Where Heavy Haul Fits in Printing & Packaging
The printing and packaging industry encompasses a wide range of production technologies — from commercial web offset printing for catalogs, magazines, and direct mail to corrugated board production for shipping containers, flexographic printing for flexible film and label substrates, gravure printing for long-run packaging, and high-speed digital printing for variable-data direct mail and transactional documents. Capital equipment in these sectors ranges from modest sheet-fed offset presses weighing a few thousand pounds to massive web offset and gravure presses that are 60 to 150 feet long and weigh 200,000 to 600,000 pounds as fully assembled units.
When printing and packaging equipment must move — whether due to a plant consolidation, a capacity expansion at a different facility, an equipment acquisition at auction, or a new equipment installation from the manufacturer — the transport challenges can be significant. Long press lines exceed the length of standard flatbeds. Heavy press units exceed legal weight limits. Wide corrugated board machines and wide-web converting lines exceed standard width limits. R&RM LLC has been handling oversize industrial equipment transport since 2011, operating out of Cumming, Georgia and covering all 48 continental states, including the major printing and packaging manufacturing corridors in the Southeast, Midwest, and Northeast.
Get a Quote for Your MoveWeb Offset Printing Presses
Web offset printing — in which paper or substrate feeds from a roll (the "web") through a series of plate cylinders and impression cylinders that transfer inked images to both sides of the substrate in a continuous process — is the dominant technology for high-volume commercial printing. Web offset presses from manufacturers including Goss International, MAN Roland (now manroland), Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, and KBA (Koenig & Bauer) are installed at commercial printing plants, newspaper plants, and publication printers throughout the United States and regularly generate heavy haul transport requirements when plants consolidate or expand.
Coldset Web Offset Presses
Coldset web offset presses — used primarily for newspaper printing, where the ink dries by absorption into the newsprint — are typically configured in tower units with multiple printing decks stacked vertically. A full newspaper press installation for a major metropolitan daily may have 4 to 8 press towers, each 10 to 14 feet wide, 10 to 14 feet deep, and 20 to 30 feet tall, weighing 30,000 to 80,000 pounds per tower. Press towers and drive units are typically removed from the press foundation bolts, disassembled from adjacent units, rigged to the shop floor, and loaded individually onto flatbeds. The tower structures are within standard width limits, but the weight of major press units often requires multi-axle flatbeds or step-deck configurations with overweight permits.
The folder and superstructure — the complex folding, cutting, and delivery unit that processes the printed web into finished newspaper copies — is among the heaviest and most complex components to transport. A large newspaper folder may weigh 40,000 to 100,000 pounds and be 12 to 18 feet wide. The folder's complexity — hundreds of precisely machined folding and cutting components that must be disassembled, tagged, and reassembled in sequence — means that transport planning must account for the disassembly and reassembly labor as well as the physical transport.
Heatset Web Offset Presses
Heatset web offset presses — used for higher-quality commercial printing including catalogs, magazines, and inserts, where the ink is dried in a gas-fired dryer oven at the end of the printing units — are longer than coldset presses because of the dryer section that follows the last printing unit. A four-color heatset web press with two printing sides, a dryer, and a chill roller section may be 80 to 120 feet long as a fully configured installation. Because no single standard trailer can carry a press section longer than 53 feet, press transport almost always involves disassembling the press into individual printing units, the dryer section, the chill rollers, and the folder unit, each of which ships as a separate flatbed load.
Individual printing units for a wide-web heatset press — configured for printing on paper widths of 35 to 50 inches (web cutoff widths from 22 to 26 inches) — are typically 8 to 12 feet wide, 8 to 10 feet deep, and 6 to 8 feet tall, weighing 15,000 to 30,000 pounds each. The dryer section is a long, box-like structure that houses the gas burners, impingement air nozzles, and exhaust systems; large dryer sections for a major heatset press may be 20 to 30 feet long, 6 to 8 feet wide, and 6 to 8 feet tall, weighing 15,000 to 40,000 pounds.
Corrugated Board Manufacturing Equipment
Corrugated board — the wavy-core sandwich material used to make corrugated shipping containers (commonly called "cardboard boxes") — is manufactured on a corrugator, an integrated production line that bonds multiple layers of linerboard and medium paper into single-wall, double-wall, or triple-wall corrugated board. Corrugators are among the longest individual pieces of manufacturing machinery transported on U.S. highways.
Corrugator Single Facers and Double Backers
A corrugator single facer — the machine section that forms the fluted medium and bonds it to the first linerboard to create single-face corrugated board — is the heart of the corrugated manufacturing process. Single facers for modern high-speed corrugators are typically 8 to 10 feet wide (matching the board width being produced, typically 87 to 110 inches), 10 to 14 feet tall, and 15 to 25 feet long. The single facer's corrugating rolls — precision-machined fluted rolls that form the medium — weigh 2,000 to 6,000 pounds each and are among the most expensive and damage-sensitive components in the corrugated plant.
