Large Forklifts Shipping
A heavy forklift such as a Hyster H250H goes in one 40 ft high cube with the mast off. A Kalmar DCG160-12 takes a 40 ft open top and three high cubes, every box loaded to the heavy limit.
Overview
Heavy forklifts are short for their weight, because the counterweight that balances the load is most of the machine. The mast decides the container plan. In our loading records a Hyster H250H and a Mitsubishi FD135 each went in one 40 ft high cube after Disassembly, with the mast and forks off.
The largest trucks need more boxes and overweight-rated ones. A Kalmar DCG160-12 in our records went in a 40 ft open top loaded 12 in over height, plus three 40 ft high cubes, every box at the heavy limit, which needs a heavy-lift road leg to the port. Kalmar prints the DCG160-12T at 23,100 kg service weight, 5.575 m long to the fork face and 2.54 m wide, and 4.20 m high with the mast lowered against 2.92 m to the cab roof without it.
Whole, a running heavy forklift drives aboard a RoRo ship from Baltimore, Brunswick or Houston where a lane serves the destination, which saves the mast removal. Overweight and over-height boxes are cleared with the carrier first.
The forks and mast come off at the hinge pins, hydraulic lines are capped, the carriage is packed with the mast, and LPG cylinders are removed. Forklifts up to about 15,500 lb have their own page. We confirm the plan with photos of your truck and its data plate before booking.
Send the make, model, serial number, the mast type and the fork length. Those decide the box. Drain LPG and disconnect batteries before the truck reaches the port, and keep the data plate legible, since buyers need it to register and certify the truck.
Typical Specifications
| Capacity Range | 10 - 50+ metric tons |
|---|---|
| Transport Width | 2.3m - 3.5m |
| Transport Height | 2.8m - 4.0m (mast lowered) |
| Mast | Lowered/secured; may be removed for very tall masts |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
Hyster H360HD (16 t), mast lowered: 20 ft 8 in / 6.3 m long, 8 ft 2 in / 2.5 m wide, 12 ft 6 in / 3.8 m high, 50,700 lb / 23,000 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.
Hyster H360HD (16 t), mast lowered is 8 ft 2 in / 2.5 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 Hyster H360HD (16 t), mast 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 heavy counterbalance trucks or removed masts.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
RecommendedBest for self-propelled forklifts within height limits.
Breakbulk / Heavy Lift
For the largest capacity units.
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 mast; remove if over height
- Secure or remove the forks
- Reduce fluids and disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Account for dense counterweight in lashing plan
- Document hours and condition
Transport dimensions by model
Published dimensions, a scale drawing and every way to ship each one.
Auction yards that sell large forklifts
Yards whose published equipment categories include large forklifts. Each yard page lists its nearest export ports and how we collect from it.
Common Models We Ship
- Hyster H10-H48 XM series
- Kalmar DCG / DCF series
- Cat / Mitsubishi heavy forklifts
- Konecranes / SMV lift trucks
- Taylor / Hoist big trucks
Manufacturers We Ship
Brands that build large forklifts, the ones in our loading records first, with model dimensions and the shipping method each one fits.
Where large forklifts shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on large forklifts bookings, and what avoids them.
- An unladen counterbalance forklift carries most of its weight on the steer axle under the counterweight, so RoRo ramp and deck point loads are checked against that axle, not the average.
- Container-handling forklifts with a top-lift spreader fitted are taller and longer than the bare truck, so the spreader is either removed and shipped on its own rack or booked as part of the unit.
- Carriers will not load an LPG forklift with its gas cylinder fitted even when the gauge reads empty, so the cylinder is removed and the fuel line purged before delivery to the terminal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you remove the mast on big forklifts?
Only if it exceeds height limits; otherwise the mast is fully lowered and secured.
Which method is cheapest?
Smaller forklifts fit containers. Larger units usually go RoRo where a lane serves the destination, or on a flat rack; very heavy counterbalance trucks may require breakbulk.
Can you ship a fleet of lift trucks?
Yes, we consolidate and ship multiple lift trucks to one 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 Export loading records: machines dismantled and loaded at U.S. yards, checked July 2026
- [2]Kalmar DCG160-12T: manufacturer specification, checked October 2026
- [3]Seaway Project Cargo brand and model 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 Large Forklifts?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote large forklifts by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.