Our forklift moving service in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, and nearby areas covers two kinds of work for plants, warehouses and dealers across Durham Region. The first is forklift transport: we prepare a lift truck, load it, chain it down and haul it to its new site. The second is moving machinery with forklifts: we bring a forklift big enough to unload, carry and set a machine your own fleet can’t handle.
Oshawa’s largest employers show what tends to move here. Durham Region’s profile of the city lists General Motors, Lactalis Canada, Martin Brower, GEODIS and Ontario Power Generation among them, and names advanced manufacturing and multimodal transportation as priority clusters. So the work runs from auto-industry suppliers and the distribution centres of Northwood Business Park to port and rail yards, and from a single reach truck to a whole fleet.
We cover Oshawa and the surrounding area in Durham Region, from Pickering, Ajax and Whitby to Courtice and Bowmanville.
- Industrial clients only: forklifts, machines and plant equipment, never household goods.
- Load, haul and set in one booking: the same crew prepares the unit, drives the truck and places the load.
- Quick answers: a quote within 2–4 business hours, and estimates are free.
- Where we work: Oshawa, Whitby, Clarington and the rest of Durham Region, with trips west to Toronto and the GTA.
Use our Heavy Lifting & Moving Calculator for a quick, rough price range estimation…
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Forklift Transport Services in Oshawa, Step by Step
A lift truck on the road needs the right trailer, proper tie-downs and a plan for both ends of the trip. Our forklift movers work through it in this order:
- Identify the unit: make, model and serial number from the data plate, the operating weight, mast height lowered and fully raised, tire type, and any clamp, rotator or side-shifter fitted.
- Walk both sites: loading docks or grade-level doors, the yard surface, gates, overhead lines and room for a tractor-trailer to turn.
- Match the trailer: a tilt-deck or beavertail carries most counterbalance trucks; tall masts and big yard forklifts go on a step-deck or low-bed to stay under the height limit.
- Prepare it for the road: forks lowered, parking brake on, keys out, and the battery disconnected or the propane cylinder valve closed.
- Load it: a running unit drives up the ramp under its own power; for one that doesn’t, see below.
- Chain it down: rated chains and binders on the manufacturer’s tie-down points; National Safety Code Standard 10 calls for at least four tie-downs on a wheeled vehicle that weighs more than 4,500 kg.
- Deliver and hand over: unloaded at the destination, parked where you want it, and checked over with your contact before we leave.
Forklifts and Lift Trucks We Haul Around Oshawa
We haul counterbalance forklifts, electric or propane, between plants and warehouses; reach trucks and order pickers when a distribution centre reorganizes; large pneumatic-tire forklifts from outdoor yards; and small units such as walkie stackers and pallet jacks, which can ride along with a bigger load to save a trip. As a forklift delivery service, we also collect units bought from a dealer or at auction and bring them to your dock. When a whole plant is being cleared, see plant closure and auction removal in the GTA.
When the Forklift Doesn’t Run
A flat battery, a failed hydraulic pump or lost keys change the plan. A unit that can’t drive can’t climb a trailer ramp, and dragging it on locked wheels can damage the drive and brakes. Tell us if the unit doesn’t run; we confirm the method before quoting. Describe the fault in your request, along with where the unit sits and what is around it.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Oversize Load Permits in Oshawa: City, Durham Region and MTO
A standard forklift on a low trailer usually stays within the legal size and weight, so most trips need no permit. Oversize loads are different. The City of Oshawa requires a moving permit for a load wider than 2.60 m, taller than 4.15 m or longer than 23 m, or above the axle or gross weights in the Highway Traffic Act, and asks for the application 10 to 15 business days before the move. If any part of the route is a Regional road, the Durham Region permit must come first; Durham takes oversized and overweight permit applications online and asks for ten business days. Highway 401 and Highway 407 East are provincial highways, so an MTO oversize permit applies there, requested at least 5 business days ahead.
The City permit puts the route on the applicant: clearance from railway companies, Fire, Police, EMS, Durham Region Transit and overhead utilities, police escorts and traffic control where the size calls for them, and sometimes a route map and traffic control plan. When a load needs a permit, we arrange the permits and escorts as part of the job.
Spring Half-Load Season on Oshawa Roads
Each year, from early March to about April 30, the City restricts commercial vehicles to five tonnes per axle on its roads where half-load signs are posted; the exact dates depend on road conditions, and some roads carry the limit all year (City of Oshawa weight restrictions). A tractor-trailer carrying a forklift is usually above that limit, so spring moves are routed over unrestricted roads or scheduled around the season.
