Excavator Transport Brisbane
Moving a 20–50 tonne-plus excavator in Brisbane is a heavy-haulage job, not a freight booking. A 20–30 tonne excavator may fit a 2-axle low loader, but a 30–50 tonne machine needs a 3-axle to stay within axle-group mass limits, and a 50–100 tonne mass excavator needs a platform float or a 3-axle with a jinker. Most are over 2.5m wide across the tracks and can be over 4.3m loaded height once the boom is secured for travel, so a Class 1 NHVR access permit, a detachable gooseneck for tracked loading, and a route survey against bridge clearances and axle ratings are standard. We plan 20–50t+ excavator transport across Brisbane and SEQ around the machine, the axle loads and the permit — engineered to the load, not a default trailer.
The 20–50t+ range
We transport the full heavy end of the excavator market — 20–30 tonne machines on 2-axle low loaders, 30–50 tonne machines on 3-axle low loaders, and 50, 70, 90 and 100-tonne-plus mass excavators on platform floats or 3-axle low loaders with a jinker, including long-reach, demolition and piling rigs. Each band has its own axle-load problem: a 25-tonne excavator sits comfortably on a 2-axle, but a 45-tonne machine on the same trailer overloads the axle group before it leaves the yard, and a 90-tonne machine needs a multi-axle float to stay legal. The planning problem is matching the trailer to the operating weight, the track width and the loaded height, then getting the permit and the route right.
Trailer matching by operating weight
A 20–30 tonne excavator typically moves on a 2-axle low loader; a 30–50 tonne machine on a 3-axle low loader; a 50–70 tonne machine on a 3-axle with a jinker or a platform float; and a 70–100 tonne machine generally needs a platform float with a jeep dolly and steerable rear. Tracked machines load best onto a detachable-gooseneck low loader that drops the deck to ground level so the machine drives or is winched straight on. We pick the trailer against the operating weight, track width and loaded height, and against the route's bridge ratings — not a default.
Axle load engineering
Heavy excavator transport is an axle-load problem as much as a trailer choice. Every axle group has a mass limit under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, and the machine's operating weight has to be spread across enough axles — and at the right spacing — to stay within those limits and within the bridge and pavement ratings on the route. A 3-axle low loader spreads a 40-tonne excavator across three axle groups; a jinker or jeep dolly adds another group for machines at the top of the band; a platform float runs 6+ axles for 80–100 tonne machines. Get the axle engineering wrong and the combination is either illegal or overloads a bridge before it reaches the site.
Over-height boom and blade handling
An excavator's loaded height is governed by how the boom, stick and blade are secured for travel. A 20–50t+ machine can be over 4.3m loaded height once the boom is pinned up — breaching the general access height limit and triggering a clearance check against every bridge, sign gantry and overpass on the route. Where possible we lower the boom to a transport cradle to keep the loaded height down; where the boom must travel high, we run a clearance survey and may detour via higher-clearance corridors to avoid the inner-city viaducts. Blades, counterweights and side frames may be removed or shipped separately to cut width and height.
Detachable gooseneck and tracked loading
A detachable-gooseneck low loader drops the deck to ground level so a tracked 20–50t+ excavator can be winched or driven straight on — there's no ramp, and the machine's low ground clearance isn't a problem. For the heaviest machines we may use a platform float with a steerable rear and a winch-assisted load. The gooseneck reconnects for travel, and the tie-down is engineered chain-and-tensioned to the machine's lift points. Get the loading method wrong and you damage the undercarriage or overload the deck.
Width, height and the permit
A 20–50t+ excavator is usually over 2.5m wide across the tracks and can be over 4.3m loaded height once the boom is secured — both breach general access limits and trigger a Class 1 NHVR access permit. Width 3.0–3.5m typically needs a permit and may need one pilot; beyond 3.5m the escort requirements step up, and over-height loads need a clearance check against every bridge and sign gantry on the route. We classify the load, lodge the permit and size the pilot plan as one job.
