Motor Grader Transport Services
R&RM LLC has been hauling heavy construction equipment since 2011, and motor graders are among the most common machines we move for road contractors, mining operators, and county highway departments across all 48 continental states. A motor grader's long wheelbase, wide blade, and high center of gravity require careful trailer selection, proper blocking, and — in many cases — oversize permits before the truck ever leaves the yard.
Whether you need a compact Cat 120 moved 200 miles to a new road job or a large Cat 16M transferred from a Wyoming mining site to a Texas highway project, our team coordinates every detail: permit acquisition, pilot car scheduling, blade removal logistics, and safe tie-down from pickup to drop-off.
Motor Grader Brands & Models We Transport
Caterpillar Motor Graders
Caterpillar is the dominant motor grader brand in North America, and we regularly transport the full Cat lineup:
- Cat 120: Operating weight approximately 24,750 lbs. Length ~27 ft. Compact road grader for municipal and rural road work. Typically fits on standard flatbed when blade is removed.
- Cat 130: Operating weight approximately 29,000 lbs. Length ~28 ft. Mid-range commercial grader for highway construction and land grading.
- Cat 140: Operating weight approximately 36,700 lbs. Length ~28–30 ft. One of the most widely used graders in North America. RGN recommended for most hauls.
- Cat 160: Operating weight approximately 43,000 lbs. Length ~30–32 ft. Large production grader requiring oversize permits and RGN transport on most routes.
- Cat 16M / 16M3: Operating weight up to 66,000 lbs. Mining-grade motor grader with blade widths up to 24 ft when extended. Always requires oversize permits, pilot cars, and careful multi-state routing.
- Cat 18M3: Caterpillar's largest grader. Operating weight over 96,000 lbs. Requires detailed permit engineering, possible superload classification, and specialized multi-axle trailer configuration.
Komatsu Motor Graders
Komatsu graders are popular in road construction and mining operations:
- GD555-5: Operating weight ~26,800 lbs. Compact grader suited for flat and standard road projects.
- GD655-7: Operating weight ~35,900 lbs. A mid-large grader for highway maintenance and earthmoving. RGN recommended.
- GD675-5: Operating weight ~43,300 lbs. Larger Komatsu production grader requiring oversize permits on most routes.
- GD785-7: Operating weight ~71,700 lbs. Mining-grade Komatsu grader. Full oversize transport with pilot cars required.
John Deere Motor Graders
John Deere's GP series graders are common in road and site work:
- 670GP: Operating weight ~26,900 lbs. Standard construction grader for road maintenance and site prep.
- 770GP / 770G: Operating weight ~30,000–32,000 lbs. Mid-range production grader frequently seen on highway projects.
- 872GP / 872G: Operating weight ~42,000–45,000 lbs. Large grader for highway and heavy earthwork. Oversize permits usually required.
- 1050K: Operating weight ~67,000 lbs. Deere's largest production grader. Always transported as an oversize load.
Volvo Motor Graders
Volvo's G-series graders are known for their articulated frames and visibility:
- G710B / G726B: Mid-range production graders for road and site applications.
- G930B / G940B: Larger Volvo graders with operating weights in the 40,000–50,000 lb range, requiring oversize permits and RGN transport.
- G960B / G976B: Volvo's largest graders, comparable to Cat 160 class. Full oversize transport standard.
Other Motor Grader Brands
We also transport CASE motor graders (736, 856, 886), Champion graders, LeeBoy graders, XCMG, and legacy models from Huber, Austin-Western, and Galion. If you have an older or non-standard grader, call us — chances are we have hauled one before.
How Motor Graders Are Loaded for Transport
Motor graders present specific challenges that set them apart from other construction equipment:
Blade Removal
The moldboard blade on most production and large graders extends several feet beyond the width of the machine frame. When attached, blades on larger graders can push overall width to 14 ft or more, triggering oversize permit requirements in most states. For long hauls or interstate moves, we typically recommend removing the blade to reduce permit costs and travel time restrictions. We coordinate blade removal and crating with your shop or the equipment dealer so the blade ships on the same flatbed alongside the grader body.
