(414) 279-5510 Call Heavy Equipment Hauling · 24/7
Skid steers, Bobcat loaders, mini excavators, forklifts and scissor lifts moved between job sites, rental yards, dealers and shops. A machine that runs drives onto the deck. A dead one comes up a rated winch line. Either way it is chained at its own tie-down points and never towed on its tracks or wheels.
Excavators, dozers, loaders & more★ 4.7 · 5,026 surveys Flat price quoted first Licensed & Insured
Flat price quoted before we roll — we show the factors, never fabricate a number. COI on request.
MKE Towing & Recovery — open 24/7. Need a machine moved in Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County? MKE Towing & Recovery hauls skid steers and Bobcat loaders, compact track loaders, mini excavators, forklifts and scissor lifts, running or dead. Machines up to 15,000 lb are priced on the instant quote. A heavier machine is scoped by a dispatcher before we commit to the move. Call (414) 279-5510.
Instant quote — free, no phone call needed
Pick the machine, its weight band and whether it runs. The calculator uses the same rates the dispatcher quotes. Over 15,000 lb, or on a tight site, dispatch confirms the plan by phone first.
An idle crew and a downed machine both cost money by the hour. Tell dispatch the make, model, weight, where it is, and whether it drives or has to be winched — a real Greater Milwaukee dispatcher answers live and we bring the right rig the first time.
Before you call
Five answers decide the truck, the rigging and the price. Have them ready when you call.
For a machine that has to move now, the dispatcher gives an arrival estimate on the call. A rental return or a delivery to the next site is booked for a set day.
Machine classes
Each class loads and rides a little differently. This is how we handle the machines we move most.
| Machine | How it loads | How it is secured | Tell dispatch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobcat S-Series and other wheeled skid steers | Driven on, or winched on if dead | Chained at the lugs, four points, bucket or forks lowered flat | The attachment, and whether a rental clock is running |
| Compact track loaders, including Bobcat T-Series | Tracked on slowly over the steel deck | Transport lock set, chained at four tie-down points | Whether the tracks turn |
| Mini excavators, including Bobcat E-Series | Tracked on or winched, blade down | House straight, boom lowered to the deck, chained at rated points | Thumb or breaker fitted, and the weight |
| Forklifts and telehandlers | Driven or winched up a tilt-bed, forks down | Chained at rated points; never flat-towed | Door width and dock height if it comes out of a building |
| Scissor lifts, slab and rough-terrain | Driven or winched on at a low angle so it can’t high-center | Platform lowered and pinned, chained at the chassis points | Indoor or rough-terrain model, and the clearance where it sits |
| Larger excavators, dozers and loaders | Scoped by the dispatcher | Factory tie-down points, rated chain | Weight, width and height |
Case, Cat, Deere, Kubota and Takeuchi loaders load and secure the same way as a Bobcat. A machine that won’t start is a normal winch load, priced up front.
A standard bucket or pallet forks stays on, lowered flat to the deck. An auger, breaker or wide snow attachment comes off and rides chained on its own, so nothing swings on the coupler.
A forklift has no free-wheel neutral and its solid tires drag instead of rolling. It is carried on the deck, mast and counterweight secured.
Weight and permits
The instant quote prices machines in two bands: up to 10,000 lb, and 10,000 to 15,000 lb with a per-mile charge on top. A heavier machine is custom-scoped by a dispatcher, because the trailer, the route and the paperwork all change.
Wisconsin’s legal limits on the interstate are 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high and 80,000 lb gross. A load past any of them needs a WisDOT oversize or overweight permit before it moves. Spring also brings posted weight limits on many local roads, so a route that works in July may not work in March. The dispatcher tells you on the call whether your move is affected.
For trucks, buses and anything else over about 26,000 lb, start with heavy-duty towing.
Stuck machines
Recovery comes before loading. The machine is winched out or set upright with rated rigging on a plan, checked over, then loaded and chained. Tell dispatch how it is stuck and how deep, so the right gear comes the first time.
A car or pickup stuck on its own, with no machine involved, is a winch-out and vehicle recovery job.
Sound familiar?
A loader buried to the axles, a dozer in a trench, a machine off a creek bank. We winch it out first — a wrecker or rotator on the heavy ones — then load.
A dozer or excavator due on the next Greater Milwaukee-area site by Monday so the crew isn’t idle. Lowboy or RGN, secure, permit, deliver metro-wide — scheduled and insured.
Won't start, hydraulics down, a track thrown, no drive. We winch it onto a Landoll or lowboy to the shop or dealer — never towed dead on its tracks or wheels.
A new, used, or rented machine dropped or picked up with the clock running. On-time, oversize permit pulled, COI on request for the yard’s file.
A machine on its side or rolled in a trench. We upright it with a wrecker or rotator and rated rigging on a plan, then load — without adding damage.
Bought at auction or online, or coming off lease. We pick up, permit, secure, and deliver — mini to superload, every brand.
Running or not, we load it
A running machine drives up the ramp or over the RGN neck under control, attachments lowered, then chained at the factory tie-down points.
Call dispatch — (414) 279-5510A dead machine comes up a rated winch line onto a Landoll or lowboy. We never tow heavy equipment on its own tracks or wheels — it’s carried, not towed.
