---
title: "crane truck: Definition and Meaning | NPSA"
description: "A crane truck is a truck with a crane mounted on the bed or chassis. It lifts a container off a trailer, over fences or onto a tight spot."
url: https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/crane-truck
publisher: National Portable Storage Association (NPSA)
phone: "(816) 960-6552"
email: info@npsa.org
---

Delivery equipment

# crane truck

A crane truck is a truck with a crane mounted on the bed or chassis. It lifts a container off a trailer, over fences or onto a tight spot. It is also called a boom truck or loader crane truck.

## Why it matters

A crane truck solves placement problems that a tilt-bed cannot. It can set a box over a fence, between buildings or onto a pad with little room. Operators use it for tight urban sites and for stacking. The cost is higher, and the crane needs level ground, outrigger space and clearance from power lines. A common mistake is to ignore overhead hazards. A crane arm needs more clear space than the box itself. Customers should share photos of the site, the exact spot and the nearest wires. Operators should check lift capacity against the container weight and reach distance, not only the box size.

[Read: Container delivery equipment: Tilt-bed, roll-off, side-loader, and crane trucks](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/guides/container-delivery-equipment)

Definition source: [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loader_crane)

## Related terms

[### hiab Hiab is a brand of truck-mounted loader cranes and is also used as a general name for them. Hiab started as Hydrauliska Industri AB in Sweden. A hiab truck carries a crane that loads and unloads cargo. The name is used loosely in the trade.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/hiab)[### tilt-bed truck A tilt-bed truck has a bed that tilts down toward the ground. A winch pulls a container onto or off the bed. It places a 20 ft or 40 ft container on the ground without a crane or forklift. It is the most common delivery truck in portable storage.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/tilt-bed-truck)[### side loader A side loader is a trailer with two lifting arms that picks up a container, carries it and sets it on the ground or on another trailer. It can lift from the side, so it needs less room at the front or back.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/side-loader)[### flatbed truck A flatbed truck has a flat, level bed with no sides or roof. It can be a rigid truck or a tractor with a trailer. A flatbed can haul a container but needs a crane or forklift at the drop site to unload it.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/flatbed-truck)[### overhead clearance Overhead clearance is the free vertical space above a road or drop site. Trees, power lines, bridges and roof edges limit it. A delivery truck and container need enough clear height to travel and tilt without contact. Check it along the full route.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/overhead-clearance)[### delivery access Delivery access is the space and route a truck needs to reach the drop spot. It includes the road, driveway, gates, turning room and overhead clearance. XCaliber Container gives a guide of about 10 feet of width on each side of the container and 13 feet of overhead clearance.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/delivery-access)

[All 220 terms](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary)

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