Rates as of October 2026. Current heavy-equipment shipping prices on Lethbridge lanes, refreshed monthly from real Trusted Dispatch bookings.
Quick answer: Since January 1, 2026, on Trusted Dispatch, short heavy-equipment moves (under 300 km) cleared a median of $5.69/km (median all-in $1,657), 300–600 km moves $4.21/km, and long hauls over 1,000 km $3.40/km. Recent booked hauls out of Lethbridge include Lethbridge to Edmonton at $2,341–$2,900, Lethbridge to Grande Prairie at $1,471–$4,000, and Lethbridge to Saskatoon at $2,184. These are real cleared prices shippers paid, not broker estimates. Your exact price depends on your machine’s weight and dimensions; you can get a free instant estimate in about 60 seconds, no account needed.
Trusted Dispatch (trusteddispatch.com) is a Calgary-based heavy equipment shipping marketplace that connects farmers, contractors, and equipment buyers directly with vetted heavy-haul carriers across Canada and cross-border to the U.S., with instant estimates, no brokers, and payment held in trust until delivery. This page uses only hauls booked since January 1, 2026. Fuel and trucking costs rose enough this year that older hauls would understate what shipping costs now. The market-pulse section below tracks the most recent quarter.
Related rate guides: Shipping from a different Alberta hub? See our Edmonton heavy equipment shipping rates, Calgary heavy equipment shipping rates, and Grande Prairie heavy equipment shipping rates, or browse all lane rate guides and the rates-by-city overview.
What heavy equipment shipping costs per kilometre (2026 so far)
The most reliable way to plan a budget: per-kilometre rates by trip length, from every booked haul on the platform from January 1 to October 7, 2026. All figures are Canadian dollars, all-in.
| Trip length | Typical $/km | Median $/km | Median all-in price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 300 km | $4.01–$5.83 | $5.69 | $1,657 |
| 300–600 km | $3.92–$6.33 | $4.21 | $2,184 |
| 600–1,000 km | $1.93–$3.91 | $3.23 | $2,546 |
| Over 1,000 km | $1.72–$4.32 | $3.40 | $4,200 |
Shorter trips cost more per kilometre because loading, securement, and permits are fixed costs spread over fewer kilometres.
Recent cleared prices on Lethbridge lanes (2026 so far)
Actual amounts shippers paid on booked Lethbridge hauls since January 1, 2026. Most of it runs the QEII (Highway 2) north to Calgary and Edmonton, and Highway 3, the Crowsnest, west to Cranbrook and the BC Interior. Where a lane shows a single figure, that’s the real price of the most recent haul: a single data point, not a market average. Use the $/km table above for planning.
| Lane | What shippers paid | Booked distance |
|---|---|---|
| Grande Prairie to Lethbridge | $1,546–$1,779 | ~987 km |
| Lethbridge to Edmonton | $2,341–$2,900 | ~616 km |
| Lethbridge to Grande Prairie | $1,471–$4,000 | ~968 km |
| Lethbridge to Saskatoon | $2,184 | ~557 km |
Distances are as booked; pickups and drop-offs can be up to 150 km from the named city.
Market pulse: the last 90 days
Where the market is moving right now, from bookings across the platform (July–October 2026):
- Per-kilometre rates rose sharply. The median cleared price was $4.09/km over the last 90 days, up about 48% from $2.76/km in the previous quarter.
- Hauls are running longer. The average booked move stretched to roughly 970 km, up from about 820 km a year ago, and the median all-in price was $2,970, up from $2,250 in the previous quarter. Equipment bought at auction and repositioned across provinces is a big part of that.
- What’s moving: recent bookings lean to construction iron (a Komatsu WA380 wheel loader, a Case 590 backhoe, a Caterpillar 312F excavator, a Bobcat E32 mini excavator and a Caterpillar TH83 telehandler), with farm equipment still in the mix (a Fendt 1162MT tractor, a MacDon self-propelled mower and New Holland 880CF-40 headers).
Upcoming auctions that will tighten trucks on these lanes
Auction closings are the biggest short-term demand driver in Alberta heavy haul: when hundreds of lots close in one yard, outbound trucks book up within days. Dates to plan around:
- October 8–9, 2026: Ritchie Bros Estate of Daniel Shold, Camrose AB (490+ lots).
- October 14–15, 2026: Ritchie Bros Grande Prairie timed auction (1,900+ lots). Lethbridge to Grande Prairie is one of the busiest lanes on this page; expect it to tighten after this sale closes.
- October 15–17, 2026: Michener Allen unreserved equipment, trucks and trailers live auction, Alberta & Manitoba (2,500+ lots).
- October 22–23, 2026: Euro Auctions unreserved equipment auction, Rycroft AB & Prince George BC (1,000+ lots). Bidding is already open.
- October 22–24, 2026: Ritchie Bros BC regional auction, Chilliwack (2,700+ lots). Feeds the southern Alberta and BC Interior lanes.
- November 3–4, 2026: Ritchie Bros Edmonton (Nisku) auction (2,400+ lots).
- November 24–25, 2026: Ritchie Bros Grande Prairie timed auction (320+ lots).
- November 30–December 1, 2026: Ritchie Bros Lethbridge auction (160+ lots). The local sale: southern Alberta decks fill fastest in the week after it closes.
