Skidders Shipping
A grapple skidder such as a CAT 525 goes in one 40 ft high cube with the wheels and axle plates off, as all three in our loading records did. Whole, a Tigercat 620H is 3.33 m wide and ships by RoRo or on a flat rack.
Overview
Skidders are wide on their tyres and chains, and the tyres are what come off for a container. In our loading records a CAT 518, a CAT 525 and a John Deere 648G III each went in one 40 ft high cube once the wheels and the axle plates were taken off.
Whole, a skidder is too wide for any container. Tigercat prints the 620H at 7.415 m long, 3.33 m wide and 3.15 m high, at 19,595 kg. A machine like that drives aboard a RoRo ship from Baltimore or Brunswick where a lane serves the destination, or goes on a 40 ft flat rack.
The wheels, chains and grapple ride in the same box or on the same rack. Hydraulic lines are capped where they are disconnected, and the machine is chocked and lashed through its tie-down points.
Skidders work in mud and bark, and destination ports inspect for soil and plant matter. Every machine is pressure-washed, including the belly pans and the grapple, before it is loaded. We confirm the plan with photos of your skidder before booking.
Send the model, serial number and say whether it is a cable or grapple skidder and if it has a blade or chains. Clean the frame, tyres and grapple of soil, bark and wood, because forestry equipment is inspected for pests and seeds on arrival.
Cost depends on whether the skidder goes in a container, on a flat rack or by RoRo. Smaller skidders fit flat racks at a per-rack rate, and larger ones go by RoRo, priced by the cubic metres of the machine. Trucking from the seller to the port is quoted on top.
Typical Specifications
| Weight Range | 10 - 25+ metric tons |
|---|---|
| Transport Width | 2.9m - 3.6m |
| Transport Height | 3.2m - 3.8m |
| Tires | Large flotation forestry tires |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
John Deere 848L grapple skidder: 27 ft 3 in / 8.3 m long, 11 ft 2 in / 3.4 m wide, 10 ft 10 in / 3.3 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 848L grapple skidder is 11 ft 2 in / 3.4 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 John Deere 848L grapple skidder
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
Alternative when RoRo space is limited.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
RecommendedIdeal for self-propelled wheeled skidders.
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 the grapple or winch in transport position
- Lock the articulation joint where required
- Reduce fluids to ocean-transport levels
- Disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Document hours, tire condition, and any damage
Auction yards that sell skidders
Yards whose published equipment categories include skidders. Each yard page lists its nearest export ports and how we collect from it.
Common Models We Ship
- John Deere 648, 748, 848
- Tigercat 610, 620, 632
- Caterpillar 525, 535, 545
- Komatsu 845, 855
- Weiler S250
Manufacturers We Ship
Brands that build skidders, the ones in our loading records first, with model dimensions and the shipping method each one fits.
Where skidders shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on skidders bookings, and what avoids them.
- Tire chains and wide flotation tire options can add 300 mm or more to width, so the skidder is measured as it will ship, with chains taken off and packed separately.
- Calcium chloride ballast in skidder tires adds hundreds of kilos per wheel and corrodes rims if a tire is cut in transit, so the declared weight includes ballast and tires are checked for leaks.
- Articulated skidders swing wide when steered on a narrow RoRo ramp, so a driver unfamiliar with the machine can strike the ramp edge; we use operators who know articulated forestry machines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are skidders easy to ship by RoRo?
Yes, wheeled skidders drive on and off RoRo vessels easily, which is often the most economical method where a RoRo lane serves the destination. Elsewhere they ship on a flat rack.
Do you remove the grapple?
The grapple normally stays on; we secure it in transport position and protect hydraulic lines.
Can you handle a full forestry fleet?
Yes, we consolidate and ship complete forestry fleets - skidders, fellers, loaders - to a single 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 October 2026
- [2]Seaway Project Cargo: about the company, checked October 22, 2026
Plan your shipment
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Dimensional Weight Calculator
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Container Space Calculator
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Route Finder
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Ready to Ship Your Skidders?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote skidders by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.