Heavy Haul for the Recycling & Waste Management Industry

The Recycling and Waste Management Industry's Heavy Haul Needs

The recycling and waste management industry encompasses a wide range of operations: municipal solid waste (MSW) processing facilities, material recovery facilities (MRFs), industrial and commercial recycling operations, construction and demolition debris processors, electronic waste dismantlers, tire shredding operations, wood waste processors, and waste-to-energy facilities. Each of these operations relies on large, specialized processing machinery — and that machinery must periodically be moved.

New facility construction is the most common heavy transport trigger: a new MRF or waste processing plant under construction requires delivery of sorting conveyors, trommel screens, optical sorters, shredding systems, and baling equipment — often from multiple OEM suppliers, sometimes from overseas via port. Equipment relocation follows: consolidating facilities, closing an underperforming site, or deploying equipment to a new market creates cross-country heavy haul needs. Equipment replacement (trading out an aging shredder for a higher-throughput model), hurricane or flood recovery, and facility expansion also generate transport requirements.

R&RM LLC has been moving oversize and overweight loads out of Cumming, Georgia across all 48 continental states since 2011. Recycling and waste management equipment transport draws on our full service range: oversize load transport, overweight load transport, industrial equipment transport, and permit and escort services.

Industrial Shredders: The Heaviest Category

Industrial shredders are among the heaviest pieces of processing equipment in the recycling sector. Primary shredders for MSW, tire shredding, and industrial scrap — machines from manufacturers such as SSI Shredding Systems, Metso Lindemann, Untha, Vecoplan, Weima, and Hammel — range from 20,000 pounds for a compact single-shaft shredder to over 200,000 pounds for large primary hammer mill shredders.

Single-Shaft Shredders (20,000–80,000 lbs)

Single-shaft shredders for plastics, wood, and light industrial scrap are typically transported in one piece on a heavy-duty lowboy or multi-axle trailer. At widths of 6 to 10 feet and lengths of 15 to 30 feet, most single-shaft shredders move within oversize (not superload) permit territory. A single-shaft shredder weighing 60,000 pounds on a 40,000-pound trailer with a 20,000-pound truck requires an overweight permit in virtually every state, and axle weight configurations must be calculated carefully to stay within individual axle limits. R&RM LLC works with our permit services to compute the correct axle configuration for each shredder weight before applying for permits.

Dual-Shaft and Four-Shaft Shredders (50,000–120,000 lbs)

Dual-shaft and four-shaft shredders — used for higher-throughput applications including tire shredding, MSW primary processing, and industrial recycling — are heavier and sometimes wider than single-shaft units. At widths of 8 to 12 feet, these machines may require oversize permits for width alone. The combined gross vehicle weight on a multi-axle lowboy carrying a 100,000-pound dual-shaft shredder will require detailed axle weight planning and a state-by-state overweight permit package. In some cases, the shredder's cutting box and drive assembly are separated for transport to reduce individual piece weights and allow standard oversize (non-superload) permit processing.

Primary Hammer Mill and Rotary Shredders (100,000–250,000+ lbs)

The largest primary shredders — heavy-duty hammer mills for MSW, large rotary shredders, and industrial-grade primary reduction machines — can weigh over 200,000 pounds and approach or exceed superload thresholds in multiple states. Moves in this category require engineering route surveys, superload permit processing in each state, and often require the shredder to be transported in major sub-assemblies rather than as a single piece. Planning for a primary shredder relocation should begin 6 to 10 weeks before the targeted move date to allow for superload permit processing. See our superload permits guide for details on how engineering review and superload permitting works.

Balers: Cardboard, Plastic, Metal, and Tire Balers

Industrial balers are used in MRFs, distribution centers, manufacturing plants, and recycling operations to compress recovered materials into dense, uniformly sized bales for shipment to end markets. The transport profile of a baler depends heavily on its type and size.

Vertical Balers (2,000–8,000 lbs)

Vertical balers — common in retail and light commercial recycling applications — are small enough to ship as standard freight or on a small flatbed. These are not typically a heavy haul move unless multiple units are being consolidated on a single shipment.

Two-Ram Horizontal Balers (20,000–80,000 lbs)

Two-ram horizontal balers are the workhorse of MRF operations, used for cardboard, mixed paper, and PET plastic. A mid-size two-ram baler — such as the Harris Badger, IPS X-Press, or Bollegraaf HBC series — typically weighs 30,000 to 60,000 pounds and is 20 to 30 feet long. At these dimensions, most two-ram balers require overweight permits and may require oversize permits depending on width and height. Transport is typically by heavy lowboy or multi-axle flat trailer.

