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HTS Logistics
Forklift Transport & Hauling

Forklift Transport & Hauling

Forklifts and telehandlers from the 8,000 lb Toyota 40-8FGU25 to the 133,860 lb Hyster H1050XDS48: trailers, permits and tie-downs

Quick answer

How do you transport a forklift?

Most ride a step deck with no permits. The four standard forklifts in our data are 3 ft 9 in to 6 ft 6 in wide and no taller than 8 ft 1 in, and no telehandler here is over 8 ft 6 in wide. The truck drives on, the forks go down and the carrier chains it. High-capacity trucks from the Hyster H360XD36 up ride an RGN under permits.

Updated October 2026 by the HTS Logistics broker team (FMCSA MC# 1178470).

In our heavy equipment transport data, forklifts run from 8,000 lb to 133,860 lb. Toyota's 40-8FGU25, at the light end, rides a step deck with room to spare. Hyster's H1050XDS48, at the heavy end, is 13 ft 11 in wide and 17 ft 0 in tall with its mast lowered, over the legal width, height and weight in all 48 states in our permit data.

As a licensed property broker (MC 1178470), HTS Logistics sizes the truck against the maker's tech guide, books a carrier with the right deck and orders the permits; the carrier loads and hauls it. The figures below come from Toyota, Hyster, Genie, SkyTrak, JLG and Kalmar documents checked in October 2026 and listed under Sources. Scissor and boom lifts have their own page: scissor lift and boom lift transport.

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How to transport a forklift, step by step

The mast and the weight pick the trailer, and the trailer decides the permits, so the order matters:

  1. 1

    Pin down the exact truck

    Model, rated capacity, mast and lift height, tires and fuel. Each one moves the tech guide numbers: Hyster lists the H50A at 47.4 in wide on standard-tread tires and 62.6 in on dual-tread tires.

  2. 2

    Find the highest point

    It is the lowered mast or the overhead guard, whichever is taller, plus the deck. On the Toyota 40-8FGU25 the mast (84.5 in lowered) stands above the 83.1 in guard; on the Hyster H100FT the guard (2,302 mm, about 7 ft 7 in) is higher than the lowered mast.

  3. 3

    Settle the forks

    The lengths in our table run to the fork face. Forks add their own length on top: about 8 ft on the Hyster H360XD36, which measures 221 in to the load face and 317 in overall.

  4. 4

    Match the trailer

    A step deck if the truck is no wider than 8 ft 6 in, stays at or under 13 ft 6 in on a 40 in deck and weighs 45,000 lb or less; an RGN or lowboy otherwise. That rule puts eight of the eleven machines on this page on a step deck.

  5. 5

    Permit the route

    A permit from each state crossed for anything over width, height or weight, and an escort wherever the load reaches that state's trigger. The permit section below works this through for the largest truck here.

  6. 6

    Drive it on and chain it

    Forks and carriage go down to the deck, then tiedowns sized to the truck's weight. From 10,000 lb up, 49 CFR 393.130 sets a minimum of four; the Toyota 40-8FGU25 and Hyster H50A weigh less, so the carrier may also use the general cargo rules.

Forklift and telehandler shipping dimensions, 11 machines

Lightest first. Size is length to the fork face (forks off) by width by height, as each maker publishes it, and height is the lowered mast or the overhead guard or cab, whichever is higher (for telehandlers, the stowed height). None of these makers publishes a shipping weight, so weight is the truck's own weight without a load. Loaded height is our estimate on a 40 in step deck or a 2 ft RGN deck, as the trailer column shows.

