Soil Stabilizer & Reclaimer Hauling Services
Soil stabilizers and full-depth reclaimers are among the heaviest and widest machines in road construction — large units routinely weigh 55,000 to 75,000 pounds and span 10 to 11 feet in operating width, requiring oversize permits for virtually every transport move. R&RM LLC has been moving construction equipment and oversize loads across all 48 continental states since 2011. We handle the entire logistics chain: RGN or lowboy loading, state-by-state oversize permits, pilot car coordination, and delivery to the job site.
Whether you're relocating a Wirtgen WR 240 reclaimer between paving contracts, shipping a Caterpillar RM500B soil stabilizer from an auction, or delivering a new BOMAG MPH 125-2 to a dealer, our team understands the dimensional profile, weight distribution, and transport requirements of this specialized equipment class.
Equipment Types We Transport
Full-Depth Reclaimers (FDR Machines)
Full-depth reclaimers mill and remix the existing asphalt and base course in a single pass, preparing the roadbed for new paving. These machines are purpose-built for road rehabilitation and are among the largest self-propelled machines used in highway construction. Common models we transport:
- Wirtgen WR 240i / WR 250: Operating weight approximately 65,000–68,000 lbs; milling width up to 8 ft 2 in; transport height approximately 11 ft 6 in. Requires oversize permits for width and often height in most states.
- Caterpillar RM500B: Operating weight approximately 68,000 lbs; working width 8 ft 2 in. The Cat RM500B is one of the most common FDR machines in North American road contracting.
- BOMAG MPH 125-2 / MPH 100-2: German-engineered reclaimers with working widths from 7 ft 10 in to 8 ft 2 in; transport weights in the 55,000–62,000 lb range.
- Roadtec RP190E: High-production reclaimer/stabilizer with an 8-ft working width; operating weight approximately 62,000 lbs.
- CMI RS-650 / RS-500: Older-generation American-made reclaimers still widely used in state DOT road rehabilitation programs.
Soil Stabilizers
Soil stabilizers process native or imported material — lime, cement, fly ash, or bituminous emulsions — directly into the subgrade or base layer to improve bearing capacity. Many models share platforms with full-depth reclaimers and have similar transport dimensions:
- Wirtgen WS 220 / WS 250: Purpose-built stabilizer variants with the same transport profile as the WR series reclaimers.
- Caterpillar SS-250B / SS-300B: Caterpillar's soil stabilizer line used extensively in highway widening, airport runway base preparation, and large pad-site grading.
- Dynapac SS250: Swedish-built stabilizer with European-specification dimensions that often require both width and height permits on US highways.
- Hamm Compaction / BOMAG stabilizer variants: European units increasingly common in US rental fleets due to fuel efficiency improvements.
Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR) Trains
Cold in-place recycling trains are multi-machine paving trains that mill, treat, and re-lay the existing asphalt pavement in a single continuous operation. A full CIR train consists of a milling machine, one or more additive injection units, a pugmill mixer, and a laydown/compaction component. Each machine in the train must be transported individually, often requiring multiple permitted loads. We coordinate multi-machine moves for paving contractors to minimize project downtime.
Soil Mixing & Lime Injection Equipment
Beyond the main stabilizer machine, soil improvement projects generate additional transport requirements: lime spreader trucks, pneumatic additive injection units, and water trucks that may be overweight when loaded. We handle the full equipment mobilization and demobilization for stabilization contractors.
Transport Dimensions & Permit Requirements
Most full-depth reclaimers and soil stabilizers require oversize permits for width — the typical 8 to 8.5-foot operating-configuration width exceeds the 8-foot 6-inch legal limit only slightly, but transport folding may bring some models within legal width. Transport height is a more common concern: machines with elevated operator cabs and dust management systems often reach 11 to 12 feet in transport configuration, approaching or exceeding the 13-foot 6-inch legal limit on routes with restricted clearances.
Typical transport specs for a large FDR machine:
- Transport weight: 55,000–75,000 lbs (machine weight; add trailer weight for gross vehicle weight)
- Transport width: 10–11 ft (some fold to 9 ft 6 in)
- Transport height: 11 ft 6 in to 12 ft 6 in
- Transport length: 32–38 ft (machine alone)
These dimensions require oversize permits in all 48 states. Width of 10+ feet may require front and rear pilot cars in many states. We handle permit procurement through our permit services team, coordinating multi-state permit packages for moves that cross state lines. For loads that also trigger overweight permit requirements — which occurs when total gross vehicle weight exceeds 80,000 lbs — bridge analysis and routing restrictions apply in addition to dimensional permits.