Moving Machinery With Forklifts in Oshawa
Some jobs are not about the forklift at all. A press brake, a coil handler or a packaging machine arrives on a flatbed, and the plant’s own forklift is too small to take it off. That is when you need a machine moving company with heavier equipment. As an industrial equipment mover, we bring a heavy-capacity forklift with fork extensions, unload the machine, carry it through the building and set it on its marks; where the forks can’t reach, the crew switches to skates, a hydraulic gantry or jack-and-roll, and your licensed electricians disconnect and reconnect power. For complete relocations, see our machinery movers in Oshawa; for lifting and rigging only, see our industrial rigging services in Oshawa.
Auto Plant Retooling in Oshawa
In August 2026 Unifor members ratified a contract with GM that commits CAD 144 million to add the next-generation Heavy-Duty GMC Sierra at Oshawa Assembly, plus CAD 63 million toward stamping and other upgrades in Oshawa (Unifor, 30 August 2026). Programs like this move equipment in and out, often within tight shutdown windows, at the plant and at the suppliers that feed it. For a supplier, that can mean a new machine to unload, forklifts to shift between buildings, or old equipment to clear before a deadline.
Distribution Centres in Northwood Business Park
Northwood Business Park is 202 hectares (500 acres) of employment land near the Oshawa Executive Airport, connected to CP and CN rail lines. Lactalis Canada chose Oshawa for its largest global distribution facility, and Martin Brower picked Northwood for a distribution centre of about 172,000 sq ft on Conlin Road West (Reyes Holdings). Distribution centres run reach trucks, order pickers and counterbalance forklifts in numbers, so moves here are often fleet moves: units relocated in waves between buildings, or delivered to a new site before it opens, without blocking dock appointments.
The Gear We Bring
Depending on the job, the crew brings heavy-capacity forklifts with fork extensions for long machine bases, machinery skates and toe jacks for tight aisles, a hydraulic gantry where the ceiling is low, cribbing and jacks for jack-and-roll, and tilt-deck, step-deck or low-bed trailers with rated chains and binders. When a machine has to come in through a roof or over a wall, the lift is planned with our crane or a partner crane.
Forklift Moving Cost in Oshawa and How to Keep It Down
Every forklift move is quoted for the job in front of us. The price depends on:
- The unit: a small electric forklift or walkie stacker costs far less to move than a heavy pneumatic-tire yard truck or a machine that needs a heavy-capacity forklift
- Running condition: a unit that drives onto the trailer loads faster than one that doesn’t
- Both sites: docks or grade-level loading, the yard surface, door sizes and floor loading
- The route: distance, trailer type, any City of Oshawa, Durham Region or MTO permits and escorts, and spring half-load detours
- Timing: evening, weekend and shutdown work
The cheapest forklift move is a well-prepared one: share the data-plate details and photos up front, move several units in one trip, charge the battery and clear the path before we arrive, and give us some flexibility on the day. For a first ballpark, try the Heavy Lifting & Moving Calculator.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Service Area: Oshawa, Whitby, Clarington and Durham Region
We take forklift jobs all over Oshawa, from Northwood Business Park and the airport lands in the north to the harbour lands in the south. The Port of Oshawa, operated by HOPA Ports, has handled more than 500 vessels and over 3 million tonnes of cargo in the past decade, from salt and steel products to sugar, asphalt and grain (City of Oshawa). Beyond the city we cover Whitby, Ajax and Pickering to the west, Courtice, Bowmanville and Newcastle in Clarington to the east, and Port Perry and Uxbridge to the north.
Highway 407 East has been toll-free between Brock Road and Highway 35/115 since June 1, 2025 (Town of Whitby), which helps on runs across Durham. Many Oshawa jobs start or end in Toronto; for heavy equipment moving services there, see our forklift moving service in Toronto. For moves east along Highway 401, see our forklift moving service in Kingston.
The map below marks our everyday radius, about 50 km from Oshawa.
Cities and Towns We Serve From Oshawa
| City | Province | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Oshawa | Ontario | Canada |
| Ajax | Ontario | Canada |
| Aurora | Ontario | Canada |
| Bowmanville | Ontario | Canada |
| Markham | Ontario | Canada |
| Newcastle | Ontario | Canada |
| Newmarket | Ontario | Canada |
| Orono | Ontario | Canada |
| Pickering | Ontario | Canada |
| Port Hope | Ontario | Canada |
| Port Perry | Ontario | Canada |
| Richmond Hill | Ontario | Canada |
| Toronto | Ontario | Canada |
| Uxbridge | Ontario | Canada |
| Vaughan | Ontario | Canada |
| Whitby | Ontario | Canada |
| Whitchurch-Stouffville | Ontario | Canada |
Trips beyond the map, to Peterborough, Belleville, Kingston or across the US border, are priced per run, including heavy equipment transportation on a low-bed trailer.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Why Durham Plants and Distribution Centres Call Us
- Industrial jobs only: forklifts, lift trucks, machines and plant equipment.
- One booking, one crew: preparation, loading, the haul and placement.
- Schedules that suit you: moves planned around shift changes, dock appointments and shutdowns.