Shipping sizes, trailers, loaded heights, weights and permits for 11 forklifts and telehandlers
Forklift or telehandler Shipping size (L x W x H) Trailer Loaded height (est.) Weight Permits needed
Toyota 40-8FGU25 5,000 lb, gasoline/LP; the mast is the high point 8 ft 8 in x 3 ft 9 in x 7 ft 0 in Step deck 10 ft 5 in 8,000 lbToyota total weight None
Hyster H50A 5,000 lb, LPG, standard tread 8 ft 7 in x 3 ft 11 in x 7 ft 1 in Step deck 10 ft 5 in 8,520 lbtruck weight, no load None
Genie GTH-5519 5,500 lb, 18 ft 10 in lift 12 ft 3 in x 5 ft 11 in x 6 ft 6 in Step deck 9 ft 10 in 10,360 lbGenie weight None
Hyster H100FT 10,000 lb; the overhead guard is the high point 10 ft 8 in x 4 ft 9 in x 7 ft 7 in Step deck 10 ft 11 in 15,108 lbtruck weight, no load None
Toyota 50-8FG70U 15,500 lb, dual tires, 120.6 in lift mast 11 ft 8 in x 6 ft 6 in x 8 ft 1 in Step deck 11 ft 5 in 20,170 lbToyota total weight None
SkyTrak 10054 10,000 lb, 53 ft 2 in lift; length basis not stated 21 ft 0 in x 8 ft 6 in x 8 ft 4 in Step deck 11 ft 8 in 27,400 lboperating weight None
JLG 1055 10,000 lb, 55 ft lift 20 ft 1 in x 8 ft 5 in x 8 ft 4 in Step deck 11 ft 8 in 31,742 lboperating weight None
Genie GTH-1056 10,000 lb, 56 ft 7 in lift 22 ft 6 in x 8 ft 6 in x 8 ft 6 in Step deck 11 ft 10 in 31,900 lbGenie weight None
Hyster H360XD36 36,000 lb at 36 in; mast lowered 18 ft 5 in x 8 ft 4 in x 12 ft 2 in RGN or lowboy 14 ft 2 in 46,134 lbtruck weight, no load Height and weight
Kalmar DCG330-12 33 t (72,752 lb); Kalmar's metric figures 22 ft 9 in x 11 ft 3 in x 14 ft 10 in RGN or lowboy 16 ft 10 in 91,492 lbservice weight, 41,500 kg Width, height and weight
Hyster H1050XDS48 105,000 lb at 48 in; mast lowered 25 ft 2 in x 13 ft 11 in x 17 ft 0 in RGN or lowboy 19 ft 0 in 133,860 lbtruck weight, no load Width, height and weight

Two rows carry a caveat. Kalmar publishes metric figures only and prints its mast heights as two values spread across eleven models, so the DCG330-12's 4,520 mm lowered mast is matched to it by the table layout; we confirm it on the actual truck. And SkyTrak does not say whether the 10054's 21 ft length includes the forks.

Does the mast decide the permit?

Often it does, because lowered height follows the mast a truck was ordered with, not its capacity. Toyota's 50-8FG70U and Hyster's H155FT are both 15,500 lb trucks. The Toyota, on a mast that lifts 120.6 in, is 96.8 in tall lowered, about 11 ft 5 in on a 40 in step deck. The standard mast in Hyster's H135-155FT guide lifts 212 in and lowers to 3,740 mm (about 12 ft 3 in), which would put the truck near 15 ft 7 in on the same deck and about 14 ft 3 in on a 2 ft RGN deck: over 13 ft 6 in either way.

We work from millimeters where a guide prints both. Hyster rounds its inch figures up: its H100FT guide prints the lowered mast's 2,214 mm as 88 in, although 2,214 mm is 87.2 in.

