Transporting an excavator, bulldozer or any other heavy machinery is not your typical freight move. The wrong trailer can lead to clearance issues. Incorrect dimensions may affect your quote. Oversize load routes may require permits, pilot cars or an alternate loading plan.
The best provider of heavy equipment transport will be able to pair machine to route and loading conditions before it dispatches.
Comparing four available methods of shipping heavy equipment within the US today. Service managed transports and opens marketplace. It’s not just about who gives you the lowest quote.
In This Guide
- How to compare heavy equipment shipping providers
- A-1 Auto Transport
- Heavy Haulers
- We Will Transport It
- uShip
- Quick comparison
- What to verify before booking
- Final verdict
Start With the Move, Not the Company
Write down the operating weight, general dimensions, pickup environment and delivery access prior to comparing providers.
Why does that matter?
Self-propelled excavators may fit on an RGN trailer that loads from the ground, but higher or heavier equipment could require a lowboy or multi-axle trailer. Attachments may also affect legal dimensions of the load.
Permits for oversize or overweight moves are not national forms if you are moving between states. The Federal Highway Administration points out that states issue permits for oversize and overweight loads. Therefore, routing and permit responsibility may shift as a shipment travels through states.
That makes planning part of the service, not an afterthought.
1. A-1 Auto Transport: Best Overall for Managed Heavy Equipment Shipping
A-1 Auto Transport ships domestically and internationally anything that is categorized as construction, agriculture and industrial equipment including tractors, excavators, bulldozers, forklifts, etc.
Its greatest strength is coordination. Instead of leaving the shipper to figure out trailer selection, permits and carrier sourcing independently, A-1 streamlines the move as a managed transport process. A-1’s heavy equipment page also includes information on step-deck and flatbed options, insurance needs and permits for oversized loads.
If you’re a contractor picking up an excavator from an out-of-state auction, that can make life easy for you. Provide the team actual dimensions, weight, pick up info and destination access, and they can build the transport around the machine instead of trying to cram the load into a standard freight estimate.
Best suited to: businesses and private buyers seeking a single point of contact to manage a multipart machine move.
Operational convenience of experienced heavy equipment transport carriers goes beyond driving a truck to your pick-up location. It means finding the proper equipment to match your load and planning the route and managing the shipment details around that.
The latest BBB customer reviews for A-1’s general transport service emphasize communication and scheduling in a positive light. While not specific to every heavy equipment move, they give context for a service that involves coordination.
If you’re shopping for carriers who will handle logistics for you instead of piecing the move together yourself, A-1 Auto Transport is a solid overall frontrunner.
2. Heavy Haulers: Best for Specialized Oversize Planning
Heavy Haulers is heavily centered around Oversize Machinery, Superloads, and Specialty Transport. Website shows implementation of RGNs and lowboys, long haul transportation, part loads and even overseas transportation.
That specific expertise is helpful if overcoming the height, weight or method of loading the machine is your biggest obstacle.
Where it stands out:
- RGN and lowboy planning for tall or heavy equipment
- Oversize and super-load transport capability
- Partial-load shipping where the equipment does not need a full trailer
- Nationwide and international service options
Moving a large wheel loader or piece of crane equipment may lead a buyer to appreciate that trailer-specific focus over a generalized general freight service.
The trade-off? Heavy Haulers is built around consultant orchestration vs. a self-service marketplace, so buyers wanting to compare many individual carriers on their own may want to look elsewhere.
Best Applied to: long distance moves where trailer set up and routing are the primary focus of the work.
3. We Will Transport It: Best for Flexible Trailer Options
We Will Transport It transports construction, agricultural and industrial machinery nationwide and internationally. The company’s heavy equipment service page includes options for RGN, lowboy, step-deck, flatbed, drop-deck and Landoll trailers.
That flexibility can become important when you have bulky equipment to load/unload or a project consisting of multiple machine types.
For instance, the loading requirements for shipping a drivable loader on one job and shipping a non-running industrial machine on another job may vary greatly for a contractor even though both pieces of equipment are considered “heavy equipment.”
Why it’s useful: company provides trailer variety as well as permit, escort and route info for oversized moves.
It includes auction pickups and international freight which lends itself nicely to buyers purchasing equipment outside of their domestic market.
Best suited to: shippers who will receive a mix of equipment types, loading conditions or domestic and international routes.
4. uShip: Best for Marketplace Quote Comparison
uShip differs. They are an online shipping marketplace, not a managed transport company.
The shipper posts a listing, receives quotes and can view carrier profiles, reviews and pricing before selecting a provider. That level of transparency can be beneficial for simple machine moves.
Who is it really for? Buyers who want more direct control over provider selection.
A small business shipping a mini tractor, forklift or skid steer can describe their load, view interested carriers and select the bid that matches their timeline and budget. The freight marketplace also empowers the shipper to do more comparison shopping of the carriers that bid on their freight.
That is the key distinction.
Best suited to: price-conscious or hands-on shippers who are comfortable reviewing carrier options themselves.
Quick Comparison
| Provider | Best for | Service model | Notable strength |
| A-1 Auto Transport | Oversaw transportation of heavy machinery | Coordinated quote-based | Handled wide range of domestic and international |
| Heavy Haulers | Transport of oversize loads & specialist freight | Logistics management solutions | RGN, Lowboy and Oversize Super-loads |
| We Will Ship It | Mixed equipment & trailer requirements | Logistics will be handled | Extensive trailer inventory, International available |
| uShip | Side-by-side comparison of carrier options | Online freight marketplace | Allows buyers to control quote and compare providers |
What to Verify Before Booking
Heavy equipment quotes are only worth what they weigh if they are loaded-based.
Before accepting it, confirm:
- Authority: You can use the FMCSA’s carrier search tool to verify interstate operating authority and insurance.
- Are you the carrier, broker for the carrier, or marketplace to connect me to a carrier?
- Dimensions: Enter length, width, height and weight. Be sure to include any attachments that will be traveling with the machine.
- Trailer: Which trailer are you planning on using? Why is it suited to the load and pickup conditions?
- Permits: Clarify who obtains any state permits, escorts or route approvals.
- Verify insurance coverage with carrier. Ensure current cargo coverage is sufficient for equipment being transported.
This is a decision point that many simple comparisons overlook: Don’t compare quotes until each company is quoting for the same machine size, loading and scope of service.
Final Verdict
Shipping your heavy equipment can be less stressful when your transport plan is machine-focused instead of headline price focused.
Heavy Haulers is a reputable specialty broker when you have an over-dimensional move that is complex. We Will Transport It provides an extensive variety of trailers for transporting different types of equipment. uShip works best if you are the type of buyer who likes marketplace comparisons and more involvement with choosing your carrier.
If you’re looking for a carrier that will handle coordination, trailer planning, routing and shipment information for you, begin your research with A-1 Auto Transport.