Route surveys and bridge ratings
Heavy excavators need a route survey on two fronts: swept-path and clearance for over-width and over-height combinations, and bridge and pavement rating checks for the mass. The Gateway and Logan Motorway interchanges are the swept-path pinch points; the inner-city viaducts rule out over-height loads and force a detour via higher-clearance corridors; and the bridge ratings on the Ipswich Motorway and the Toowoomba range crossing are checked against the loaded axle groups before we commit a route. For the largest machines we run a computer swept-path analysis at the critical nodes.
SEQ corridors for heavy excavators
20–50t+ excavator moves concentrate around the Acacia Ridge and Richlands plant yards, the Port of Brisbane (imported mass excavators discharged to float), and outbound to Ipswich, Yatala and Toowoomba for civil and mining work. We avoid school-zone hours and the 6:30–9:00am and 3:30–6:30pm peaks, confirm site access — many civil and mine sites need a heavy machine delivered outside working hours or through a specific heavy-vehicle entry — and coordinate with the yard or port on load and discharge windows.
Lead time for a 20–50t+ move
Permit lead time, not trailer availability, usually gates a heavy excavator move. A straightforward oversize access permit may clear in a few days; a heavy combination needing bridge rating reviews can take one to two weeks or more. We lodge permits the moment a job is confirmed and tell you the realistic timeline up front — so you're not waiting on a permit the day before the machine needs to be on site.
Get it quoted
Send us the make and model (or the operating weight, track width and loaded height) and the pickup-to-delivery route. We'll match the trailer — 2-axle, 3-axle low loader, platform float or float with jinker — plan the Class 1 permit and pilot, and come back with a free, no-obligation quote for your SEQ move. Call 0489 953 607 or use the quote form.
Frequently asked questions
What size excavators do you transport?
The full heavy range — 20–30 tonne machines on 2-axle low loaders, 30–50 tonne machines on 3-axle low loaders, and 50–100 tonne-plus mass excavators on platform floats or 3-axle low loaders with a jinker, including long-reach, demolition and piling rigs.
What trailer does a 20–30t vs 30–50t vs 50t+ excavator need?
A 20–30 tonne machine typically moves on a 2-axle low loader; a 30–50 tonne machine on a 3-axle; a 50–70 tonne machine on a 3-axle with a jinker or a platform float; and a 70–100 tonne machine on a platform float with a jeep dolly and steerable rear. We match the trailer to the operating weight, not a default.
What is axle load engineering and why does it matter?
Every axle group has a mass limit, and the machine's weight has to be spread across enough axles at the right spacing to stay within those limits and within the bridge ratings on the route. A jinker or jeep dolly adds an axle group for heavier machines; a platform float runs 6+ axles for 80–100 tonne machines. Get it wrong and the combination is illegal or overloads a bridge.
How do you handle the boom for over-height travel?
Where possible we lower the boom to a transport cradle to keep loaded height under 4.3m. Where the boom must travel high, we run a clearance survey against every bridge and sign gantry and may detour via higher-clearance corridors to avoid the inner-city viaducts. Blades, counterweights and side frames may be removed or shipped separately to cut width and height.
Does a 20–50t+ excavator need a permit?
Almost always. Most are over 2.5m wide across the tracks and can be over 4.3m loaded height, both of which breach general access limits and trigger a Class 1 NHVR access permit. Width 3.0–3.5m may need one pilot; beyond 3.5m the escort steps up.
Can you load a tracked excavator without a ramp?
Yes — a detachable-gooseneck low loader drops the deck to ground level so a tracked machine drives or is winched straight on, with engineered chain tie-down to the machine's lift points. For the heaviest machines we may use a platform float with a winch-assisted load.
How do I get a quote for 20–50t+ excavator transport?
Send the make and model (or operating weight, track width and loaded height) and the pickup-to-delivery route. We'll match the trailer, plan the Class 1 permit and pilot, and give you a free, no-obligation quote. Call 0489 953 607 or use the quote form.
Recommended fleet
This work typically runs on our Low Loaders. See the fleet detail for indicative specs and configurations.