On high-capacity trucks the lowered mast is the tallest point by a wide margin. Hyster lists the H360XD36's mast at 146 in lowered and its closed cab at 122.4 in, and the H1050XDS48's at 205 in and 154 in; Kalmar gives the DCG330-12's mast at 4,520 mm and its cab roof at 3,450 mm. None of the three guides gives a transport configuration, so whether the mast comes off is settled with the owner or dealer before permits are ordered. On a 2 ft deck, each choice works out like this:

High-capacity forklift heights with the mast lowered and with the mast removed (OEM figures, 2 ft deck)
TruckMast loweredLoaded, mast onCab topLoaded, mast off
Hyster H360XD3612 ft 2 inabout 14 ft 2 in10 ft 2 inabout 12 ft 2 in, under 13 ft 6 in
Kalmar DCG330-1214 ft 10 inabout 16 ft 10 in11 ft 4 inabout 13 ft 4 in, under 13 ft 6 in
Hyster H1050XDS4817 ft 0 inabout 19 ft 0 in12 ft 10 inabout 14 ft 10 in

With the mast off, the H360XD36 and DCG330-12 come in under 13 ft 6 in on that deck, while the H1050XDS48 still stands about 14 ft 10 in to the cab. The cab is the highest point these guides list after the mast; none of them publishes the mast's own weight, so the weight without it, and where the mast travels, are planned from the actual machine.

Which forklifts need oversize permits and escorts?

In our data, only the high-capacity trucks. All four standard forklifts and all four telehandlers are legal on width, height and weight on a step deck. From the H360XD36 up, each one needs a permit: the H360XD36 is under 8 ft 6 in wide but over height with its mast on, and at 46,134 lb it is past the 45,000 lb mark where our weight check expects the gross to top 80,000 lb; the DCG330-12 and H1050XDS48 are over on width, height and weight alike.

The H360XD36 is the edge case. At about 14 ft 2 in on a 2 ft deck with the mast on, it is over the legal height in 46 of the 48 states we track (all but Colorado and Nebraska, where the line is higher), and it needs a height-pole escort in New York and a front escort in Connecticut. New Jersey has no height escort rule but wants utilities notified over 14 ft. The Kalmar DCG330-12, at 11 ft 3 in, needs a width permit but stays under the width escort line in all five states in the table below.

The H1050XDS48 shows how the lines stack. At 13 ft 11 in it is past the first width escort line in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Ohio but not in New Jersey. Height depends on the mast:

Hyster H1050XDS48: width and height permits and escorts in five states, mast on and mast off (2 ft deck)
State13 ft 11 in wideMast on: about 19 ft 0 in highMast off: about 14 ft 10 in to the cab
New YorkPermit and a NYS certified escortSuperload, plus a height-pole escortPermit and a height-pole escort
New JerseyPermit, no escortPermit; utility notice, no escort rulePermit; utility notice, no escort rule
PennsylvaniaPermit and 1 pilot carPermit and a height-pole pilot carPermit and a height-pole pilot car
ConnecticutPermit and 1 escortSuperload, plus a front pole carPermit and a front pole car
OhioPermit and 1 escortSuperload, plus a height-sensing lead escortSuperload, plus a height-sensing lead escort

Width and height escorts add up. Ohio calls for two escorts, lead and rear, once a load crosses more than one of its lines, and Pennsylvania for two when a load over 13 ft wide is also over 14 ft 6 in high. In New York a superload by height also brings a police escort on top of the certified escorts. Weight is the last line: Ohio counts any load over 120,000 lb gross as a superload, and the H1050XDS48 passes it on its own 133,860 lb, before a tractor and trailer are added. The DCG330-12 passes it once it is on a trailer: even at the 35,000 lb low end of our tractor-and-RGN planning range, the gross is about 126,492 lb.

For other states and routes, start with our oversize permit rules by state. Legal load limits by state lists what each state allows without a permit, our pilot car requirements guide gives every escort trigger, and the oversize load checker runs one truck's loaded size against 48 states at once.

Which trailer does a forklift need?

