One Question Decides It

Does the load have to travel over something to get where it is going?

If the answer is no, and there is a clear run in at ground level, you want a tilt tray. If the answer is yes, over a fence, a carport, a retaining wall, a parked car or up to a second storey, you need a crane truck. Almost every job sorts itself with that one question.

What a Tilt Tray Is Good At

A tilt tray tilts its deck to the ground so a load can be driven, winched or slid straight on. There is no rigging and no lift, which is why it is quick at both ends and usually the cheaper of the two.

It suits:

  • Cars, utes, vans and trailers, running or not.
  • Machinery on tracks or skids that can be winched on.
  • Site sheds and small demountables with a clear approach.
  • Shipping containers going onto flat, accessible ground.
  • Anything palletised or crated where a forklift is available at one end.

The limit is simple. A tilt tray has to be able to get close, and the load has to be able to reach the deck. Take those away and it stops being the right tool. More on what it handles on the tilt tray hire page.

What a Crane Truck Is Good At

A crane truck carries its own crane, so it lifts the load on and off without needing a forklift or a second machine. That changes what is possible: the load can start or finish somewhere the truck itself can never go.

It suits:

  • Spas and pool shells going into backyards over a fence or a carport.
  • Water tanks and pump sheds behind a house.
  • Steel, mesh and packs onto a building site, placed where the builder wants them.
  • Air conditioning units onto a roof.
  • Containers that need to clear an obstacle rather than slide in.
  • Machinery lifted out of a spot with no run in at all.

Ours is a Palfinger PK 15500 on a Hino, lifting up to 6,200 kg with 8.0 metres of reach. Capacity falls as the boom goes out, which is why where the load lands matters as much as what it weighs. The load chart sets out the real figures.

The Jobs That Are Genuinely Borderline

Some jobs could go either way, and the decision comes down to detail rather than category.

A Container Onto a Suburban Block

If the driveway is straight, firm and wide enough, a tilt tray slides it off and you are done. If there is a bend the container cannot swing around, a soft verge, or the spot is behind a gate, the crane lifts it over and places it level in one movement. The same delivery, two different trucks, decided entirely by the approach.

Machinery in a Tight Yard

If it can be winched on where it stands, the tilt tray wins on price. If it is boxed in by other plant, or the only clear space is on the far side of a fence, the crane is the one that gets it out without moving everything else first.

A Shed or Demountable

Usually a tilt tray if it can be dragged or winched squarely on. If it has to be lifted level to keep it square, or it is landing on piers or a prepared pad, the crane places it far more precisely.

Why the Cheaper Truck Is Often the Right One

An operator running only crane trucks has an obvious incentive to tell you that you need a crane. Running both means the honest answer costs us nothing. If a tilt tray does your job, that is what we will send, and it will usually be quicker and cheaper.

Where it matters most is the borderline jobs above. Getting that call right before the day is worth more than any hourly rate, because the wrong truck arriving means a wasted trip for you and for us.

You Do Not Have to Work It Out

Send a photo of the space from where the truck would park and tell us what is moving. We will tell you which truck it needs and what it costs, including when the answer is that the access will not work. Send it through and you will get a straight answer back.