Overview
A wheeled excavator stands taller on its tyres than a crawler of the same class, and in our loading records most ship in one 45 ft high cube laid on their side to clear the box's height: 29 of the 33 we have loaded, from the Daewoo DH80W to the CAT M318.
The CAT M322C went upright in one 45 ft high cube, and the Daewoo Solar 200W III and 210W III and the Hitachi ZX210W-DH went upright in one 40 ft high cube.
Where a RoRo line calls, a wheeled excavator can also drive aboard on its own tyres, whole, with the boom folded and the outriggers or blade raised.
Typical Specifications
| Machines in our loading records | 33, from seven makes |
|---|---|
| Usual plan | One 45 ft high cube, laid on its side (29 of 33) |
| Upright in a 40 ft high cube | Daewoo Solar 200W III and 210W III, Hitachi ZX210W-DH |
| Upright in a 45 ft high cube | CAT M322C |
| Range loaded | Daewoo DH80W to CAT M322C and Hitachi ZX220W |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Worked example
CAT M318 with blade and outriggers: 27 ft 5 in / 8.36 m long, 8 ft 4 in / 2.54 m wide, 11 ft / 3.36 m high, 41,000 lb / 18,600 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.
We have loaded CAT M318 with blade and outriggers in containers before, and that plan is the cheapest way to ship it.
- Rung 1
Container
Lowest cost
Best fit for CAT M318 with blade and outriggers
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
RecommendedOne 45 ft high cube with the machine laid on its side, or upright in a 40 ft high cube for the few that clear it.
RoRo Shipping
RecommendedDriven aboard on its own tyres where a RoRo line calls.
Flat Rack Container
Where neither a 45 ft high cube nor RoRo serves the destination.
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
- Boom and stick folded, the bucket set on the floor or crated
- Outriggers and dozer blade raised and pinned
- Tyres and undercarriage washed of soil
- Battery disconnected and fuel drawn down
- Spare buckets and attachments crated and listed
- Lashed through the tie-down points
Wheeled Excavators we have loaded in containers
A spread of machines from our dismantling and loading records, with the boxes each one went in. Open a brand to see every model and its plan.
Excavator
CAT 214 Wheel Excavator
1 × 45 ft high cube
Caterpillar loading plansExcavator
Hitachi ZX210W-DH
1 × 40 ft high cube
Hitachi Construction Machinery loading plansExcavator
CAT 224 Wheel Excavator
1 × 45 ft high cube
Caterpillar loading plansExcavator
CAT M313D Wheeled
1 × 45 ft high cube
Caterpillar loading plansExcavator
Hitachi EX 100WD-1
1 × 45 ft high cube
Hitachi Construction Machinery loading plansExcavator
Hitachi ZX210W
1 × 45 ft high cube
Hitachi Construction Machinery loading plansExcavator
Volvo EW160C
1 × 45 ft high cube
Volvo Construction Equipment loading plansExcavator
Volvo EW170C
1 × 45 ft high cube
Volvo Construction Equipment loading plansExcavator
Daewoo 130W III
1 × 45 ft high cube
Doosan loading plansExcavator
Daewoo 170W III
1 × 45 ft high cube
Doosan loading plansExcavator
Daewoo 200W III
1 × 45 ft high cube
Doosan loading plansExcavator
John Deere 210C-W
1 × 45 ft high cube
John Deere loading plans
Transport dimensions by model
Published dimensions, a scale drawing and every way to ship each one.
Common Models We Ship
- CAT M313D, M315D, M316D, M318, M322C
- Hitachi ZX210W, ZX220W
- Volvo EW160C, EW170C
- Hyundai 140W-7, 170W-3
- Doosan DX140W-5
Manufacturers We Ship
Brands that build wheeled excavators, with model dimensions and the shipping method each one fits.
Where wheeled excavators shipments go wrong
Mistakes we see on wheeled excavators bookings, and what avoids them.
- Booking a 40 ft high cube by the crawler's plan: in our loading records 29 of 33 wheeled excavators needed a 45 ft high cube, laid on their side.
- Leaving the outriggers or the blade unpinned: they are raised and pinned so they cannot drop in the box or on the RoRo deck.
- Quoting the width with the outriggers down: a CAT M318 is 2.54 m wide with them raised and 3.82 m with them on the ground, so the booking uses the raised figure and the machine is loaded that way.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a wheeled excavator ship in a container?
In our loading records, laid on its side in one 45 ft high cube: 29 of the 33 we have loaded went that way. The CAT M322C went upright in a 45 ft high cube, and the Daewoo Solar 200W III and 210W III and the Hitachi ZX210W-DH went upright in a 40 ft high cube.
Which wheeled excavators have you loaded?
CAT M313D to M322C and the 214 and 224, Daewoo and Doosan machines from the DH80W to the Solar 210W III, Hitachi ZX210W and ZX220W, Hyundai 130W to 200W, John Deere 210C-W and 595D, Samsung 170W and Volvo EW160C and EW170C.
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]Caterpillar CAT M318: manufacturer specification, checked October 2026
- [3]Seaway Project Cargo brand and model guides, checked October 22, 2026
Plan your shipment
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