Weight and lowered mast height sort forklifts between a step deck and a lowboy:

Trailer choice by forklift and telehandler size (from the dataset's trailer rule)
TrailerMachines in our dataWhy
Step deck, or a flatbed with a dock or craneToyota 40-8FGU25, Hyster H50A, Hyster H100FT and Toyota 50-8FG70U8,000 to 20,170 lb; about 10 ft 5 in to 11 ft 5 in high on a 40 in step deck, and the tallest, the 50-8FG70U, about 12 ft 11 in on a 58 3/16 in flatbed
Step deckGenie GTH-5519, SkyTrak 10054, JLG 1055 and Genie GTH-105610,360 to 31,900 lb and 12 ft 3 in to 22 ft 6 in long without forks, inside a 38 ft lower deck
RGN or lowboyHyster H360XD368 ft 4 in wide, but 12 ft 2 in to the lowered mast and 46,134 lb
RGN or lowboy rated for the weightKalmar DCG330-12 and Hyster H1050XDS4811 ft 3 in and 13 ft 11 in wide and 91,492 lb and 133,860 lb before the tractor and trailer; makers rate the RGNs in our trailer data at 35 to 80 tons

Step decks load from the rear, over ramps or a beavertail, or on hydraulic-tail and traveling-tail models such as Trail King's TK80HT and Landoll's 930E. On an RGN the gooseneck comes off, which lets a high-capacity truck drive on over the front. The step deck trailer guide gives deck lengths and heights model by model, and our RGN vs lowboy vs step deck comparison covers when each one fits.

Telehandler transport: legal size, right at the width line

All four telehandlers in our data ship at legal size on a step deck, but two of them have no margin: the SkyTrak 10054 and the Genie GTH-1056 are listed at exactly 8 ft 6 in, the 102 in legal width, and the JLG 1055 at 100.75 in. An option that adds width takes a machine past 102 in and into width-permit territory, so we measure the unit you are shipping instead of booking from the spec sheet.

The 10,000 lb class weighs 27,400 lb (SkyTrak 10054) to 31,900 lb (Genie GTH-1056) and runs 20 ft 1 in to 22 ft 6 in long without forks, short enough for the 38 ft lower deck of the step decks in our trailer data. The compact Genie GTH-5519 is 12 ft 3 in long, 6 ft 6 in tall and 10,360 lb, and also fits a flatbed: about 11 ft 4 in high on Utility's 58 3/16 in 4000S deck.

Outriggers and options change the numbers. SkyTrak's 8 ft 6 in width for the 10054 is with the outriggers up; down, they span 13 ft 1 in, a working position only. JLG lists the 1255 at the same 240.8 in length and 100 in height as the 1055 but 1,726 lb heavier, at 33,468 lb.

How a forklift is tied down on the trailer

Federal cargo rules draw a line at 10,000 lb. For wheeled and tracked machines at or above it, 49 CFR 393.130 has accessory equipment lowered all the way and secured, and the machine held against sideways, forward, rearward and vertical movement by four or more tiedowns, fixed near its front and rear or at mounting points built for that job. On this page that covers nine of the eleven machines: every truck from the Hyster H100FT (15,108 lb) up and every telehandler.

The Toyota 40-8FGU25 (8,000 lb) and Hyster H50A (8,520 lb) are under the line. For lighter machines, 393.130(a) lets the carrier secure them under that section, under the rule for automobiles, light trucks and vans (393.128), or under the general rules in 393.100 to 393.114.

Whichever rule applies, 393.106(d) sets a floor: the working load limits of the tiedowns, counted as that paragraph describes, must add up to at least half the cargo's weight. That is 4,000 lb for a Toyota 40-8FGU25, 10,085 lb for a Toyota 50-8FG70U and 66,930 lb for a Hyster H1050XDS48. The carrier picks the chain and binder count to meet it, which is why we confirm the truck's real weight with you first.

What sets the cost of forklift transport?

The trailer and the permits, more than the miles. A standard forklift or telehandler is a legal-size step deck load with no permits or escorts, and two small trucks bound for one site can share a deck when the length and weight allow. A high-capacity truck brings an RGN or lowboy, a permit from every state on the route and, on the widest and tallest, escorts; a mast that comes off can add a truck of its own.

