I'm going to pick up a Tree Journeyman Mill and haul it about 300 miles, from Lancaster to Orange County, CA. The mill is about 3,500 pounds, which puts the mill alone 500 pounds over the limit I can haul with my car. So, what I'm planning on doing is renting a big SUV or a van from Avis/Budget/etc... rent-a-car and hauling on either a lowboy utility trailer or a car trailer with a wooden floor. (Another option is to rent a moving truck with alift gate, but I don't think the gates normally lift 3,500 pounds.)
I'll make sure the mill is solidly in place at it's feet by screwing some 2x4's to the wooden trialer deck as cleats. The knee will be down as low as I can get it, and I'll have eight or ten lengths of good quality rope tied to the top of the mill and the trailer to make sure it doesn't tip over.
I should have no problem loading the mill onto a trailer with a forklift, however, I won't have a forklift at my house to unload it.
The mill will be bolted to some 4x4 skids so I can haul it down the trailer into my garage. There's a post set into concrete that I can use with a come-along to haul it off the trailer.
I've moved some heavy lathes (~1 ton) and a Hardinge Mill, so I have some idea of the dangers of what I'm getting into. I'm just a little nervous about unloading the mill. Maybe I should rent a fork lift for the day...
Please let me know if you have any suggestions!