Transport Crane Truck
Hire in Melbourne
Delivery and Lifting in a Single Vehicle
A crane truck is a truck with a hydraulic crane mounted on it, so it carries the load to site and then lifts it into position. One vehicle, one operator, one booking, instead of a delivery truck and a separate crane meeting on the same day.
They are also called Hiab trucks, knuckle boom trucks, truck-mounted cranes, and crane trays. Those all describe the same thing, with Hiab being a manufacturer name that stuck as a generic term.
The Two Numbers
That Actually Matter
Crane truck bookings often go wrong because carrying capacity and lifting capacity are treated as the same figure. The tray payload shows how much the truck can transport, while the crane rating shows how much it can lift at a specific distance. For example, a truck with a 15-tonne payload may lift 3.5 tonnes at three metres but only a few hundred kilograms at 15 metres. That is why we need to know whether the load is being carried or lifted, and how far it must travel from the truck. We use these details to match the right crane truck for jobs across Melbourne, Geelong, Bacchus Marsh and Western Victoria. Send us the weight, distance and load length.
What a Crane Truck Gives You
Five things make this the right vehicle for a large share of jobs:
Transport and lift combined. One vehicle handles delivery and placement, removing the coordination and cost of booking a truck and a crane separately.
Self-loading and unloading. The crane loads the truck at the supplier and unloads at site, with no forklift or second machine needed at either end.
Long load capability. Trays and side racks carry steel, timber, trusses and pipe in lengths that a conventional crane job would still need a truck for.
Fast mobilization. Drives straight to site at road speed with no float transport, no assembly and minimal setup.
Cost-effective for the size. Considerably cheaper than a mobile crane for lifts within its chart, particularly where delivery is part of the job anyway.
What a Crane
Truck Gives You
Five things make this the right vehicle for a large share of jobs:
Transport and lift combined.
Self-loading and unloading
Long load capability
Fast mobilization
Cost-effective for the size
Where Crane Trucks Get Used
Building Materials Delivery
Bricks, blocks, timber packs, sheeting, trusses and frames delivered and placed on site rather than dropped at the curb.
Structural Steel and Fabrication
Beams, columns, purlins and fabricated sections transported from the workshop and lifted into position on arrival.
Container Placement
Shipping containers, site sheds, portable buildings and storage units delivered and positioned accurately on prepared ground.
Machinery and Equipment Transport
Plant, machinery, generators, tanks and equipment moved between sites, workshops and yards with loading at both ends.
Air Conditioning and Solar
HVAC units, condensers, solar frames, water tanks and roof equipment delivered and lifted to roof level in one visit.
Landscaping and Rural Supply
Pavers, rock, sleepers, fencing materials, water tanks and rural supplies delivered onto properties with no unloading facilities.
Call us now at 0457 000 637.
How the Hire Works
How the Hire Works
Four steps, one phone call. Start yours now.
Four steps, one phone call. Start yours now.
Send the load details
What is being carried, the heaviest single item, its length, where it is collected from, where it goes, and how far from the truck it has to be placed.
Send the load details
What is being carried, the heaviest single item, its length, where it is collected from, where it goes, and how far from the truck it has to be placed.
Vehicle matched and quoted
Tray size and crane chart checked against your load and radius, access confirmed, and a quote issued with travel and any permits itemized.
Vehicle matched and quoted
Tray size and crane chart checked against your load and radius, access confirmed, and a quote issued with travel and any permits itemized.
Booking confirmed
Collection and delivery times scheduled, site contacts confirmed, and permits arranged where street occupancy is involved.
Booking confirmed
Collection and delivery times scheduled, site contacts confirmed, and permits arranged where street occupancy is involved.
Delivery and placement
Truck collects, transports, sets up on outriggers at site, places the load, and departs. Docket signed on completion.
Delivery and placement
Truck collects, transports, sets up on outriggers at site, places the load, and departs. Docket signed on completion.
What Comes With the Truck
Six things covered as part of the hire:
Licensed operator supplied. The truck comes with a driver holding the correct license class and crane ticket for the vehicle.
Access assessment first. Street width, driveway access, overhead services, ground conditions, and setup room checked before booking.
Load restraint handled. Chains, straps, gates and restraint arranged to suit the load, meeting load restraint requirements for road transport.
Rigging supplied. Slings, chains, spreader bars and lifting attachments matched to what is being lifted.
Permits where required. Road occupancy, oversize and traffic management arranged where the job or the load calls for it.
Insurance in place. Comprehensive and public liability cover, with certificates available before work commences.
Delivering to a tight residential street or an active site? Call 0457 000 637 with the access details, because parking and outrigger room decide these jobs more often than weight does.
What Comes
With
the Truck
Six things covered as part of the hire:
Every Lift Meets Safety Standard
What is a crane truck?
Rates depend on crane size, hire duration, travel distance and whether you need wet or dry hire. Because our Frannas drive themselves to most metro sites, you often avoid float charges completely. Call 0457 000 637 for an accurate, obligation-free quote the same day.
Is a Hiab the same as a crane truck?
A Franna lifts a load and drives it across the site without outriggers or set-up time. Typical jobs include machinery relocation, steel erection, roof truss installation, concrete panel work, container placement and general construction lifting.
What is the difference between carrying capacity and lifting capacity?
Yes. Standard hire is wet hire, which includes a licensed, experienced operator. Dry hire is available for approved clients with appropriately ticketed personnel.
What does tonne meter mean on a crane truck?
All Melbourne metro suburbs, plus Geelong, Bacchus Marsh, Melton, Werribee, Ballarat, Caroline Springs, Maidstone and the wider Western Victoria region. Our Maddingley depot keeps travel time and cost down for every client.
What is the difference between front mount, mid mount and rear mount cranes?
The 20T is the most compact, ideal for tight access and general lifting. The MAC 25T adds capacity and stability for medium to heavy lifts. The AT 40 is the largest pick and carry crane in the range, built for heavy steel, plant and equipment.
How long a load can a crane truck carry?
Absolutely. With articulated steering, a compact frame and no outriggers, a Franna operates in narrow laneways, congested sites and factories with limited head height where a slewing crane cannot set up.
Do I need a crane truck or a mobile crane?
For most Melbourne and Geelong jobs, we can mobilize the same day or next morning, subject to availability. We operate 24/7, so urgent lifts and night works are never a problem.
Do I need permits?
Site address, load weight and dimensions, lift or carry distance, access details, ground conditions and your preferred date. Photos and drawings help us confirm the right crane first go.
Do I neeIs an operator included?d permits?
Site address, load weight and dimensions, lift or carry distance, access details, ground conditions and your preferred date. Photos and drawings help us confirm the right crane first go.
What does crane truck hire cost in Melbourne?
Site address, load weight and dimensions, lift or carry distance, access details, ground conditions and your preferred date. Photos and drawings help us confirm the right crane first go.
Which areas do you cover?
Site address, load weight and dimensions, lift or carry distance, access details, ground conditions and your preferred date. Photos and drawings help us confirm the right crane first go.
0457 000 637
Open 24 hours
25 Rowsley Station Rd, Maddingley VIC 3340
Contact Us
The truck drives to site from our depot at 25 Rowsley Station Rd, Maddingley VIC 3340, directly on the Western Freeway. On delivery work, that position matters, because the run into the metro area and out to regional Victoria happens on a route built for heavy vehicles. Maidstone tests access more than capacity. Narrow streets, parked cars and short driveways mean the deciding factor is usually whether the truck can park and set outriggers within reach of the drop point, not whether the crane can lift the weight.