Industrial Forklift Transport

Industrial Forklift Hauling Services

Industrial forklifts encompass a wide range of heavy lifting machines used in ports, distribution centers, construction sites, lumber yards, steel mills, paper mills, and heavy manufacturing plants. Unlike warehouse forklifts that stay indoors, industrial and heavy-duty forklifts regularly exceed 15,000 pounds of machine weight — many reaching 40,000 to 80,000 pounds — and require professional heavy haul carriers for transport between job sites, auction purchases, dealer stock movements, and rental fleet repositioning.

R&RM LLC has been transporting industrial forklifts and material handling equipment since 2011 across all 48 continental states. We select the correct trailer configuration for each machine — flatbed for compact rough terrain models, step deck for taller units, and RGN trailers for large reach stackers and container handlers that need to drive on and off under their own power.

Types of Industrial Forklifts We Transport

Rough Terrain Forklifts

Rough terrain forklifts are purpose-built for outdoor use on uneven ground — construction sites, lumber yards, and agricultural operations. They run on pneumatic tires, have four-wheel drive, and typically carry 5,000 to 36,000 pounds at rated capacity. Common models include:

• Pettibone Cary-Lift and Speed Swing: Distinctive front-mounted engine models widely used in lumber and building materials. The Speed Swing rotates its carriage 360 degrees, making it a unique transport challenge.
• Gradall Telehandler Forklifts: Telescoping boom rough terrain units used on construction sites. The extended boom must be retracted and secured for transport.
• Manitou MHT, MSI, and MLT Series: French-made rough terrain forklifts and telehandlers used across construction and agriculture.
• JCB Loadall and Agri Series: British-made telehandler forklifts common in agriculture and construction.
• CASE SR/TR and SV Series: Compact and full-size rough terrain forklifts used in construction and rental.

Rough terrain forklifts in the 10,000–20,000 pound range typically ship on standard flatbed trailers. Larger models from 20,000–50,000 pounds may require step deck or oversize permits if their height or width exceeds standard limits.

Large Counterbalance Forklifts

Heavy-duty counterbalance forklifts are used in steel service centers, paper mills, precast concrete plants, and heavy manufacturing. These are not the 3,000-pound machines common in warehouses — they are industrial workhorses with capacities from 20,000 to over 100,000 pounds. Major models include:

• Hyster H400–H1050 Series: Among the largest production counterbalance forklifts available. The H1050 has a 52,500-pound rated capacity and a machine weight exceeding 100,000 pounds. These require multi-axle lowboy or RGN transport with overweight permits.
• Yale GDP350–GDP900 Series: Yale's heavy-duty counterbalance line, sharing engineering with Hyster. Capacities up to 45,000 pounds, machine weights up to 70,000 pounds.
• Toyota 8FGUF and Tonero Series: Toyota's heavy-duty industrial forklifts up to 17,500 pounds rated capacity for the production line, with larger specialized models available.
• Kion/Linde H Series: European heavy-duty counterbalance forklifts used in steel, paper, and heavy manufacturing. The Linde H250 series has 25,000-pound capacity.
• Mitsubishi/Cat FGC Series: Mid to large capacity counterbalance forklifts used in manufacturing and distribution.
• Doosan G60S–G160S: Large cushion and pneumatic tire forklifts used in industrial settings.

Container Reach Stackers

Container reach stackers are the giants of the forklift world — purpose-built machines used at seaports, intermodal terminals, and container yards to stack ISO shipping containers five or six high. A fully equipped reach stacker weighs between 80,000 and 120,000 pounds and stands over 20 feet tall, making every road transport a superload move requiring special permits, multi-axle trailers, and in most cases police escort coordination. Common models include:

• Konecranes Gottwald RSxx Series: Market-leading reach stackers used at ports worldwide. The RS45 and RS46 handle 40-foot ISO containers; the RS80 is designed for heavy-lift ISO and tanktainer moves.
• Kalmar DRF and DRG Series: High-capacity reach stackers from this Finnish manufacturer. The DRG series handles 45-ton containers.
• Hyster RS/RDT Series: Hyster reach stackers for container yard and intermodal terminal use.
• CVS Ferrari RT-FL and RT Series: Italian-manufactured reach stackers common at European-influenced terminal operators in US ports.
• Combilift Straddle Carrier: Specialized multi-directional reach stacker used for long loads and outdoor storage applications.

Reach stacker transport requires advance route planning, structural bridge analysis for the haul route, and coordination with state DOT offices in every state traversed. These moves are not simple permit pulls — they involve engineering review and sometimes temporary utility relocations. R&RM LLC coordinates all aspects of reach stacker transport, including pilot car arrangements and law enforcement escort logistics.