Our heavy equipment transport cost guide works through a legal-size move and an oversize one line by line, from published rates and permit fees. Forklifts bought through Ritchie Bros or IronPlanet leave on the yard's release and loading rules, covered in auction equipment transport, and a forklift going to a jobsite with other machines is planned with them under construction equipment transport.

What to tell us before we quote a forklift

Each of these changes the height, the width or the weight we plan for:

  • Make, model, serial number and rated capacity, with the load center it is rated at.
  • Mast type and maximum lift height, or the lowered height measured on the truck.
  • Tires and tread: Hyster lists the H100FT at 57.1 in wide on standard tread and 62.0 in on wide tread.
  • Fuel or power. Toyota lists its LP-only 50-8FGU25 at 7,840 lb, 160 lb under the gasoline/LP 40-8FGU25.
  • Forks, sideshifter, fork positioner or other attachments, and whether they travel on the truck.
  • For telehandlers: forks or carriage on or off, outriggers, cab and tire options.
  • Whether it runs and can drive onto the trailer, the pickup and delivery addresses and loading hours, and release paperwork for an auction, dealer or Cat Rental pickup.

Forklift transport questions

Can a forklift go on a flatbed?

Most standard forklifts can, if a dock, ramps or a crane gets them up. On Utility's 4000S flatbed, listed at 58 3/16 in high, the tallest standard truck in our data, the Toyota 50-8FG70U at 8 ft 1 in, rides at about 12 ft 11 in, under 13 ft 6 in. A step deck is the usual pick because its lower deck sits 34 to 40 in up and the truck can drive on at the back.

How much does a forklift weigh for shipping?

More than it lifts. No maker in our data publishes a shipping weight, so we plan with the truck's own weight without a load: 8,000 lb for a 5,000 lb Toyota 40-8FGU25, 8,520 lb for a 5,000 lb Hyster H50A and 133,860 lb for a 105,000 lb Hyster H1050XDS48. Across the seven forklifts here, the truck weighs 1.3 to 1.7 times its rated capacity.

Do the forks have to come off for transport?

It is a length decision, not a rule. Our table measures to the fork face, and the forks add their length on top: 42 in on the Toyota 40-8FGU25 as Toyota configures it, and about 8 ft on the Hyster H360XD36, which is 221 in to the load face and 317 in overall. None of the makers' guides gives a transport instruction for the forks, so we agree on or off with you before booking.

Does a telehandler need an oversize permit?

Not the four in our data, on a step deck. They are 5 ft 11 in to 8 ft 6 in wide, 6 ft 6 in to 8 ft 6 in tall stowed and 10,360 to 31,900 lb, inside legal width, height and weight. The SkyTrak 10054 and Genie GTH-1056 sit exactly at 8 ft 6 in, so an option that adds width on the actual unit would mean a width permit.

Which forklifts need a pilot car?

In our data, only the widest and the tallest. The Hyster H1050XDS48, 13 ft 11 in wide, needs a width escort in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Ohio but not New Jersey. With its mast on, the Hyster H360XD36 stands about 14 ft 2 in on a 2 ft deck, enough for a height-pole escort in New York and a front escort in Connecticut. Standard forklifts and telehandlers ship at legal size and need none.

Can you ship a forklift that does not run?

Yes, with lifting at both ends. A truck that cannot drive needs a crane, a larger forklift or a winch at pickup and delivery, booked and priced apart from the haul. The weight sets that equipment: 8,000 lb for a Toyota 40-8FGU25, 20,170 lb for a Toyota 50-8FG70U. Tell us whether the truck starts, steers and brakes before we book the carrier.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked in October 2026 against the sources below. Rules and rates change; we confirm current requirements on every move.