If you’re bidding at any of these, price your haul before the hammer falls and post your load the same day you win, because carriers fill their decks around these dates fast.
Where rates are heading (next 90 days)
Two forces are pulling in opposite directions right now, and both favour booking sooner rather than later:
- Short-term, per-kilometre rates are already firming. The median per-kilometre price rose about 48% last quarter, and the fall auction calendar is still busy. Ritchie Bros Grande Prairie runs October 14 to 15 with more than 1,900 lots, the BC regional sale at Chilliwack closes October 22 to 24 with more than 2,700 lots, and Ritchie Bros Lethbridge follows November 30 to December 1. When that much iron sells at once, outbound trucks from Lethbridge book up within days and per-kilometre prices on southern Alberta lanes tighten for the two to three weeks that follow. If your move is flexible, booking ahead of those closings is the cheaper window.
- Longer hauls are the new normal. The average booked move has stretched from about 820 km a year ago to roughly 970 km as auction buyers reposition equipment across provinces. Per-kilometre softens on long runs, but the all-in price is rising (median $2,970), so budget on total distance, not the headline $/km.
- Into the fall. Harvest season pulls farm tractors and ag equipment onto the same trailers across southern Alberta, and the first winter road restrictions start shaping truck availability by late in the year, and ag-equipment lanes tend to tighten first.
Bottom line for the next quarter: plan around the auction calendar, book flexible moves ahead of the big closings, and price the whole distance rather than the per-kilometre headline.
What changes the price
- Weight and dimensions. The single biggest factor. A 5-tonne skid steer and a 40-tonne excavator on the same lane are very different hauls. Heavier and wider machines need bigger trailers and sometimes permits. Not sure of your machine’s exact numbers? Look them up with our free equipment specs tool.
- Oversize permits. In Alberta, loads wider than 2.6 m, taller than 4.15 m (load and trailer combined), or longer than 23 m generally require an overdimensional permit, which adds cost and lead time.
- Trailer type. Step decks, lowboys, and double-drops price differently. Combines and sprayers often need a lowboy or RGN; smaller tractors ride on a step deck.
- Direction and season. Carriers reposition around harvest, auction season, and project work, so the same lane can clear cheaper in one direction than the other. Spring road bans, the thaw-season axle-weight limits that run roughly March to May, also tighten capacity and can push rates up.
Which trailer will your load ride on?
The deck a carrier brings is set by your machine’s weight, width, and height, and it is one of the biggest drivers of the rate. Three tiers cover most heavy-equipment moves in Alberta and BC:
- Hotshot (a gooseneck or flat deck behind a one-tonne truck). Best for smaller, lighter loads such as compact tractors, skid steers, mini excavators, and attachments. Quick to dispatch and usually the cheapest option when your machine fits.
- Step deck, also called a single drop. The workhorse for most farm tractors, backhoes, and mid-size equipment. The lower rear deck clears height limits that a straight highboy flatbed cannot.
- Double drop, RGN, or lowboy. For tall or heavy iron such as large dozers, excavators, combines, and sprayers. The dropped well carries height and weight that would need an oversize permit on a step deck, so the rate runs higher but is often the only legal way to move the load.
Not sure which one your machine needs? Our equipment specs tool looks up the weight and dimensions and points you to the right deck.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to ship a tractor from Lethbridge to Edmonton?
Booked Lethbridge-to-Edmonton hauls on Trusted Dispatch since January 1, 2026 cleared between $2,341 and $2,900, depending on the machine. At roughly 600 km, the 2026 market band works out to about $2,350–$3,800 for most equipment, depending on weight and dimensions.
How long does delivery take?
Heavy-haul carriers cover roughly 800 km per day, so Lethbridge to Calgary or Edmonton is typically picked up and delivered the same day or next day once booked; longer runs to Saskatoon, Grande Prairie, or the BC Interior are usually next-day.
I bought equipment at an auction in Lethbridge. Can you ship it?
Yes. Trusted Dispatch regularly moves equipment out of Ritchie Bros Lethbridge and other southern Alberta auction yards. Enter the auction yard as your pickup location and get an instant estimate before you even bid.
Why do some lanes show only one price?
Because that’s the actual amount the most recent shipper paid. We publish real cleared prices, not modelled averages. A single haul is a single data point: use the $/km table for planning, then get an instant estimate for your exact machine and route.
Get your free instant estimate for a Lethbridge haul →
About the author
Nico Carlson is the CEO of Trusted Dispatch, the Calgary-based heavy equipment shipping marketplace behind this data. The platform matches booked heavy-haul shipments with vetted carriers across Canada and the United States, and Nico works daily with the farmers, contractors, dealers, and auction buyers who move iron on these exact lanes. The pricing in this article comes directly from the platform he runs, not from surveys or broker rate cards. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
Data: booked hauls on Trusted Dispatch. Lane clears and $/km bands: January 1 to October 7, 2026, snapped to the nearest major city within 150 km. Market pulse: last 90 days. Auction dates from the auction houses’ published schedules. Updated October 2026.
More Trusted Dispatch rate guides: Canadian Heavy Haul Rate Index · Skid steer shipping costs · Heavy equipment shipping costs in Canada · Rates by city · Edmonton rates · Calgary rates · Grande Prairie rates
