When its construction was completed in 1978,
Bagger 288 superseded Marion 6360 as the heaviest land vehicle in the world (Marion 6360 weighed 12,700 metric tons).
It took five years to design and manufacture and five years to assemble, with total cost reaching $100 million.
In 1995, it itself was superseded by the slightly heavier Bagger 293 (14,200 tons). XCMG's
Like its siblings, the Bagger 288 requires a disproportionately small number of people to operate, at just five total.
Whilst Bagger 288 is considered a "sibling vehicle" with Bagger 293, it is unclear if 288 receives the same moniker as 293's Type SRs 8000 by TAKRAF