Boom Lift Shipping

How Boom Lifts Are Shipped

Boom lift transport is a weight and height problem, and the model number answers both. Compact electric articulating lifts in the 30 to 45 foot class weigh roughly 13,000 to 16,000 pounds and load onto a flatbed or step deck under their own power. Mid size 60 foot telescopic units run about 20,000 to 25,000 pounds. The 80 foot class passes 30,000 pounds, and the 120 to 135 foot telescopic booms push 40,000 pounds and beyond, so they ride a step deck or a lowboy to keep the total height under the legal 13 feet 6 inches. The very largest 150 to 185 foot machines are permitted loads on a removable gooseneck. Because these machines are self propelled, most drive up the ramps with the boom lowered into the transport cradle, the jib tucked, the platform rotated in line, and the turntable lock engaged before the first chain goes on.

Articulating vs Telescopic: Why It Matters for the Trailer

An articulating boom folds its knuckle into a compact package, so the shipping length stays close to the chassis length. A telescopic boom retracts but does not fold, so the stick often overhangs the counterweight and adds real feet to the load; a 120 foot straight boom is more than 40 feet long stowed and takes most of a step deck by itself. Two lifts with the same platform height can therefore need different trailers, which is why we quote from the model and serial data and not the category. Send photographs of the machine as it sits and we confirm the deck, the securement plan, and any permit needs, often the same day.