Farm Tractor and Combine Transport
Tractors: from easy step deck loads to permitted giants
A compact or utility tractor up to about 100 horsepower rides a step deck or heavy flatbed with ramps, no permits, no drama, priced like other compact equipment. The move changes with size: row-crop machines in the 200-plus horsepower class stand tall enough that cab height matters, and anything on dual wheels is usually over the 8 feet 6 inch legal width, which means the duals come off and travel on the deck, or the move is permitted. Front-wheel-assist, loaders, and three-point implements all add to the travel dimensions, so measure the tractor as it will actually ride, not as the brochure describes it.
Combines: wide by birth, permitted by default
A modern combine is 12 to 14 feet wide at the drive tires before you even discuss the header, which makes nearly every combine move a permitted one, planned state by state. The standard practice is a two-trailer move: the combine rides an RGN or lowboy, and the header, 30 to 45 feet of it, travels flat on its own step deck or header trailer. Separating them is not an upsell, it is physics and law: a mounted header would be both illegally wide and dangerously fragile. Harvest season concentrates demand, so combines booked in September move on September prices and schedules; the same machine in January rides cheaper and calmer.
What farm equipment transport honestly costs
| Equipment | Typical move | Honest range |
|---|---|---|
| Compact / utility tractor | Step deck, legal load | $400 to $1,200 regionally |
| Row-crop tractor (duals off) | RGN, legal or near-legal | $1,000 to $2,500 regionally |
| Row-crop tractor (duals on) | RGN, width permits | $1,500 to $3,500 with permits |
| Combine plus header | Two trailers, permitted | $2,500 to $6,000 depending on distance and season |
Inside the bands, the familiar levers apply: running machines load cheaper than dead ones, farm lanes with firm ground beat soft field edges, and flexible dates beat harvest-week emergencies. We quote from the model, the real dimensions, and both addresses, and the number holds.
Farm pickups: the access questions that matter
Farms are friendly territory for heavy haul, there is usually room to maneuver, but two questions decide the day. First, ground: a 70-foot combination loaded with forty thousand pounds needs firm footing, and a soft field entrance after rain has swallowed more than one schedule. Second, power: can the machine drive to the trailer, or does it need towing to firm ground first? Answer those two honestly at booking and your pickup is a twenty-minute event. Auction-bought equipment skips the questions entirely, since auction yards load from pads daily.
The farm-to-port pipeline
Used American farm iron, tractors especially, is prized abroad, and the export version of the move follows the same discipline as all our port work: machine to the export warehouse on an ordinary schedule, title and filing to the terminal ahead of the steel, then RoRo for anything that drives aboard reliably. Duals and headers are handled before the port, not at it, because terminals accept machines in travel trim, not field trim. One quote runs the farm gate to the vessel, paperwork included.
Your questions answered
How do you transport a farm tractor?
Compact and utility tractors ride step decks with ramps as simple legal loads, while large row-crop machines move by RGN, with dual wheels removed or a width permit arranged. The tractor's real travel dimensions decide which move it is.
How much does it cost to haul a tractor?
Compact machines run $400 to $1,200 regionally, large row-crop tractors $1,000 to $3,500 depending on duals and permits, and long hauls scale with distance. The model and dimensions set the exact number, which we quote personally.
How is a combine transported?
As two loads: the combine on an RGN or lowboy under width permits, and the header flat on its own trailer. Nearly every combine is wider than legal limits, so the permitted two-trailer move is the standard, not the exception.
How much does combine transport cost?
Commonly $2,500 to $6,000 covering both the machine and the header trailer, moved by distance, season, and the permit states on the route. Harvest months cost more than winter for the same route.
Do dual wheels have to come off for transport?
Usually yes, because duals push most tractors past the 8 feet 6 inch legal width. Removed duals ride flat on the same deck; keeping them mounted means a width permit and a higher quote.
Does the header travel with the combine?
On a separate trailer, yes, never mounted. A 35-foot header is its own legal-width load lying flat, and separating it is what makes the combine itself permittable.
Can you move equipment that does not run?
Yes, with winching or loading assistance arranged in advance. A machine that drives to firm ground under its own power always loads cheaper, so a small repair before pickup often pays for itself.
Can you pick up from the farm directly?
Yes, farms are routine, with two honest questions first: is the ground firm enough for a loaded 70-foot combination, and can the machine reach that firm ground. Answer those and farm pickups run like clockwork.
When is the cheapest time to move farm equipment?
Outside harvest and planting rushes, when trailers are plentiful and schedules calm. A combine moved in January rides cheaper than the same machine in September.
Can implements and attachments ship with the tractor?
Yes, loaders, blades, and three-point implements ride the same deck when weight and length allow, secured separately. List everything traveling so the quote covers the true load.
Can farm tractors be exported overseas?
Yes, used American tractors are a major export, moving through the port warehouse pipeline with paperwork filed ahead and RoRo loading for running machines. We quote the farm gate to the vessel as one move.
Can you collect a tractor or combine from an equipment auction?
Yes, auction pickups are standard, with yard loaders making the job easy, and we schedule inside the free storage days. From the yard it goes to your farm, a buyer, or the export warehouse.
Tell us the machine and the route, and we quote it personally, usually within hours.
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