Container Handlers and Empty Container Lifters

Container handlers — also called loaded container handlers and empty container handlers — are dedicated machines for moving ISO containers within a terminal or yard. Loaded container handlers typically weigh 60,000 to 90,000 pounds and reach 15 to 18 feet in height at the mast. Empty container handlers are smaller but still substantial machines at 30,000 to 50,000 pounds. All require RGN or lowboy transport with oversize permits for the mast height and machine width.

Industrial Forklift Transport Methods

Flatbed Trailer

Standard flatbed trailers (48-foot or 53-foot) work for compact rough terrain forklifts and smaller counterbalance models under approximately 20,000 pounds and within 8 feet 6 inches of width. The mast is typically lowered completely and secured; tire chains are applied at the axles to prevent rolling. This is the most economical option when the machine fits within legal limits.

Step Deck Trailer

Step deck trailers (also called drop deck trailers) provide a lower deck height — approximately 42 inches at the rear section versus 54 inches on a standard flatbed — which allows taller forklifts to travel under bridges legally without requiring overheight permits. Many rough terrain forklifts with raised masts and counterbalance models in the 15,000–35,000 pound class move on step decks.

RGN Trailer

Removable gooseneck trailers allow the forklift to drive on and off the trailer under its own power, eliminating the need for a crane or forklift to load the machine. The gooseneck detaches and the front of the trailer drops to ground level, creating a ramp. This is the preferred method for large rough terrain forklifts, reach stackers, and counterbalance forklifts that would be difficult or dangerous to crane-load. RGN trailers for heavy industrial forklifts are typically 35-ton to 55-ton rated capacity; very heavy machines may require multi-axle RGN configurations.

Multi-Axle Lowboy and Modular Trailers

Reach stackers, large container handlers, and the heaviest counterbalance forklifts exceed the capacity of standard RGN trailers and require multi-axle lowboys or modular hydraulic platform trailers (SPMT). These configurations spread the machine's weight across enough axles to meet legal axle weight limits — or to minimize the overweight permit fees in states where permits are calculated per-axle.

Oversize and Overweight Considerations

Most industrial forklifts over 25,000 pounds will require at least one oversize or overweight permit for highway transport. Key threshold dimensions and weights to be aware of:

• Width over 8'6": Requires an overwidth permit in all states. Most large forklifts with full-width counterweights and tire widths exceed this limit.
• Height over 13'6": Requires an overheight permit in most states. Forklifts with elevated masts or overhead guards frequently exceed 13'6" even with the mast fully lowered.
• GVW over 80,000 lbs: Requires an overweight permit. The gross vehicle weight includes the tractor, trailer, and cargo — so a 50,000-pound forklift on a 30,000-pound trailer pulled by a 35,000-pound tractor puts the combination at 115,000 pounds, well above the 80,000-pound federal limit.
• Pilot cars: Width over 14 feet typically triggers pilot car escort requirements. Reach stackers at 16+ feet wide routinely require front and rear escorts and sometimes law enforcement.

Our permit services team handles all permit applications across all 48 states. We provide the state permit agencies with the trailer configuration, total dimensions, and axle weights so permits are issued correctly the first time.

Loading and Securing Industrial Forklifts

Loading a large industrial forklift safely requires coordination between the forklift operator (or a driver trained on the specific model) and the truck driver. For RGN loading:

• The gooseneck is detached and the front of the trailer drops to the ground
• The forklift operator drives the machine onto the trailer at low speed with the mast fully lowered and tilted back
• Once positioned, the forklift is shifted to neutral, the parking brake is set, and the hydraulics are relieved to prevent mast creep
• Chains are applied to the designated tie-down lugs — not to the forks, mast, hydraulic cylinders, or overhead guard
• The mast and any attachments are chained or blocked to prevent lateral movement during transport

Counterweights on large counterbalance forklifts are extremely dense cast iron or steel blocks — sometimes a single counterweight exceeds 15,000 pounds. These are integral to the machine's structure and remain attached during transport, but their weight distribution affects how the machine sits on the trailer and how chains must be positioned to achieve proper axle loading.

Common Applications

• Industrial facility decommissioning and equipment liquidation
• Port and intermodal terminal equipment relocation
• Rental fleet repositioning between depots
• Auction purchases and dealer-to-dealer transfers
• New equipment delivery from manufacturer to end user
• Repair facility transport for major forklift rebuilds
• Lumber yard and building supply center moves
• Steel service center and scrap yard equipment changes

Get a Quote for Industrial Forklift Transport

To provide an accurate quote, we need the forklift make and model, approximate machine weight, mast type and lowered height, overall width, pickup and delivery locations, and any known oversize or overweight permit requirements from previous moves of the same machine. Contact R&RM LLC at (404) 987-6225 or submit your load details online.

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