Straddle Carriers Shipping
A straddle carrier ships as breakbulk or by RoRo on ships with high decks, often with the upper frame lowered or removed. Its height rules out every container and most RoRo decks whole.
Overview
Straddle carriers stand over a container stack, so they are among the tallest mobile machines in a port, and their height decides the method. Whole, most are too tall for a standard RoRo deck, and they ship as breakbulk on deck, lifted at the points the manufacturer marks, or on RoRo ships with high-clearance decks where the carrier can take them.
Many straddle carriers are designed to be shipped with the upper frame or cab lowered or removed, which brings them within more ships' limits. The manufacturer's transport instructions set the sequence.
Shuttle and sprinter carriers that stack one high are lower and fit more ships. Spare parts and components go in 40 ft high cubes.
We have no straddle carriers in our own loading records, so this page sets out the method rather than a past plan. Moves between ports are often planned around a direct sailing, with the machine driven to the berth. We confirm the vessel, the lift plan and the method before booking.
Send the make, model and serial number and ask the seller for the manufacturer's transport drawing. That drawing decides whether the machine can ship whole or needs the upper frame lowered. Plan the port and ship together, since few ports and ships handle a straddle carrier whole.
Cost depends mostly on the ship. Few ships take a straddle carrier whole, so breakbulk on a heavy-lift or multipurpose ship is common, priced by weight or volume, whichever is greater. Lowering the frame can open cheaper options with more sailings.
Typical Specifications
| Lift Capacity | 40+ metric tons |
|---|---|
| Frame Height | Up to 16m+ (may be reduced for transport) |
| Transport | Often partially knocked down |
| Weight | 60 - 70+ metric tons |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
Kalmar 1-over-3 straddle carrier, assembled: 31 ft 10 in / 9.7 m long, 16 ft 1 in / 4.9 m wide, 49 ft 6 in / 15.1 m high, 68 US tons / 62,000 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.
Kalmar 1-over-3 straddle carrier, assembled weighs 68 US tons / 62,000 kg, over a flat rack’s 86,000 lb / 39,000 kg payload, so it ships breakbulk.
- 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
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
Best fit for Kalmar 1-over-3 straddle carrier, assembled
When: Past flat-rack and roll-trailer limits, or shipped as modules lifted aboard piece by piece.
Breakbulk / Heavy Lift
RecommendedPrimary method given height and weight.
Flat Rack Container
RecommendedFor knocked-down components.
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
- Plan disassembly of legs/spreader where required
- Engineer lift points and lashing for tall frame
- Reduce fluids and disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Coordinate reassembly at destination
- Document configuration and condition
Common Models We Ship
- Kalmar straddle / shuttle carriers
- Konecranes Noell straddle carriers
- Liebherr straddle carriers
Where straddle carriers shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on straddle carriers bookings, and what avoids them.
- An assembled 1-over-3 straddle carrier stands about 15 m high, too tall for any RoRo deck, so it ships as deck cargo on a heavy-lift vessel with cranes rated for that weight.
- Wind loading on the tall open frame is high, so lifts on and off the vessel stop above set wind speeds, and the schedule needs weather days at both load and discharge ports.
- Knocking a straddle carrier down to legs and spreader saves deck space but needs OEM technicians and alignment checks at reassembly, so that cost is weighed against shipping it assembled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do straddle carriers ship assembled?
Usually partially knocked down due to their height; we plan disassembly and reassembly.
What shipping method is used?
Breakbulk/heavy lift is typical, with knocked-down components on flat racks.
Do you coordinate reassembly?
Yes, we can arrange technical support for reassembly at the destination terminal.
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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Route Finder
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Ready to Ship Your Straddle Carriers?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote straddle carriers by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.