The double backer section — which bonds the second linerboard to the open face of the single-face web to complete the board lamination and dries the board under weighted belts — is a long, low structure: typically 8 to 10 feet wide, 3 to 5 feet tall, and 60 to 100 feet long. The double backer's full length cannot fit on a single 53-foot flatbed and must be removed in sections for transport. Individual sections of 20 to 40 feet each are manageable flatbed loads, but the total transport for a corrugator line that includes single facers, the double backer, a splicer, an ink printer, and the slitter-scorer and cutoff sections can easily run to 10 to 25 individual truckloads.
Corrugated Converting Equipment
After the corrugated board is manufactured on the corrugator, it is converted into finished boxes and sheets on converting equipment — flexo folder-gluers (FFGs), die cutters, rotary die cutters, folder-gluers, stitchers, and specialty converting machines. A large flexo folder-gluer for high-volume shipping container production is typically 8 to 12 feet wide and 50 to 80 feet long, combining the printing, scoring, slotting, and folding-and-gluing operations in a single pass. Individual sections of a large FFG — the feed section, printing stations, folding and gluing section, and counter-ejector — each ship as separate flatbed loads weighing 10,000 to 30,000 pounds per section.
Flexographic Printing Presses
Flexographic printing — which uses flexible rubber or photopolymer printing plates mounted on a cylinder that rotates against a web of substrate — is the dominant printing process for flexible packaging, labels, corrugated preprint, paper bags, and other substrate types where offset printing is impractical. Flexographic presses from manufacturers including BOBST, Mark Andy, Windmoeller & Hoelscher (W&H), Comexi, and Uteco range from narrow-web label presses to wide-web flexo lines for film packaging, tissue, and bag printing.
Wide-web flexographic printing lines for flexible packaging — printing on substrates 40 to 60 inches wide at speeds of 1,500 to 2,000 feet per minute — are typically 8 to 12 feet wide overall, 10 to 14 feet tall, and 40 to 80 feet long for an 8- to 10-color press. Individual printing decks and the unwind/rewind stands ship as separate flatbed loads within standard weight limits, but the unwind stand, rewind stand, and large dancer roller assemblies may be 8 to 12 feet wide, potentially requiring overwidth permits. Combination printing-laminating-slitting lines used in flexible packaging are even longer, sometimes exceeding 100 feet in installed length.
Narrow-web label presses — printing on substrate widths of 10 to 20 inches for pressure-sensitive labels, tags, and tickets — are compact machines typically within standard flatbed dimensions, weighing 5,000 to 25,000 pounds. Wide-format digital label presses and narrow-web combination printing and converting lines are also generally within standard limits. The transport challenge for narrow-web label equipment is more about protecting precision-engineered print decks, die cutting stations, and laminating systems from vibration and contamination than about dimensional permit requirements.
Gravure Printing Presses
Gravure printing — in which the image is engraved into a copper-plated cylinder and ink is transferred from the engraved cells to the substrate — is used for very long print runs of flexible packaging, decorative laminates, wallcovering, floor covering, and publication printing where the highest quality and most consistent color reproduction are required. Gravure presses from manufacturers including BOBST, Windmoeller & Hoelscher, and Cerutti are among the longest and heaviest individual printing machines transported.
A wide-web gravure press for flexible packaging printing — printing on film substrate widths of 40 to 60 inches with 8 to 10 color units in a line configuration — may be 10 to 14 feet wide, 12 to 16 feet tall, and 80 to 150 feet long. Individual gravure printing units are typically 8 to 12 feet wide and 10 to 14 feet tall, weighing 15,000 to 40,000 pounds each. The press dryers — ovens between each printing unit that evaporate the solvent-based gravure ink — are 10 to 20 feet long each and add substantial length to the installed press. The solvent recovery system, a large vessel-based activated carbon or cold-trap recovery unit, may weigh 20,000 to 60,000 pounds and require overweight permits on some routes.
Gravure cylinder grinding and engraving equipment — CNC grinding machines and laser or electromechanical engraving machines used to prepare the gravure cylinders — are precision machine tools that are extremely sensitive to vibration and shock during transport. These machines require specialized transport planning that addresses vibration isolation, horizontal leveling during transport, and controlled loading and unloading procedures to prevent damage to precision spindle bearings and table ways.