Call dispatch — (414) 279-5510Sunk, bogged, or overturned, we winch it out or right it with a wrecker or rotator and rated rigging on a plan, inspect, then load and secure.
Call dispatch — (414) 279-5510Do you handle mine? Almost certainly.
Tracked machines from minis to mass-excavation class — boom and blade down, tracks walked on slow, lowboy or RGN sized to the weight.
Wheel loaders, backhoes, and graders — driven on or winched, bucket and attachments lowered, chained at factory tie-down points.
Bobcat S-Series loaders, T-Series compact track loaders and E-Series mini excavators, and every other skid-steer brand. Driven or winched onto the deck, chained at the lugs, the attachment lowered flat or carried on its own.
Forklifts and telehandlers are carried, never flat-towed. Scissor lifts load at a low angle so they can’t high-center, platform lowered and pinned. Running or dead.
Cranes, aerial lifts, paving and ag equipment, and superloads move on a multi-axle lowboy with a permit, route survey, and escorts.
What heavy equipment transport covers
Heavy equipment is carried, not towed — never dragged on its tracks or wheels. We drive-on or winch-on to rated points, recover first when it's down, and right-size the trailer to the machine.
A picker, not a promise — the final trailer and permit are confirmed from the exact weight, attachments, height, and route on the call.
Secured, not dragged
Blade, boom, bucket, or forks lowered and the load kept low, then grade-70 chain at the factory tie-down points — rated to the real weight.
House swing and track travel locks are set so nothing rotates or creeps on an I-94 haul.
Tracks and tires are walked on slow over a steel deck, the undercarriage protected — carried, not towed.
Oversize, overweight, and superload permits, route surveys, and escorts are arranged before the move — our paperwork, not yours.
What it costs & why
A Greater Milwaukee equipment haul is a flat price quoted before we roll — a compact machine that drives on for a local move is the low end; a large machine mud-recovered and moved as a permitted superload is the high end. We show the factors and the flat price holds.
The flat price covers the dispatch and haul, quoted before a truck leaves. Recovery, permits, escorts, and any disassembly are itemized and confirmed up front — no lowball-then-add-on.
See my exact priceA compact loader and a 40-ton dozer are different hauls — trailer, tractor, and rigging are sized to the real weight.
A machine that drives on is the simple load; a dead or stuck one is billed by the winch and recovery work it takes.
Over legal gets the WisDOT permit, a route survey, and any pilot-car escorts — quoted up front.
A soft pad, a tight gate, or a long haul across Milwaukee & Waukesha counties adds time and gear over a clean curbside load.
Our anti-damage process
Tell dispatch the make, model, weight class, and whether it drives. We confirm the lowboy or RGN, rigging, and any permit before a truck leaves Greater Milwaukee.
Sunk, bogged, or overturned machines are winched out or righted with a wrecker or rotator and rated rigging before anything goes on the deck.
Runners drive up the ramp or over the RGN neck; dead units come up on a rated winch line onto a Landoll. Never towed on tracks or wheels.
Attachments lowered, travel and swing locks set, grade-70 chain at the factory tie-down points, sized to the real weight.
To the next site, yard, dealer, or shop — with clean paperwork and a COI for your file.
Why contractors call MKE
Our fleet is 5 trucks: 3 flatbeds and 2 wreckers. Compact machines ride the deck, chained at their own tie-down points.
Machines up to 15,000 lb get an exact price from the instant quote. A heavier one is scoped by a dispatcher.
Rental returns and site-to-site moves go on the calendar, so the machine is where the counter or the crew expects it.
A certificate of insurance for the rental yard or general contractor is available on request.
Heavy Equipment Hauling across Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
Yes. Bobcat S-Series loaders, T-Series track loaders and E-Series mini excavators load like any other brand: driven or winched on, chained at the lugs, attachment lowered or carried separately. Rental returns, auction pickups and dealer runs are booked for a set day.
Yes. A dead machine comes up a tilt-bed on a rated winch line. Forklifts are never flat-towed, because solid tires drag and there is no free-wheel neutral. Scissor lifts load at a low angle with the platform lowered and pinned.
Machines up to 10,000 lb start at $150. From 10,000 to 15,000 lb they start at $250 plus $4 per loaded mile. The calculator on this page gives the exact number for your machine and route.
The instant quote covers machines up to 15,000 lb. Above that, a dispatcher scopes the move by phone: weight, width, height, the route, and whether it needs a permit.
For a machine that has to move now, the dispatcher gives you an arrival estimate on the call. Planned moves, like a rental return or a delivery to the next site, are booked for a set day.
Answers reviewed July 2026. Pricing model and hours are checked quarterly.
We cover Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. See the service area.
Need something else?
A machine onto your own trailer, or off a carrier.
Learn moreTowable air compressors, generators and equipment trailers.
Learn moreSemis, buses and rigs over about 26,000 lb.
Learn moreA car or truck stuck in a ditch, mud or snow.
Learn moreOne call reaches a live dispatcher. Tell them the machine, whether it runs and where it is going, and you get the price and an arrival estimate before a truck leaves.