Trailer Selection for Soil Stabilizer Transport
Soil stabilizers and reclaimers are most commonly transported on RGN (removable gooseneck) trailers due to their drive-on loading capability and low deck height. The drive-on configuration is preferred because these machines have tracks — loading with the machine's own power onto a lowered RGN deck is faster and safer than crane loading, and it eliminates crane mobilization cost.
Key trailer selection factors:
- Deck length: Most FDR machines are 32–38 feet long and load comfortably on a 48- or 53-foot RGN deck with standard bridge spacing.
- Deck height: RGN trailers with 18- to 22-inch loaded deck height keep total transport height manageable. Standard lowboys with 24-inch decks work for machines under 11 ft transport height.
- Axle weight rating: A 68,000-lb stabilizer on a 35,000-lb RGN trailer requires careful axle grouping to stay under bridge formula limits. We calculate legal axle weights before the move to ensure permit accuracy.
- Tie-down configuration: Tracked machines require chain tie-downs through designated anchor points. Machine-specific securement requirements are confirmed with the manufacturer's transport guidelines or the equipment manual before loading.
Pickup & Delivery Scenarios
Job Site to Job Site
The most common soil stabilizer transport scenario is mobilization between road rehabilitation projects — often sequential highway or airport projects in different states or regions. Timing is critical because the machine must arrive at the new project before the paving contractor needs it on-site. We provide realistic transit time estimates that account for state permit travel windows, curfew hours, and weather holds. See our guide on route planning for oversize loads for how we coordinate multi-state moves.
Auction & Dealer Shipments
Used equipment auctions — Ritchie Bros., Purple Wave, IronPlanet — regularly list full-depth reclaimers and soil stabilizers. Auction buyers need fast, reliable transport to get the machine working before the season window closes. We pick up from auction yards across the country and deliver to anywhere in the 48 states, with permit procurement handled before the pickup date.
Dealer Deliveries & Manufacturer Shipments
New soil stabilizer deliveries from manufacturers and dealers typically originate from distribution centers in the Midwest or Mid-Atlantic. We coordinate with the dealer for precise dimensions and weights before quoting to ensure permit accuracy. For new equipment with no transport history, confirming transport mode dimensions (folded/retracted) with the dealer is a critical first step.
Key Operational Considerations
Fuel & Fluid Management
State permits and DOT regulations generally require that equipment transported over the road have fuel tanks no more than a quarter full to reduce fire risk and shift the center of gravity. Some states also require that hydraulic systems be fully depressurized and cutting tools secured or removed before transport. Confirm these requirements with the permit package before loading.
Rotor Guard & Cutting Tool Protection
Full-depth reclaimers have large-diameter milling rotors equipped with cutting tools (picks). These tools are expensive and fragile. The rotor should be positioned per the manufacturer's transport specification (typically rotated to a specific position and secured) to avoid damage from road vibration. For long-distance moves, additional blocking or rotor support may be required.
Cab & Dust Hood Clearance
Elevated operator cabs and dust suppression hoods on modern reclaimers add significant height in transport configuration. Confirm whether these components fold, tilt, or must be removed for transport — and document the resulting height before submitting permit applications.
Industries That Use Soil Stabilization Equipment
- State DOT highway rehabilitation: Major consumers of full-depth reclamation, particularly for rural roads where full reconstruction is cost-prohibitive
- Airport paving contractors: Runway and taxiway base rehabilitation at commercial and military airports
- Industrial site preparation: Large pad sites for logistics centers, manufacturing facilities, and power plants
- Mining haul road construction: Stabilizing soft subgrade on mine access roads and pit ramps
- Military base construction & rehabilitation: Airfield and road infrastructure on active installations
- Wind farm access roads: Stabilizing soft soils on wind turbine access roads to handle wind turbine component transport loads
Service Area
R&RM LLC transports soil stabilizers and reclaimers across all 48 continental states from our base in Cumming, Georgia. High-volume corridors include the Southeast (Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina), Texas, the Midwest, and Plains states where road rehabilitation programs are active. We serve Georgia, Texas, Florida, and all other continental US states.
Get a Soil Stabilizer Transport Quote
To quote a soil stabilizer or reclaimer transport, we need: machine make and model, transport dimensions (width, height, length in transport configuration), operating weight, pickup location (city/state or specific job site), delivery location, and your required delivery window. Call us at (404) 987-6225 or use the form below.