Kobelco CK1100 Crawler Crane Transport

The Challenge

A commercial construction contractor in Orlando, Florida needed a Kobelco CK1100 crawler crane relocated from a completed infrastructure project in Cumming, Georgia to a high-rise residential development in Orlando. The CK1100 is a 110-ton lifting capacity crawler crane — a mid-size production crane widely used in commercial building construction and bridge work — and in travel configuration it presents a specific set of transport challenges.

At 104,000 pounds, the crane exceeded Georgia's standard 80,000-pound gross vehicle weight limit and required overweight permits in both Georgia and Florida. The client's project schedule was firm: the crane needed to be on-site in Orlando in time for a concrete pour sequence that could not be delayed without cascading cost impacts on the project timeline. On-time delivery was not optional.

The additional complexity was the crane's travel width. The Kobelco CK1100 in its narrowest travel configuration — tracks retracted to minimum spread — measures 12 feet 8 inches wide. That width requires an oversize width permit in both states and mandates a pilot car escort for the full transit under Georgia Department of Transportation and Florida Department of Transportation rules.

Our Solution

Equipment Configuration Review

Before booking the trailer, R&RM LLC reviewed the crane's transport manual and confirmed the minimum travel width achievable. On a crawler crane like the CK1100, the tracks can be hydraulically retracted to reduce the overall width, but the operator must verify that the undercarriage frame pins are properly seated and that the track tension has been reduced for long-distance travel. Our driver worked with the crane operator during rigging to confirm the machine was properly prepared before loading.

The boom was disassembled and transported separately on a standard flatbed trailer. The counterweights — approximately 18,000 pounds of ballast — were removed from the superstructure and loaded onto the RGN deck alongside the crane body, redistributing weight across the trailer axles and bringing the load within the permit parameters for both states. This is a routine approach for crawler crane transport that reduces the carrier's height and improves load stability on the highway.

Trailer Selection

An 8-axle removable gooseneck (RGN) lowboy trailer was selected for the move. The RGN configuration allows the crane to be drive-loaded over the detached gooseneck, eliminating the need for a crane at the origin site to place the equipment on the deck — an important consideration since the Kobelco had already been rigged down and the crane used to disassemble it was no longer on-site.

The 8-axle configuration distributes the 104,000-pound crane weight across enough axle groups to satisfy Georgia's and Florida's bridge formula requirements. On a shorter trailer with fewer axles, the concentrated axle weights would push individual axles over the legal per-axle limit even when the gross vehicle weight is within the permit parameters. Proper axle-weight distribution is one of the more technical aspects of heavy haul planning — a load that appears simple by total weight can require careful trailer selection to stay legal at every bridge crossing. Our team models the axle weights before booking the trailer on every move above 80,000 pounds. For more on this topic, see our guide on bridge formula weight limits.

Permit Coordination

Overweight and oversize permits were filed simultaneously in Georgia and Florida as soon as the load dimensions and axle weights were confirmed:

• Georgia: Overweight permit (104,000 lbs GVW) and oversize permit (12 ft 8 in width) via the Georgia Department of Transportation permit portal. The route was planned along I-75 southbound from Cumming to the Georgia-Florida state line at Valdosta. Georgia required a pilot car escort for the full in-state movement due to the load width exceeding 12 feet.
• Florida: Overweight permit and oversize width permit from the Florida Department of Transportation. The Florida segment covers approximately 230 miles from the state line to the Orlando job site via I-75 south to I-4 east. Florida also required a rear pilot car escort for the full movement through the state, with an additional front escort required through the Orlando metro corridor during peak travel hours.

Both permits processed within 48 hours, well within the client's booking window. Our permit services team handles all state portal submissions, so clients receive the permit numbers and conditions without navigating each state's system individually.

Route Planning

The I-75 south corridor from metro Atlanta to Orlando is one of the highest-traffic interstate segments in the southeastern United States. Route planning focused on three concerns: bridge capacity, urban traffic windows, and the I-75-to-I-4 interchange transition in Tampa.

