Truck Mounted Crane

Truck Mounted Crane Types

Truck mounted cranes are classed by boom geometry and mounting position. CLW fits 4-16 t cranes from PALFINGER, SANY and XCMG to 4x2 to 8x4 carrier trucks, keeping the complete vehicle as one road-legal registration:

• Straight boom cranes. Telescopic booms that extend in a straight line; simple, fast and cost-effective for flatbed loading, construction lifting and long reaches.
• Knuckle boom cranes. Folding booms that stow compactly and work in tight yards; better for city delivery, utility work and below-hook attachments.
• Lorry loaders. Behind-cab or rear-mounted knuckle booms combined with a cargo body for one-man loading and delivery.
• Heavy carrier cranes. 12-16 t cranes on 6x4 or 8x4 chassis with wider outriggers for steel, precast and infrastructure work.

Mounting position matters as much as boom type: behind-cab mounting leaves the full deck free, while rear mounting gives better reach over the back of the truck and is common on utility and recovery bodies.

How to Size a Truck Mounted Crane

Crane capacity is rated at a specific radius, not at the hook. A 10 t crane may lift 10 t only close to the column and far less at full reach, so sizing starts from the load and the working radius:

1. Load weight and attachment weight. Include slings, spreader bars and the hook block.
2. Working radius in metres. The horizontal distance from the crane column to the load, not the boom length.
3. Lift height and boom length. Confirm the load chart at the required height and radius.
4. Outrigger spread and ground condition. Soft or sloping ground needs pads and a reduced load chart.
5. Chassis and axle loads. The crane, body and payload must stay within the legal axle limits.
6. Duty cycle. Continuous loading needs oil cooling and a higher-duty pump; occasional lifting does not.

Send the load, radius, height and site photos; CLW returns a load-chart extract, outrigger force diagram and a chassis recommendation rather than a capacity number on its own.

Crane and Cargo Body Configurations

The carrier body is configured around the cargo and the crew, not only the crane:

• Flatbed and dropside bodies for pallets, steel, bricks and general cargo, with lashing points and side stakes.
• Van and box bodies for weather-sensitive cargo, with the crane mounted behind the cab or at the rear.
• Man baskets and work platforms for signage, lighting and tree work, with the crane derated for personnel lifting and the appropriate safety devices.
• Auger, winch and pole-handling attachments for utility and telecom crews.
• 8x4 heavy carriers for precast, steel and infrastructure loads, with wider outriggers and reinforced frame.

Tell us the cargo dimensions, the crew size and whether the crane must work over the side or the rear; body length and crane position follow from that.

Truck Mounted Crane Price Guide 2026

Factory-direct bands, FOB China, for standard specifications. Crane brand, capacity, reach, carrier chassis and attachments move the price substantially:

• 4-8 t knuckle boom on a light 4x2 carrier: roughly USD 35,000-55,000
• 8-10 t straight boom on a 4x2 or 6x2 flatbed: roughly USD 55,000-75,000
• 12-16 t crane on a 6x4 carrier: roughly USD 80,000-120,000
• Heavy 8x4 crane truck with attachments: roughly USD 120,000-170,000

Compare quotations on crane model and load chart, boom sections and reach, outrigger span, carrier chassis and body, hydraulic oil cooling and safety devices. A low price that omits the load moment limiter or reduces outrigger span is not the same product.

Safety, Standards and Export

Every crane ships with its manufacturer certificate and load chart; the complete vehicle carries MIIT and export homologation documents, ISO factory certificate and inspection report. Safety specification should include a load moment limiter, outrigger interlock, emergency stop, hose-burst valves, boom lock and stabilizer pads. Where EN 12999 or a national crane standard applies, we review the installation against it and provide the technical file for registration.

Lead time is 20-35 working days for standard crane trucks and 30-50 working days for 12-16 t or 8x4 builds. Shipment is by RoRo or flat rack. CLW supplies operator training material, a maintenance schedule and a spare-parts list, and can arrange factory training for your operators and workshop team before dispatch.