A crane truck — also called a picker truck or HIAB — carries its own hydraulic crane behind the cab. That single detail changes what is possible at both ends of a delivery: the truck loads itself at pickup and places the load at delivery, with no separate crane, forklift or loading dock required.
The clearest sign you need one
If the answer to "how will this come off the truck?" is anything other than "by hand" or "with the customer’s forklift", a crane truck is usually the answer. Rooftop HVAC units are the classic example: the freight has to travel, then go up. So are generators, transformers, sea cans and storage containers, and precast concrete or masonry landing on a prepared pad.
Reach and capacity
Our HIAB fleet offers reaches from 40 to 90 feet with weight capacities from 15,000 to 80,000 lbs. On request we can add a 20,000 lb spreader bar for wide or awkward loads, pallet forks, and a 5,000 lb winch for specialized moves. Side, rear and top-loading access means the truck can work with the site rather than against it.
Tight sites are the real test
Reach is not only about height. On a constrained downtown site, reach is what lets the truck stay on the street and still set a load over a hoarding or into a courtyard. This is where booking ahead pays off: the more our dispatch team knows about access, overhead obstructions and the placement point, the better the equipment match.
Booking notes
All HIAB jobs are subject to a four-hour minimum, and booking in advance is the best way to make sure a truck is available for your date. If a Y2K HIAB is not available when you need it, your load is still taken care of through our freight and brokerage department.
