Moving a skid steer or mini excavator on a tilt trailer

Key takeaways

• Tilt payload is about 9,700 lb; a Bobcat S650 is 8,061 lb and an E35 is 3,587 kg (about 7,900 lb).
• Heaviest end up the deck first, per Bobcat's loading guidance.
• Four tie-downs minimum at the machine's own tie-down points.
• Lower the bucket, blade or boom to the deck before you chain it.
• A half-ton rated at 5,000 lb without weight distribution can't tow this.

Will my machine fit on a 24-foot tilt?

Most compact skid steers and 3- to 4-ton mini excavators fit, but check the operating weight against the trailer's roughly 9,700-lb payload before you book.

Our 24' tilt is a RawMaxx GTX gravity tilt rated at 14,000 lb GVWR, with an 8-foot stationary section and a 16-foot tilt deck. Payload is about 9,700 lb by the dealer's figure. Here's how two common machines stack up:

Operating weight usually includes a standard bucket and operator, but definitions vary by brand. Read the machine's plate or spec sheet. Bigger track loaders and 5-ton-plus excavators can go over the tilt's payload. If your extra buckets, a breaker or a grapple ride along, add their weight.

What truck do I need to tow it?

A three-quarter-ton or heavier truck with a brake controller, rated for the full loaded weight.

Do the math. The tilt's empty weight is roughly 4,300 lb (14,000 GVWR minus about 9,700 payload). Add an 8,061-lb S650 and you're towing about 12,400 lb. A 2026 F-150 is rated for 500 lb of tongue weight and 5,000 lb of trailer without weight distribution, so it's out. A 2026 Silverado 2500HD is rated 14,500 lb (gas) to 18,500 lb (diesel) conventional, with a brake controller standard.

• Brakes. Maryland Transportation Article § 22-301 requires brakes on all wheels plus a breakaway system that holds for 15 minutes on trailers registered over 10,000 lb. The tilt has them; your truck needs a working controller.
• CDL. If you're hauling for business and the combination is rated at 26,001 lb or more with a trailer over 10,000 lb GVWR, that's a Class A. See do I need a CDL in Maryland.

Run your truck through the tow check before you book. Your vehicle's manufacturer ratings and manual always win.

How do I load a skid steer onto a tilt trailer?

Level ground, trailer hitched and chocked, machine clean, low speed, heaviest end leading, and no turning on the deck.

1. Hitch first. Keep the trailer hitched to the truck, set the truck's parking brake and chock its wheels. Park on firm, level ground.
2. Clean the machine. Knock mud and gravel out of the tracks or tires so it doesn't slip on the deck or fling debris on the highway.
3. Release the tilt. Follow the trailer's tilt-release procedure so the deck lowers under control.
4. Set the machine up. Low range on two-speed machines, auto-idle off. Bucket low, just off the deck.
5. Drive on straight. Bobcat's guidance is to go up with the heaviest end first. On a skid steer with an empty bucket, that's usually the rear (engine end), so many operators back on. Check your machine's manual; it will say.
6. Feather the tilt point. As the machine passes the pivot, the deck will tip level. Go slow and let it settle.
7. Position it. Center left to right. Fore and aft, place it so there's tongue weight on the hitch, not lift. Then lock the deck as the trailer's manual describes.
8. Lower and shut down. Bucket flat on the deck, engine off, parking brake set, doors and covers locked.

How is a mini excavator different?

Same steps, but you also have to lock the swing, lower the boom, bucket and blade, and keep the machine straight while it climbs.

• Track straight up the deck. Never swing the house or steer on the slope.
• Once level, lower the bucket and the dozer blade to the deck. Federal securement rules for heavy equipment call for accessories to be fully lowered and articulating parts restrained during transport.
• Engage the swing lock if the machine has one, and turn the pilot controls off.
• Check height. A tucked boom can still be taller than you think. Watch for low bridges and wires.

How do I chain it down?

Use at least four tie-downs, attached at the machine's own tie-down points and to the trailer's rated anchor points, plus chocks at the tracks or tires.

Federal rule 49 CFR 393.130 applies to commercial carriers moving equipment of 10,000 lb or more, and it sets the floor most operators use anyway: at least four tie-downs restraining forward, rear, side and upward movement, attached as close as practical to the front and rear or at the designated points. Bobcat recommends the same four-point layout for its loaders.

• Chain or binder ratings should be clearly marked. Replace anything cracked, stretched or with worn links.
• Keep chains off hydraulic hoses and cylinders.
• Secure any attachment you remove with its own chains.
• Recheck binders after the first few miles. Loads settle.

Our tilt comes with straps or chains for the load.

What does a machine-plus-tilt day cost?

A skid steer and the tilt for one day comes to $500 base, $530.00 with Maryland's 6% sales tax.

Machines are on a waitlist right now. Join it on the skid steer or mini excavator page. Machines carry a $500 card hold; trailers $250.

Questions

Sources

• Bobcat: How to load and tow a skid-steer or compact track loader
• Bobcat S650 specifications
• Bobcat E35 specification sheet (2021)
• 49 CFR 393.130 (Cornell LII)