Crane truck and Hiab hire in Melbourne
For loads that need lifting on and off the truck — not just carried.
Hiab or crane truck: the same thing
Hiab or crane truck, it's the same truck. Hiab is a brand of truck-mounted crane, and the name stuck for any tray truck with its own crane. Ask for either and you get the same thing from us: a crane truck with one of our drivers to run it.
When a tray truck isn't enough
Plenty of construction freight can be forklifted on at the yard and craned off at the other end. Some can't. When there's no crane on site, no hardstand for one, or the lift window is measured in minutes rather than hours, the truck has to bring its own lifting capability. That's what our specialised transport work covers.
We run crane trucks and engineered lifts for loads that need more than a tray: plant and machinery, switchroom and transformer units, fabricated steel assemblies, and items that have to be set down in a specific position rather than simply unloaded. Where the load is better suited to a drop-deck low loader — tracked or wheeled plant, for instance — we'll put it on one of those instead, because the right answer is whatever gets the item on site undamaged and legal.
How we plan the lift
The detail that matters usually isn't the weight. It's the pick and set-down points, what's overhead, what the ground will carry, and who else needs the space while the lift is happening. Tell us the item, its dimensions, where it's coming from and where it has to end up, and we'll come back with the vehicle and the approach — or tell you plainly if a crane truck is the wrong tool and something else suits better.
Our drivers work construction sites daily, so site inductions, exclusion zones and crane time are routine rather than an interruption. The fleet is fully maintained with scheduled servicing and inspections, and every truck carries live GPS, so your site manager can see where the load is rather than ringing to ask.
Melbourne crane trucks, from Braeside
Our crane trucks work out of our Braeside depot in Melbourne's south-east and cover every Melbourne suburb. We don't run crane trucks out of Sydney. We've run construction freight and nothing else since 2021, and our crews have worked on major infrastructure including North East Link and the West Gate Tunnel.
Fleet & capacity
These are the typical capabilities of our crane truck fleet. What any particular lift needs depends on the weight, the radius, the set-down point and what the site allows, so send us the detail and we'll confirm the right vehicle rather than working off a table.
Common questions
Is a Hiab the same as a crane truck?
Yes. Hiab is a brand of truck-mounted crane, and the name gets used for any crane truck. Ask for a Hiab or a crane truck and you get the same thing: a tray truck with its own crane, and one of our drivers to run it.
How much can your crane trucks lift?
Approx 3.5 tonnes within a 4 metre radius, and 500 to 750 kg at 10 metres, on a 7.5 m tray. What a particular lift needs depends on the weight, the reach and the set-down point, so send the details and we'll confirm the truck.
Do you run crane trucks in Sydney?
No. Our crane trucks run in Melbourne only. In Sydney we run 14 pallet tray trucks and flat top semis.
How much does crane truck hire cost?
Every job is quoted on the load, distance and time on site. Send the details and we'll come back with a price.
Request a quote or call AJ on 0481 309 893