Towable Boom Lifts Shipping
A towable boom lift goes in a 40 ft high cube with the boom stowed and the drawbar turned in. Two often share a box, with the outriggers retracted.
Overview
Towable boom lifts are trailer-mounted, with an articulating or telescopic boom that stows flat for road travel. Stowed, most are narrow and low enough to pass the 2.34 m by 2.58 m door of a 40 ft high cube, and the 12.03 m interior often takes two units nose to tail.
The outriggers are retracted and locked, the platform is secured in its rest, and the drawbar is turned or removed where it must be to fit. Each unit is chocked and lashed to the container floor so the trailer cannot move.
Larger towables with long reach can exceed the interior length with the drawbar on, and go in a 45 ft high cube or on a flat rack. Self-propelled versions on tracks follow the same plan with the tracks retracted.
We have no towable boom lifts in our own loading records yet, so this page sets out the method rather than a past plan. Manufacturers publish the stowed length, width and height for each model, and our boom lift page lists published sizes for self-propelled machines. We confirm the plan with photos before booking.
Send the make, model, serial number and platform height. Towable booms are light, so two or more often share a container or ride with other equipment. Keep the trailer title or bill of sale and the inspection record.
Cost depends on how many lifts share a box. Two or more towable booms often share one 40 ft high cube or flat rack, priced per box, which lowers the cost per lift. Trucking from the seller to the port is quoted on top.
Typical Specifications
| Working Height | 9m - 22m |
|---|---|
| Transport Width | 1.5m - 2.0m |
| Transport Height | 1.9m - 2.4m (stowed) |
| Mount | Trailer with tow hitch and outriggers |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
Genie TZ-50 (15 m towable): 22 ft 5 in / 6.83 m long, 5 ft 9 in / 1.75 m wide, 6 ft 8 in / 2.03 m high, 4,740 lb / 2,150 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.
Genie TZ-50 (15 m towable) fits a container in one piece, the cheapest way to ship it.
- Rung 1
Container
Lowest cost
Best fit for Genie TZ-50 (15 m towable)
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
When: Past flat-rack and roll-trailer limits, or shipped as modules lifted aboard piece by piece.
Container Shipping
RecommendedCompact towable lifts consolidate well in containers.
Flat Rack Container
RecommendedFor larger towable units.
RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off)
On a mafi/trailer where preferred.
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
- Fully stow and secure the boom and platform
- Retract and secure outriggers
- Secure the trailer and tow hitch
- Disconnect batteries for ocean shipment
- Document hours and condition
Common Models We Ship
- Niftylift 120T, 170
- Genie TZ-34, TZ-50
- JLG T350, T500J
- Haulotte 4527A (towable)
Where towable boom lifts shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on towable boom lifts bookings, and what avoids them.
- Quoting a 20 ft container from the boom length alone ignores the drawbar and jockey wheel, which take a TZ-50 well past 6 m so it needs a 40 ft box.
- Bi-energy towables such as the Niftylift 170 carry a bank of traction batteries, and wet lead-acid cells must be declared as dangerous goods or the container is refused at the gate.
- A US 2 inch ball coupler and 7-pin plug will not match a European 50 mm hitch and 13-pin socket, so buyers should budget for a coupler change before road use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do towable lifts fit in containers?
Yes, most towable boom lifts fit in standard or flat-rack containers and consolidate well.
Are the outriggers secured?
Yes, outriggers are retracted and secured along with the stowed boom.
Can these ship with other access equipment?
Yes, we consolidate towable lifts with booms and scissors 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 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 Towable Boom Lifts?
Send the make, model and pickup location. We quote towable boom lifts by container, flat rack or RoRo from the U.S. port that suits the machine.