Paper and Board Converting Equipment
Large-format paper and board converting lines for tissue manufacturing, paperboard converting, newsprint rolls, and specialty paper products generate regular heavy haul transport requirements. The machines in this category are characterized by wide process widths, large diameter rolls, and the high precision of the roll-handling and winding systems.
Winders and Rewinders
Winders for large papermaking machines — which slit and rewind the full-width paper web from the paper machine into narrower rolls of the required width and diameter for shipping and converting — are among the most specialized and challenging pieces of equipment in paper converting to transport. A large surface winder or center-surface winder for a major paper machine may be 20 to 35 feet wide, 15 to 20 feet tall, and 25 to 40 feet long. Transport widths of 20 to 35 feet require overwidth permits at the upper end of the routine permit range in most states, with pilot car requirements and movement hour restrictions for the widest units.
Slitter-rewinders for flexible packaging and specialty converting operations — which slit wide rolls of film, paper, or foil into narrower rolls at high speed — are typically 6 to 14 feet wide in overall transport width, with the widest units requiring overwidth permits. The turret-style slitter-rewinders that are common in high-speed film converting are particularly sensitive to vibration and must be transported on vibration-isolated flatbeds or with vibration damping systems beneath the machine.
Laminating and Coating Lines
Extrusion laminating lines — which coat paper, paperboard, or film with a continuous layer of extruded polyethylene, polypropylene, or other polymer for moisture barrier, heat-seal, or functional properties — are wide-web, high-precision machines. A wide-web extrusion laminating line for paper cup stock, aseptic packaging, or flexible packaging may be 8 to 14 feet wide, 12 to 16 feet tall, and 40 to 80 feet long. The extruder and die assembly is among the heaviest individual components, with large extruder units weighing 15,000 to 40,000 pounds.
Print Plant Relocations and Auction Pickups
The commercial printing industry has undergone significant consolidation since the 2000s as digital media reduced demand for some print segments, and large printing companies have repeatedly rationalized capacity by closing less efficient plants and transferring equipment to remaining facilities. Industrial equipment auctioneers — including Heritage Global, Winco, IPP, and printing industry specialists such as Printing Industries of America equipment listings — regularly offer web offset presses, heatset presses, and corrugated equipment at plant liquidation events.
Printing equipment auction pickups have specific timing requirements. Auction house removal deadlines are typically 30 to 60 days from auction date, and the buyer is responsible for providing the rigging labor and transportation. For heavy web presses that require disassembly, crane lifts inside the pressroom, and multi-load transport, the logistics planning must begin immediately after the auction purchase. R&RM LLC works with industrial rigging contractors to coordinate the disassembly, loading, and transport of printing equipment acquired at auction throughout the continental United States.
Plant-to-plant equipment moves — where a printing company transfers equipment from a closing plant to an active facility — require coordinating the sequence of equipment removal, transport, and reinstallation to minimize production disruption. When a company is moving 5 to 15 major press units and their associated equipment from one state to another, R&RM LLC coordinates with the plant engineering and rigging teams to schedule transports in the sequence that supports the reinstallation schedule at the receiving plant.
Permit Requirements for Printing & Packaging Equipment
Printing and packaging equipment transport permit requirements are driven by three categories of over-limit characteristics.
Overlength Loads
Long press sections, corrugated board machine sections, and wide-web converting line sections that exceed 53 feet in transport length — after disassembly into the minimum number of sections needed for transport — require overlong permits. In most states, loads from 53 feet to 65 feet are handled with a standard overlong permit. Loads over 65 feet require a longer permit with potential escort requirements in some states.
Overwidth Loads
Standard permits in most states cover widths from 8 feet 6 inches to 14 or 16 feet with escalating pilot car requirements. Wide corrugated board machines, wide flexographic printing lines, and wide-web winders that exceed 14 feet in transport width require permits at the upper end of the routine overwidth range. Loads exceeding 16 feet in most states require two pilot car escorts and often face movement hour restrictions. See our oversize load signage requirements guide for requirements on all overwidth loads.
Overweight Loads
Individual press units and press components that exceed 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight — including gravure press printing units, large dryer sections, and heavy converting machine frames — require overweight permits. Most printing equipment falls within the 40,000 to 80,000 pound range per transport unit, within standard weight limits when distributed across a multi-axle flatbed configuration. When a single press component exceeds 80,000 pounds, a multi-axle step-deck or lowboy with additional axle lines is required to stay within per-axle weight limits.
For moves that cross multiple states — particularly common for printing industry consolidations involving plants in different parts of the country — see our multi-state permit coordination guide for details on managing permits across multiple state transportation agencies simultaneously.
Special Handling Considerations for Printing Equipment
Printing and packaging equipment has several transport characteristics that require attention beyond standard heavy haul practices.