Heavy-Duty Ferrous Metal Balers (60,000–150,000 lbs)

Large ferrous scrap balers — used in auto shredder facilities, steel scrap yards, and industrial metal recycling operations — are among the heaviest recycling machinery. Manufacturers including Sierra International, Sennebogen, and Metso build ferrous balers that exceed 100,000 pounds. These moves require multi-axle lowboy transport, detailed axle weight calculations, and state-by-state overweight permit packages. Some configurations require oversize permits for width or height in addition to overweight authorization.

Tire Balers (10,000–40,000 lbs)

Tire balers from manufacturers such as Gradeall and Balemaster compress whole passenger and truck tires into dense bales. Tire balers are generally smaller than ferrous metal balers, but the largest whole-truck-tire baler configurations still require lowboy transport and overweight permits for moves on routes with axle bridges sensitive to concentrated load.

Material Recovery Facility (MRF) Equipment

Modern MRFs are complex facilities with multiple processing lines, each containing numerous individual pieces of equipment that must be shipped to the facility site and unloaded into position. The components most commonly requiring heavy haul are those that arrive as large, pre-assembled modules rather than being built in place.

Trommel Screens

Rotating drum screens (trommels) used for MSW primary separation, compost screening, and construction debris processing can be 10 to 15 feet in diameter and 20 to 40 feet long. These machines are typically transported as fully assembled units when dimensions allow, or disassembled into drum and frame sections when the assembled diameter exceeds legal height limits. A 12-foot-diameter trommel drum loaded on a lowboy trailer may approach 14 feet in overall height — often within legal limits — or may require a height permit depending on the trailer deck height and the route. Width is rarely an issue for trommel drums. A trommel screen transport requires a low-profile trailer and careful strapping given the drum's cylindrical surface and the risk of rolling under tie-down load.

Optical Sorters and Conveyor Systems

Optical sorters (ballistic separators, air classifiers, and NIR optical sorters from manufacturers including STADLER, Tomra, BRT Analytics, and Bulk Handling Systems) are generally lighter than shredders and balers, but conveyor system structural frames — particularly the main conveyor lines spanning 100+ feet — are often fabricated as large weldments that must be shipped as oversized structural pieces. Long conveyor frames — 60 to 80 feet — require permits for length and are typically hauled on extendable flatbed trailers.

Eddy Current Separators and Magnetic Equipment

Eddy current separators and overhead magnetic belts are typically compact enough for standard freight. However, large permanent magnet assemblies for primary ferrous removal — particularly the overhead belt magnets used in high-throughput MSW lines — can weigh 10,000 to 20,000 pounds and may require lowboy transport to the facility. These units are less likely to require oversize permits than they are to require overweight permits due to their concentration of weight in a compact footprint.

Landfill and Transfer Station Equipment

Landfill operations, transfer stations, and waste-to-energy facilities require their own heavy haul logistics for both fixed processing equipment and mobile machinery used in daily operations.

Landfill Compactors (80,000–120,000 lbs)

Specialized landfill compactors — massive steel-wheeled machines designed to compact MSW in landfill cells — are among the heaviest pieces of mobile equipment in regular use at waste facilities. Caterpillar 836K, Bomag BC972, and Terex 860 landfill compactors weigh 80,000 to 100,000 pounds in operating condition. Transport requires a heavy multi-axle lowboy, detailed axle weight planning, and overweight permits in every state on the route. Because of their extreme operating weight, these machines also require careful deck weight distribution analysis to avoid overloading individual trailer axles. See our compactors transport page for additional details on compactor hauling.

Transfer Station Compactors and Packer Bodies

Stationary transfer station compactors — large fixed compactors that compress MSW into transfer trailers for long-haul disposal — are typically transported when being installed in a new facility or replaced at an existing one. These units can weigh 20,000 to 60,000 pounds and require lowboy or heavy flatbed transport with overweight permits for most configurations.

Waste-to-Energy Boilers and Steam Turbines

Waste-to-energy (WtE) facilities burn MSW to generate electricity, using large boiler systems and steam turbines that are among the most complex and massive industrial equipment moves in the waste sector. WtE boiler sections, air quality control system components (selective catalytic reduction systems, fabric filter housings), and steam turbine generators move as oversize and overweight loads requiring multi-state permit coordination and, for the largest components, superload engineering review. These are among the longest lead-time transport projects in the industry. See our industrial boilers transport page and electrical switchgear transport page for related equipment coverage.