RGN vs. Flatbed Loading
Smaller graders (Cat 120, Komatsu GD555, John Deere 670GP) can often ship on a 48-ft or 53-ft flatbed with the blade removed, provided the overall height stays under 13'6" and weight stays within legal limits. For mid-large and large graders (Cat 140 and up), we use RGN removable-gooseneck trailers that allow the grader to drive on under its own power from the rear, keeping the center of gravity low and the load secure.
Tie-Down & Blocking
Motor graders have specific tie-down anchor points specified by the manufacturer. Our drivers are trained to chain to the frame — never the blade lift cylinders, circle gear, or articulation joint — and to place hardwood blocking under the frame rails to prevent movement during transit. All securement follows FMCSA cargo securement standards for heavy equipment.
Permit Requirements for Motor Grader Hauling
Whether your grader requires an oversize permit depends on its specific dimensions when configured for transport. Here are the general thresholds that trigger permit requirements:
- Width over 8'6": Oversize permit required in all states. Most mid-large graders with blade attached exceed this threshold.
- Height over 13'6": Oversize permit required. Graders loaded on RGN trailers with operator cabs typically clear this limit.
- Length over 48–53 ft (varies by state): Extended-vehicle permits needed for combination length beyond standard limits.
- Weight over 80,000 lbs gross: Overweight permit required. Large mining-grade graders often push gross combination weight above legal limits, requiring weight distribution engineering across multiple axles.
- Superloads (over 200,000 lbs gross, or extreme width/height): Require individual state engineering reviews and advance coordination that can take 2–4 weeks.
Our permit services team handles all oversize and overweight permit applications across every state we transit, including holiday restrictions, nighttime-only travel windows, and bridge clearance checks along the routing.
Pilot Car Requirements
Most states require pilot cars for loads wider than 12–14 ft. Mining-grade graders (Cat 16M, Komatsu GD785) typically require front and rear escort vehicles equipped with height poles and warning lights. We coordinate all pilot car arrangements so you don't have to manage multiple vendors. Our network of certified escort drivers covers all 48 states, ensuring continuous escort coverage even on multi-state hauls.
Common Motor Grader Transport Applications
- Highway and road construction — moving graders between active job sites as projects rotate
- State and county road maintenance — seasonal relocation of highway department graders
- Mining access road maintenance — transporting large production graders to and from mine sites
- Equipment dealer delivery — new grader delivery from distribution points to end customers
- Auction purchases — moving graders won at construction equipment auctions to buyer locations
- Equipment rental fleet management — redistributing rental graders across depot locations
- Land development and site prep — moving graders to large residential or commercial development sites
- Oil and gas field road construction — transporting graders for well pad and pipeline road work
Motor Grader Transport Pricing
Motor grader shipping costs depend on the grader model, transport distance, blade removal requirements, and the number of states transited for permit purposes. As a general range:
- Compact graders (Cat 120, GD555, 670GP): Regional moves of 200–500 miles typically run $1,800–$3,500.
- Mid-large graders (Cat 140, GD655, 770GP): Long-distance hauls of 1,000+ miles typically run $3,500–$6,500 depending on permit costs and routing.
- Large production graders (Cat 160, GD675, 872GP): Cross-country moves often run $5,000–$9,000 with full permit services.
- Mining-grade graders (Cat 16M, GD785, 1050K): Highly variable based on permit complexity, pilot car requirements, and time restrictions. Request a quote for accurate pricing.
Contact us with your grader's make, model, and pickup/delivery locations for an accurate quote. We can usually respond within a few hours during business hours.
For a real-world example of how we handle complex oversize equipment transport, review our case studies showing multi-state hauls with full permit coordination.
Get Your Motor Grader Transport Quote
To quote your grader move accurately, please have ready: the make and model, operating weight, overall length and blade width (or confirm if the blade will be removed), pickup city and state, delivery city and state, and your preferred pickup window. R&RM LLC — based in Cumming, Georgia, in business since 2011 — provides honest quotes and reliable scheduling for motor grader transport across all 48 continental states.