Unlike la
rger heavy equipment, shipping a forklift should not be near as complicated to ship, mostly because of their size. Most forklifts are built to move about in places like warehouses and shipping centers, so they have to be relatively compact.
This makes shipping a forklift a lot easier, especially when you compare it to something like a dump truck or an agricultural combine. But forklifts typically can’t be hauled on a standard car carrier, which means other methods will need to be used.
How shipping a forklift is done
Most companies that can ship a forklift are going to ship via a flatbed hauler. Luckily, unlike larger vehicles, forklifts can typically be shipped in multiples. This is great because flatbed shipping is already expensive due to the lack of demand. There are far more people needing to ship automobiles than forklifts, after all. And since automobiles are often shipped on dedicated auto haulers, they tend to be cheaper to ship since there’s so much more demand.
Demand for forklift shipping services, though, is not near so high. This tends to result in price increases for transporting a forklift. Couple that with the need to haul it on a flatbed carrier and you have a recipe for higher prices and longer wait times for pickup. What’s great, though, is that many companies that ship forklifts can ship more than one at a time thanks to their small size – and the more you ship, the more you save per forklift.
What to expect when shipping a forklift
Well, we’ve already talked a bit about what to expect in terms of price and availability. It’s likely going to be more expensive to ship a forklift than a car despite being a smaller size, and will usually take longer to find a carrier and have them pick your forklift up. But it shouldn’t be too expensive, and getting a forklift shipped won’t be near as difficult to ship as other heavy equipment vehicles. Most every company that offers quotes for shipping a forklift has someone who can load and unload it safely.
Make sure you have the dimensions as well as the make and model of your forklift – you’ll be asked for that information when you start shopping for forklift shipping quotes. Which you should do, as not all car haulers are able to transport a forklift. Carriers tend to stick to cars and trucks and SUV’s, after all. There are some other forklift configurations than the standard warehouse crawler that are larger than the usual forklift. These may require lowboy services. This is also a major reason why you should always have the dimensions of the forklift you need to transport on-hand when you’re searching for quotes.
Get a free quote for shipping a forklift with American Auto Shipping
If you are interested in shipping a forklift, make sure to fill out our free quote request form. It won’t take more than a minute and will net you a free, competitive quote instantly. We understand what it takes to get a forklift shipped, and will help you with your needs as well. If you have questions or concerns, you can always contact one of our own agents any time, toll-free, at 800-930-7417.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
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