“How much to move an excavator from Al Quoz to Jebel Ali?” It is the most common question in heavy transport, and most companies answer it with “it depends.” That is true — but unhelpful. Here is how lowbed pricing actually works in Dubai and the UAE, so you can budget before you call anyone.
The short answer
For standard machinery moves — an excavator, wheel loader, bobcat or similar plant that fits within normal road limits — market rates in Dubai typically run from about AED 1,200 for a short local trip up to AED 4,800 for longer inter-emirate runs with heavier machines. That is the competitive band most reputable operators quote within.
Abnormal loads are different. Once cargo is over-dimensional or overweight — a transformer, a crane section, a 60-tonne press — the move needs permits, possibly escorts, a route survey and often a night window. Those moves are engineered and priced individually, and comparing them to a standard trip rate misleads everyone.
The six factors that move the price
1. Distance and route
A move within one industrial area costs less than Dubai to Fujairah. But route matters as much as distance: bridges, gantries and roadworks can force a longer engineered route for tall or wide cargo.
2. Weight and dimensions
Weight decides the trailer and axle configuration. Dimensions decide whether the move is “standard” or “abnormal” — and that line is where cost structure changes, because permits and escorts enter the picture. Our lowbed trailer guide explains how cargo maps to trailer type.
3. Permits
Over-dimensional and overweight cargo requires movement permits from the road authorities, and approval takes lead time — often one to two weeks for complex loads. Permit fees themselves are modest; the real cost is planning and the constraints the permit imposes (approved route, approved hours).
4. Escorts and pilot cars
Very heavy or very wide loads move with escort vehicles, and the heaviest super loads move with police escort. Escorts are a real cost line, and they are not optional — they are a condition of the permit. See our permits and escorts guide for when they apply.
5. Tolls and crossings
Salik gates on the route add per-crossing costs, and cross-border moves add customs clearance and border charges. Small individually, they add up on repeat work — ask for them to be shown in the quote rather than discovered later.
6. Timing
Heavy movements on major corridors are restricted during peak hours, so abnormal loads often run at night. Night moves protect the schedule but involve crew and escort time that shows up in the price. Urgent same-day moves also price above planned ones — booking ahead is the cheapest optimisation there is.
How to get an accurate price fast
Send these six details and any operator worth using can quote quickly:
- What the cargo is (machine type or description)
- Weight
- Dimensions (length × width × height)
- Pickup and delivery locations
- When it needs to move
- How it loads (drives on, craned on, or needs jacking)
With that, we can confirm trailer type, flag any permit or escort requirement, and give you a firm number — request a quote or send it on WhatsApp. For moves that cannot use a crane at either end, see our jacking & skidding service.
One honest warning
The cheapest quote is often the one that skipped the permit, the escort or the route survey. On a standard machine move that may never bite. On an abnormal load it means fines, a stopped vehicle, or worse — cargo damage with no compliant paper trail. Price matters; a mover who shows you what is included matters more.