Machine skates, forklift, HIAB or crane: how heavy machinery is moved

Updated 6 November 2026 · By the Heavy Equipment Movers team

Short answer: Heavy machinery is usually moved with machine skates and toe jacks along the floor, with forklifts for loading and short moves, with a HIAB lorry loader for loading and moderate lifts near the vehicle, or with a mobile crane for heavy, long-reach or high lifts. The method depends on the machine's weight and lifting points, the route, the floor, headroom and whether the load must be raised over anything.

Machine skates, forklift, HIAB or crane: how heavy machinery is moved

The four main methods

Method	Best for	Main limits
Skates and toe jacks	Floor-level moves inside buildings and through doors	Needs a sound, level route and jacking points
Forklift	Loading, unloading and short moves on good ground	Capacity drops as the load centre moves out
HIAB lorry loader	Self-loading and lifting close to the vehicle	Capacity falls quickly as the boom extends
Mobile crane	Heavy loads, long reaches, roofs and upper floors	Cost, space for outriggers, ground bearing and permissions

Many moves combine methods. A machine may be skated to the loading door, lifted onto the lorry by HIAB, then skated into position at the new site.

Air skates, which float a load on a thin film of compressed air, and hydraulic jacking and sliding systems are also used for very heavy or sensitive loads on suitable floors, but they are specialist methods rather than everyday ones.

Machine skates and jacks

Skating is the workhorse of machinery moving. The machine is raised evenly with toe jacks or hydraulic jacks at its jacking points, skates are placed underneath, and the machine is rolled along a planned route. Steerable skates at one end let the team turn corners. Because the machine stays low, skating suits standard doorways, low ceilings and finished floors that can be protected with plates.

The limits are the floor and the route. Skates concentrate the load onto small rollers, so cracks, drains, joints, ramps and suspended floors all need checking. Slopes are a particular hazard because a heavy machine on rollers needs controlled restraint, often with winches or pulling equipment rather than people alone.

Good practice is to raise the machine in small, even increments, packing under it with timber cribbing as it goes up, so it is never held only on jacks. Skates should be positioned under strong parts of the base, and the total skate capacity should be well above the machine weight to allow for uneven weight distribution.

Forklifts

Counterbalance forklifts are quick for loading, unloading and short moves across yards, and many machines have forklift pockets or can be lifted from a frame. The rated capacity applies at a stated load centre, so a long or overhanging machine reduces what the truck can safely carry. Heavy-duty forklifts and fork extensions extend the range, and two forklifts working together is a planned lift in its own right, not an improvisation.

Forklifts also need good ground. Soft yards, gravel and slopes reduce stability, and a forklift carrying a tall machine has a higher combined centre of gravity, which makes turning and braking more critical. The operator should hold the right training for the class of truck, and the load should be carried low and tilted back where the machine allows.

HIAB lorry loaders

A HIAB is a crane on the back of a flatbed lorry. It can load its own cargo and place items within reach of the vehicle, for example a machine into a unit doorway or a generator onto a plinth. A HIAB rated for many tonne-metres may still only lift a fraction of its maximum weight at full reach, so the radius from the vehicle to the landing point is the key figure. Lifts follow the same LOLER planning duties as any other lift, and BS 7121 includes a part specific to lorry loaders.

Mobile cranes

Mobile cranes are used when the load is too heavy or the reach too far for a HIAB, or when the lift is high, such as onto a roof or through an upper-floor opening. They need space to set up, outrigger positions on ground that can carry the load, and often permission to work from the road. Cranes cost more, but for the right lift they reduce the risk and time compared with improvised alternatives.

For a crane lift, the ground under each outrigger is often the deciding factor. Outrigger loads on a mid-sized mobile crane can be many tonnes on each pad, which can crack paving, collapse drain runs or sink into soft ground. Crane mats or spreader pads spread this load, and the lift plan should state what is needed. Underground services, cellars and basements near the crane position also need identifying.

How a mover chooses

Weight and centre of gravity of the machine
Where the approved lifting or jacking points are
Width, height and condition of the route
Floor type and load capacity along the route
Whether the machine must go over, up or down anything
Vehicle access and space for outriggers
Overhead obstructions such as cables, beams and sprinklers
Cost and the downtime each method would cause

The survey answers most of these questions. If two methods would both work, a good mover will explain the cost and risk of each so you can decide.

If you have the manufacturer's installation manual, share it with the mover early. It often shows approved lifting points, sling angles, transport positions and the weight distribution, which can rule methods in or out before anyone visits the site.