Bridge analysis along the route confirmed that the 8-axle trailer's weight distribution kept individual axle loads well within the legal limits at all fixed crossings. No detours were required for bridge capacity. The major variable was the Atlanta metro departure window: leaving Cumming before 5:00 AM allowed the load to clear the I-75 Atlanta corridor before morning peak traffic, which matters for both travel speed and for avoiding the enforcement complications that arise when an oversize load slows interstate traffic to a crawl during rush hour.

The I-75 to I-4 interchange in the Tampa area required coordination with the pilot car to manage lane transitions smoothly. The pilot car lead vehicle ran ahead to confirm merge lanes were clear before the tractor executed the interchange movement. This is a standard pilot car procedure but one that requires pre-trip briefing between the driver and the escort team so both know the sequence before they reach the merge point.

Transport Execution

Departure from Cumming occurred at 4:45 AM on the first transit day. The tractor, loaded Kobelco CK1100 on the 8-axle RGN, and the rear pilot car exited the origin yard and transitioned to I-400 south toward Atlanta, picking up I-75 south at the I-285 interchange in Marietta. Traffic was light and the load cleared the Atlanta metro without delays.

The Georgia segment — approximately 270 miles from Cumming to the Valdosta area — was completed by early afternoon. A fuel and inspection stop near Valdosta confirmed all load securement was intact before crossing into Florida. Load securement checks at fuel stops are standard practice on R&RM LLC moves and are required under FMCSA regulations whenever driving conditions change significantly. For more on securement requirements, see our guide on load securement for heavy haul equipment.

The Florida segment continued south on I-75 and transitioned to I-4 east at the Tampa area. A front pilot car joined the convoy at the I-75/I-4 interchange to provide the two-escort configuration required for the Orlando metro movement. The load arrived at the Orlando construction site at 3:30 PM on day two — approximately six hours ahead of the client's required delivery window.

Results

• Delivery: Arrived 6 hours ahead of the client's required window
• Permits: 100% compliant with Georgia DOT and Florida DOT requirements
• Safety: Zero incidents, violations, or load securement issues across 500 miles
• Client Impact: Crane was rigged up and operational in time for the scheduled concrete pour sequence

Key Takeaways

This project illustrates several principles R&RM LLC applies consistently on crawler crane transports:

• Configuration planning before trailer booking: Confirming the crane's travel width and the counterweight separation plan before selecting the trailer avoided permit surprises and ensured the axle-weight distribution worked for both states.
• Simultaneous permit filing: Filing both state permits at the same time — rather than sequentially — compressed the permit lead time and kept the client's schedule intact.
• Early departure timing: Scheduling the Atlanta metro departure before 5:00 AM avoided rush-hour congestion that would have added 2 to 4 hours to the first transit day and compressed the delivery window.
• Pre-trip pilot car briefing: Briefing the escort team on interchange maneuvers before departure — rather than coordinating by radio in real time — made the I-75/I-4 transition smooth and safe.

About Kobelco CK1100 Crane Transport

The Kobelco CK1100 is a 110-ton lifting capacity crawler crane built on a 6-carbody undercarriage. It is widely used for commercial construction, bridge work, industrial plant construction, and energy infrastructure projects. In transport configuration — boom disassembled, tracks retracted, counterweights removed to deck — the crane typically weighs between 100,000 and 108,000 pounds depending on the specific equipment package and counterweight set.

Transporting a CK1100 requires overweight permits in virtually all states, since the transport weight exceeds the standard 80,000-pound gross vehicle weight limit. Width depends on whether the tracks are retracted to minimum spread and whether any attachments extend beyond the carbody. Route planning for a CK1100 is generally straightforward — the machine is manageable in size relative to the larger production cranes — but proper axle distribution and pilot car coordination are still essential for legal, safe transport.

R&RM LLC has transported crawler cranes from multiple manufacturers across all 48 continental states. Whether you are moving a mid-size production crane like the CK1100 or a larger Manitowoc or Liebherr machine, our oversize load transport team handles the full permit package and coordinates escort logistics from origin to delivery. Call (404) 987-6225 or submit a quote request to discuss your crane transport project.