after Disassembly: the crane and grapple come off, the bunks are removed, and the bogie tracks and wheels come off. The manufacturer's transport dimensions show whether the frame then clears the door.
Bogie tracks and chains are heavy, and they ride with the machine or in a second box. The crane is laid on blocks, the grapple packed, and hydraulic lines capped.
Forestry machines carry bark and soil in their frames, and destination ports inspect for both. Every forwarder is pressure-washed before loading. We have no forwarders in our own loading records yet, so this page sets out the method; we confirm the plan with photos of your machine before booking.
Send the model, serial number and say whether the crane, grapple and bunk extensions are included. Clean the bunk, frame and tracks or chains of bark, soil and wood debris, because forestry machines are closely inspected for pests at the destination.
Cost depends on whether the forwarder ships on a flat rack or by RoRo. Flat racks are priced per rack plus an overhang surcharge, and RoRo is priced by the cubic metres of the machine with the crane folded. Trucking from the seller to the port is quoted on top.
Typical Specifications
| Weight Range | 12 - 30+ metric tons |
|---|---|
| Transport Width | 2.7m - 3.2m |
| Transport Height | 3.4m - 4.0m |
| Crane | Folded and secured for transport |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
John Deere 1210G forwarder, crane folded: 33 ft 6 in / 10.2 m long, 9 ft 8 in / 2.95 m wide, 12 ft 8 in / 3.85 m high, 40,800 lb / 18,500 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.
John Deere 1210G forwarder, crane folded is 9 ft 8 in / 2.95 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 John Deere 1210G forwarder, crane folded
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 where RoRo is unavailable.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
RecommendedPreferred for self-propelled forwarders within height 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
- Fold and secure the loader crane
- Secure load bunk stakes
- Lock the articulation joint where required
- Reduce fluids and disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Document hours and condition
Common Models We Ship
- Ponsse Buffalo, Elephant, Wisent
- John Deere 1010, 1110, 1210
- Komatsu 845, 855, 875
- Tigercat 1075, 1085
- Rottne F13, F18
Manufacturers We Ship
Brands that build forwarders, the ones in our loading records first, with model dimensions and the shipping method each one fits.
Where forwarders shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on forwarders bookings, and what avoids them.
- Bogie tracks fitted for soft ground make a forwarder wider than its published width, so the tracks are removed and crated or the machine is booked at its tracked width.
- Extendable load beds on some forwarders add over a metre when left extended, so the bunk is retracted and pinned and the machine is re-measured before the RoRo booking is fixed.
- Used Scandinavian forwarders often carry soil and needles inside the bogie housings and under belly plates, which New Zealand inspectors check, so belly plates are removed for the washdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the crane removed on a forwarder?
No, the loader crane is folded into transport position and secured; removal is rarely needed.
What method is most economical?
Where a RoRo lane serves the destination, RoRo is often most economical for self-propelled forwarders; otherwise, and for very tall units, a flat rack.
Do you ship CTL harvester and forwarder pairs together?
Yes, we frequently ship matched harvester/forwarder sets to the same destination.
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
Import Duty & Tax Estimator
Estimate duty and VAT on the CIF value for 70+ destinations.
Dimensional Weight Calculator
Work out chargeable weight before you book.
Container Space Calculator
See how your cargo fits in 20ft, 40ft, and HC containers.
Route Finder
Load port, sailings, duty and rules for a machine and destination.
Ready to Ship Your Forwarders?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote forwarders by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.