Precision Cylinder and Roll Protection
Printing cylinders — whether gravure cylinders, impression cylinders, or anilox rolls for flexographic printing — are precision-machined components with surfaces that can be damaged by a single point of contact during transport. Gravure cylinders with engraved or electromechanically etched copper surfaces are particularly vulnerable, as the engraved cells that hold ink can be damaged by abrasive contact. Cylinders and rolls must be individually crated, wrapped, or protected in custom transport frames that prevent rotation, contact with other surfaces, and vibration-induced fretting damage.
Press Section Leveling During Transport
Some press sections — particularly register control units, web tension control units, and splice preparation systems — contain sensitive electronic and mechanical components that must remain within a few degrees of level during transport to protect precision bearings and alignment systems. For these sections, trailer decks are shimmed level at loading, and routing is planned to minimize steep grades.
Ink and Chemistry Residuals
Used printing equipment transported after a plant closure may retain ink residuals, dampening solution, or chemistry in ink fountains, pumping systems, and ducts. The U.S. Department of Transportation's PHMSA hazardous materials regulations require that inks, solvents, and chemistry meeting the definition of hazardous materials be removed, neutralized, or properly documented as hazardous material residue before transport. Most oil-based offset inks and solvent-based flexographic and gravure inks are flammable liquids and require hazmat documentation if present in significant quantities. R&RM LLC coordinates with customers and their rigging contractors to ensure that ink and chemistry residuals are handled in compliance with applicable DOT regulations before transport.
Industries and Customers We Serve
R&RM LLC's printing and packaging industry transport customers include:
- Commercial printing plants: Heatset and coldset web press moves for catalog printers, publication printers, and commercial printing consolidations nationwide
- Newspaper plants: Tower and folder transport for newspaper press upgrades, plant consolidations, and legacy press removals at shuttered newspaper facilities
- Corrugated board plants: Corrugator section moves, flexo folder-gluer and die cutter transport for corrugated box plant expansions, relocations, and new plant installations
- Flexible packaging converters: Flexographic and gravure press moves, laminating line transport, and slitter-rewinder relocations for film, foil, and specialty packaging converters
- Label converters: Narrow-web press and converting equipment moves for pressure-sensitive label producers
- Tissue and specialty paper producers: Winder transport, rewinder moves, and large paper machine component hauling
- Industrial auctioneers: Pickup and delivery of printing and converting equipment acquired at plant liquidation auctions
- Printing equipment dealers and brokers: Transport of used web presses, flexographic lines, and gravure presses acquired from plant closings for reconditioning and resale
- OEM equipment manufacturers: New press and converting line deliveries from domestic and international manufacturing facilities to U.S. installation sites
Planning Your Printing Equipment Move
A successful printing or packaging equipment transport requires careful planning in four areas: dimensions, permits, sequence, and site readiness.
Dimensions and Disassembly Planning
Measure the actual transport dimensions of each press section or machine unit after disassembly to the level planned for transport. Press sections that look similar on the manufacturer's drawing may vary significantly in transport dimensions depending on which drives, guards, and auxiliary components are left attached versus removed for transport. Confirm with the rigging contractor which components will be removed before loading.
Permit Lead Time
Standard overwidth permits for loads from 8 feet 6 inches to 14 feet wide typically take 3 to 7 business days in most states. Wider loads and overweight loads may take longer. For multi-state moves, R&RM LLC files all state permits simultaneously to ensure they are ready before the first transport departs the origin plant. Allow at least 10 business days for multi-state printing equipment moves. Confirm immediately after an auction purchase or plant closure decision — permit processing cannot be accelerated once removal deadlines are established.
Sequencing for Plant Relocations
When moving an entire press line or converting line from one plant to another, the receiving plant's installation sequence determines the transport sequence. The last section installed at the receiving plant is the first to leave the origin plant, so the last section delivered is the first ready for installation. R&RM LLC coordinates transport scheduling with the rigging and installation teams to match the required delivery sequence.
Site Access at Both Ends
Printing plant loading docks and press-room access doors are designed for standard tractor-trailer access. Wide loads that exceed the press-room door width require the driver and rigging contractor to determine whether the load can be moved through a wider plant entrance or whether the door must be temporarily modified. At the delivery site, confirm crane capacity, floor load limits, and door access before the transport departs the origin.
R&RM LLC — based in Cumming, Georgia and in business since 2011 — provides oversize load transport and overweight load transport for printing and packaging industry equipment throughout all 48 continental states. Call (404) 987-6225 or use the online quote form to discuss your press or converting equipment move. We handle overwidth, overheight, overweight, and overlong permit acquisition, pilot car coordination, and delivery scheduling for all printing and packaging equipment transport needs.