- Local road rules covered: City of Oshawa, Durham Region and MTO permits, plus the spring half-load season.
- More than forks: skates, gantries and jack-and-roll when a forklift can’t do the job alone.
- Quick quotes: within 2–4 business hours, and estimates are free.
A good fit: forklift transport between sites, dealer and auction pickups, fleet moves for distribution centres, and machines that need a heavier forklift to unload, carry or set.
Not a fit: forklift service in the sense of repairs and maintenance (mobile forklift service included), forklift rentals, parts and sales, operator training, lumper or freight unloading, and household or office moves, including movers and packers.
Have These Ready for an Exact Quote
Include these in your quote request:
- What moves: one forklift, a fleet, or a machine that needs unloading or placing
- The data plate: make, model, serial number and weight, with a photo
- Does it run? Note any battery, engine, mast or brake problems
- Both addresses, with dock heights and door sizes
- Dates: your preferred day, dock appointments or shutdown windows
- Photos of the unit, the loading spot and the route through the building
We quote and invoice in Canadian dollars (CAD).
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Other Services in Oshawa
For the full list, see all our services in Oshawa.
You also might be interested in the following services within the area:
- Heavy Equipment & Machinery Movers in Oshawa, ON
- Heavy & Industrial Rigging Services in Oshawa, ON
- Factory & Plant Relocation Services in Oshawa, ON
- Lab & Medical Equipment Movers in Oshawa, ON
- CNC Machine Movers in Oshawa, ON
- Printing Press Movers in Oshawa, ON
- Electrical Transformer Moving Services in Oshawa, ON
Location of our sales office:
50 Richmond St E, Oshawa, ON L1G 7C7, Canada 👇
Oshawa Forklift Moving: FAQ
Around Oshawa it covers two jobs. The first is forklift transport: we prepare a lift truck, load it, chain it down, haul it and unload it at the new site. The second is moving machinery with forklifts, where we bring a heavier forklift to unload, carry and set equipment your own fleet can’t lift. Both are for industrial clients only, and quotes come back within 2–4 business hours.
Typical Oshawa and Durham Region jobs include presses and press brakes, CNC machines, fabrication and welding equipment, packaging and conveyor sections, crated machines from dealers, and the usual range of lift trucks. We check the weight, centre of gravity and lifting points first. When forks alone would not be safe, the crew moves the load on skates, with a gantry or by jack-and-roll.
We start with the data plate: weight, mast height and tires. Then we check both sites for docks, doors and room for the truck, and choose a tilt-deck, step-deck or low-bed trailer. The forklift is made safe, loaded and chained at its tie-down points, with at least four on a wheeled unit over 4,500 kg, then unloaded and parked where you want it.
Tell us if the unit doesn’t run; we confirm the method before quoting. A forklift that can’t drive can’t climb a trailer ramp, and pulling it on locked wheels risks damaging the drive and brakes. Describe the fault in your request, whether it is a flat battery, an engine that won’t start or missing keys, and tell us where the unit sits and what is around it.
Only when the load is oversize or overweight. The City of Oshawa requires a moving permit above 2.60 m wide, 4.15 m high or 23 m long, or over Highway Traffic Act weights, with 10 to 15 business days of notice. A Durham Region permit comes first if the route uses a Regional road, and Highway 401 needs an MTO permit. Most forklifts on a low trailer need none.
They can. From early March to about April 30 each year, the City of Oshawa limits commercial vehicles to five tonnes per axle on its roads where half-load signs are posted, with exact dates set by road conditions. A tractor-trailer carrying a forklift is usually above that, so in spring we route over unrestricted roads or schedule the move around the restriction.
Yes. Northwood Business Park is 500 acres of employment land near the Oshawa Executive Airport, where Lactalis Canada has its largest global distribution facility and Martin Brower chose a site on Conlin Road West. Warehouses like these run reach trucks, order pickers and counterbalance forklifts, so we move units in planned waves between buildings or to a new site, timed around dock appointments.
Each move is quoted on its own. The price depends on the size and weight of the unit, whether it runs, access at both sites, the distance and trailer, any City, Durham Region or MTO permits, and the timing. To keep it down, send data-plate photos and group units into one trip. For a rough range, try our Heavy Lifting and Moving Calculator.
If you mean moving forklifts, yes: we haul lift trucks and use forklifts to move machines across Durham Region, from Pickering, Ajax and Whitby to Oshawa, Courtice and Bowmanville. If you mean forklift repairs, maintenance or a mobile forklift service, we don’t do that work, and a forklift dealer or service shop is the right call.
No. We are an industrial moving crew, not a rental yard, dealer or school. For forklift rentals, parts, new or used sales and operator training, contact a dealer or a training provider in Durham Region. We also don’t unload freight as lumpers, and we don’t do household or office moves; local movers and packers handle those.