Special Considerations for Recycling Equipment Transport

Residual Material and Contamination

Used recycling and waste processing equipment frequently contains residual material — shredded plastics, paper dust, metal fines, fluids, or MSW residue — that must be removed or contained before transport. State DOT regulations prohibit transporting loads that shed debris onto roadways. Before loading any used shredder, baler, or MSW processing equipment, the shipper is responsible for confirming that all residual material has been removed or thoroughly contained. R&RM LLC will not load equipment that poses a roadway debris risk. Planning the move should include adequate time for equipment cleanout before the pickup date.

Fluid Draining

Hydraulic systems, gearboxes, and cooling circuits in shredders, balers, and compactors must be drained before transport. This is both a safety requirement — fluids can shift load center of gravity — and a practical necessity, as many states classify transport of equipment containing certain fluids as hazardous material transport requiring additional permits and driver certification beyond standard heavy haul authorization. Confirming fluid drain status before the truck arrives avoids delays at loading.

Detaching and Crating Wear Components

Shredder hammers, baler knives, trommel screen panels, and similar wear components are typically removed from the machine before transport when they create height, width, or weight issues, or when they present a securement challenge. These components are often crated and shipped as separate pieces on the same trailer or on a companion flatbed. Coordinating component removal and packaging with the OEM or the rigging contractor before the transport date prevents loading-day delays.

Spring Weight Restrictions

Many states impose temporary weight restrictions on state and county roads during spring thaw — typically from late February through May depending on the state. Recycling and waste facility construction projects often target spring completion dates, creating a conflict between the need to deliver heavy equipment and the reduced weight limits on access roads. The primary state highways and interstates used for long-haul overweight transport are generally exempt from spring restrictions; it is the local delivery roads and facility access that are most affected. Planning the route to the facility site in advance — and confirming the capacity of access roads and any bridges on the delivery approach — prevents the all-too-common scenario of a loaded truck arriving at a facility that is not accessible at legal weight. See our seasonal heavy haul guide for a detailed breakdown of spring restriction season by state.

Crane and Rigging Coordination

Large shredder systems, MRF sorting lines, and WtE components frequently require crane unloading at the destination — the equipment is too large or heavy to drive or fork-lift off the trailer. Coordinating the destination crane's availability with the truck's delivery window is a critical logistics step. A truck arriving at a facility where the crane is committed to another lift faces detention charges and schedule delays. R&RM LLC works with shippers to confirm destination rigging availability before dispatching the loaded truck.

Regulatory Agencies and Resources

Recycling and waste management equipment transport interacts with several regulatory agencies:

• FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration): Sets the base weight and dimension standards for legal freight and the framework for oversize/overweight permits.
• State DOT permit offices: Issue the oversize and overweight permits required for each state on the route. Each state has its own permit application system, fee structure, and processing time. R&RM LLC's permit services coordinate across all required states for each move.
• EPA and state environmental agencies: For used equipment with residual hazardous materials — PCB-containing components in older electrical equipment, mercury-containing items, contaminated hydraulic fluids — transport may fall under EPA or state hazardous waste transport regulations in addition to DOT oversize regulations. The shipper bears responsibility for characterizing the waste and ensuring proper handling and transport authorization.

Planning a Recycling Facility Equipment Move

Moves involving multiple pieces of large processing equipment — a full MRF line or a waste-to-energy facility build-out — benefit from coordinated logistics planning that sequences equipment deliveries to match the installation schedule. Delivering a trommel screen to a facility before the concrete pad is poured, or delivering a shredder before the facility's overhead crane is installed, creates costly holding situations.

R&RM LLC works with equipment owners, general contractors, and project managers on coordinated equipment delivery schedules for new facility construction and facility relocation projects. We can coordinate multi-piece moves from multiple origins, arrange storage and holding when delivery sequencing requires it, and provide realistic permit and transit timelines that integrate into the project schedule. Call us at (404) 987-6225 or use the quote form to discuss your project.

Getting a Quote

For recycling or waste management equipment transport, provide the following information for an accurate quote:

• Equipment type and approximate dimensions (length, width, height)
• Approximate weight (operating weight or shipping weight if known)
• Pickup location (city, state, and facility type)
• Delivery location (city, state, and facility type)
• Required delivery date or date window
• Whether the equipment must be transported as a single piece or can be broken down into sub-assemblies
• Loading and unloading equipment available at each end (forklift capacity, crane availability)

R&RM LLC provides oversize and overweight permit coordination, RGN and lowboy trailer transport, pilot car arrangements, and route analysis for all recycling and waste management equipment moves. We serve all 48 continental states from our base in Cumming, Georgia — the same operation, the same phone number, nationwide. Call (404) 987-6225 or request a quote online.