  1. Toyota 40-8FGU25 (Toyota Core IC Pneumatic (8FGU15-32) spec sheet, (c)2023 Toyota Material Handling, Inc., p. 5)
  2. Hyster H50A (Hyster H40-70A Technical Guide, Part No. H40-70A-TG, 04/2026, p. 4 (LPG PrimeMatch))
  3. Hyster H100FT (Hyster H80-120FT Technical Guide, Part No. H80-120FT/TG, 12/2020 (H100FT LPG table))
  4. Toyota 50-8FG70U (Toyota Large IC Pneumatic (50-8FG60U/70U/80U) spec sheet, (c)2024 Toyota Material Handling, Inc.)
  5. Hyster H360XD36 (Hyster H280-330XD48, H360XD(S)36, H360XD(S)48, H400XD Technical Guide, Part No. H330XD48-TG, 9/2024)
  6. Kalmar DCG330-12 (Kalmar Heavy Forklift Truck DCG180-330 brochure, specifications page (kalmarglobal.com asset dated 2024-06-25))
  7. Hyster H1050XDS48 (Hyster H800-1050XD(S) Technical Guide, Part No. H800-1050XDS-TG, 10/2023, p. 6)
  8. Genie GTH-5519 (Genie GTH-5519 Product Specifications, 2026, EN-US (08/26))
  9. Genie GTH-1056 (Genie GTH-1056 Product Specifications, 2026, EN-US (08/26))
  10. JLG 1055 (JLG Telehandlers brochure (742, 943, 1043, 1055, 1255), Part No. 3132245 R0726_05, specifications table)
  11. SkyTrak 10054 (SkyTrak 10054 Telehandler spec sheet, Part No. 3132404 R1024_07)
  12. Hyster H135-155FT Technical Guide, Part No. H135-155FT-TG, 4/2021 (H155FT mast, cross-check)
  13. eCFR: 49 CFR 393.130, securing heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery
  14. eCFR: 49 CFR 393.106, general requirements for securing cargo (aggregate working load limit; cargo placed side by side) (Title 49 up to date as of Oct 15, 2026)
  15. eCFR: 49 CFR Part 393 Subpart I, protection against shifting and falling cargo (393.100 to 393.136, including 393.128)
  16. eCFR: 23 CFR Part 658, truck size and weight (658.15 width; 658.17 gross and axle weights)
  17. NYSDOT: NYS Certified Escort Manual 2025
  18. NYSDOT: Superloads (Type 1S permits, bonds, police escorts)
  19. N.J.A.C. 13:18 Subchapter 1, NJ oversize and overweight permits (NJDOT-hosted rule)
  20. 67 Pa. Code 179.10: permit conditions and pilot cars
  21. PennDOT: number of pilot cars cheat sheet
  22. CTDOT: oversize/overweight permit FAQ (escort table, superloads)
  23. ODOT: Operational Guide for Vehicles Operating with a Special Hauling Permit (superload definition, escorts)
  24. ODOT: limitations and provisions of a special hauling permit (Form OS-1A escort rules)
  25. Trail King TK80ACS step deck (34, 38 and 40 in loaded deck heights)
  26. XL Specialized XL 80 SD step deck (39 1/2 in loaded main deck)
  27. Trail King TK80HT hydraulic tail step deck
  28. Landoll 930E traveling tail (38 ft 3 in lower deck)
  29. Utility Trailer flatbed specifications (4000S: 58 3/16 in on a 47 in fifth wheel)

Get a forklift transport quote

Send the truck's make, model and serial number, its capacity, mast and tires, and the pickup and delivery points. We check it against the maker's tech guide, then book the carrier and order any permits the route needs.

  • FMCSA-licensed property broker, MC# 1178470
  • Permits, escorts and route surveys arranged for each move
  • Carriers checked for authority, insurance and safety record
  • Commercial shippers, dealers, contractors and auction buyers

Prefer to talk? Call (631) 683-8275.

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