Until almost the twentieth century, a simple tool made up the primary earthmoving machine: the hand shovel - sleds, barges, and wagons driven by animal and human power. This vehicle was the main method by which the material was tilted or raised to load a cart or wagon, usually pulled by a hand truck or a draft animal. In ancient times, the hand shovel or equivalent of an anchor and head basket - and masses of people - were used to move the earth to do construction work. Builders have long used the inclined plane, arms, and pulleys to accommodate sturdy building materials, but these labor-saving devices were not suitable for excavation operations that required digging, lifting, moving, and placing loose materials. The two elements required for mechanized excavation were an independent power source and land mobility, as it is now, and none of these could be provided by the technology of that time. 

Since the 1950s, container cranes were used and made container transportation possible.

Such is the importance of this machine today, some transport companies have developed special equipment to transport heavy construction equipment to and from construction sites.

Most major equipment manufacturers such as Caterpillar,  Volvo, [4] Liebherr, [5] and Bobcat have launched or are developing heavy equipment that is fully or partially electrically powered. Models sold on the market and R&D models were announced in 2019 and 2020. 

Robotics and autonomy have become a growing concern for heavy equipment manufacturers as manufacturers begin to acquire research and technology.  Currently, a number of companies are developing commercial solutions (Caterpillar and Bobcat) or launching them (Built Robotics).