Tell us the job. We’ll supply the right crane truck with a qualified operator, handle the permits, and manage the whole thing end-to-end — anywhere in Australia, off one phone call.
A crane truck is a truck with a hydraulic knuckle-boom crane mounted behind the cab. It lifts, positions and delivers loads in a single vehicle — no separate crane, no separate transport. That makes it the go-to for jobs that involve moving and placing: freight into tight yards, machinery onto pads, shipping containers onto trucks or slabs, structural steel to first-floor level, event marquees and staging.
Crane trucks are also called a hiab, after the Swedish manufacturer whose cranes started the trade!
We supply crane trucks right across Australia. Tell us what the job involves and we’ll match it to the right truck and a qualified operator, set the delivery window, handle any council or road permits, and manage the job from first call to final invoice. One number, one invoice, one accountable point of contact — and because our reach is national rather than tied to a single depot, we can get a crane truck on site in any mainland state.
Pallets, timber packs, steel bundles delivered from the truck straight into the yard, no forklift needed at the destination.
Compressors, generators, air-conditioning units lifted from the truck onto pads or plinths in a single visit.
20ft and 40ft containers loaded onto trucks, off trucks, or repositioned between yard bays. A crane truck is faster than a standalone crane plus transport for this.
Beams, columns, roof trusses lifted from the truck onto the frame — one movement, no separate crane hire on-site.
Marquee frames, staging modules, portable buildings placed at the venue. Often permit-heavy in metro CBDs — we handle it.
Residential and commercial installs where the item needs to go over a fence or into a back yard.
Half the calls we get are from people who’ve been told they need X when the job actually wants Y. Here’s the quick version.
| You need | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Deliver a load and place it in one movement (freight into a yard, machinery onto a pad, containers) | Crane truck (hiab) | One vehicle, one operator. No separate transport. Fast setup, drives on/off site. |
| Lift something in place — no delivery needed — with heavier reach or capacity than a crane truck | Mobile crane | Bigger boom, bigger lift. Comes on its own transport; needs road-legal setup room. |
| Small lift in a tight urban site, driveway or car park | Franna (pick-and-carry) | Small footprint, drives while loaded. Perfect for residential and cramped commercial. |
| Move a machine or vehicle from A to B without lifting it very high | Tilt tray | Tray tilts to load; no lift capacity. Cheapest option when the job is just move it. |
Not sure? That’s what the free site inspection is for. Ring us on 0419 150 698 or send through the details and we’ll tell you honestly which one fits — even if it’s not the option you rang about.
Looking for a mobile crane, franna or crawler instead? See all crane hire options.
Do you think a crane truck might be just what you need for your job?
Give Roy a call to organise your crane truck or to discuss if a crane truck is right for your job.
Tell us about your project — We’ll work out how we can get it done for you.
The reason people ring us: they don’t want to make ten phone calls, chase four quotes, sort a permit with the council, and then hope the truck and the operator turn up on the same day. That’s our job, not yours.
Site, load, dates, access. Ring us or send through the details in our contact form
We match your job to the right size and reach from our network nationally. If the job needs a Palfinger rather than a HIAB, or more reach, we’ll provide the right one to do the job.
Council road, footpath and traffic-management permits. Oversize permits with the state road authority. Delivery window coordinated with your site.
The crane truck arrives with a qualified operator (wet hire — always). One point of contact through Combination Cranes for anything that comes up during the job. One invoice at the end.
Permit-heavy job? See Crane Lift Permits & Council Approvals. Need riggers or dogmen as well? See Riggers, Dogmen & Labour Hire.
Every crane truck we supply comes with a qualified operator, and where the job needs it, a rigger and dogman. We don’t do dry hire — the crane arriving without someone qualified to run it. There are three reasons:
The operator is the person who can look at the load, look at the ground, look at the overhead, and make the calls that keep everyone on site safe. That’s not a customer decision to make.
One phone number, one invoice, one accountable point of contact. If something goes sideways during the job, you ring us — you’re not ringing three different numbers trying to work out whose problem it is.
The operator’s licence, the crane’s insurance, the rigger’s ticket — all verified and all lining up before the job starts. Dry-hire arrangements are where insurance claims fall between the cracks.
Not sure? That’s what the free site inspection is for. We’ll tell you honestly which one fits — even if it’s not the option you rang about.
Indicative rates in metro capitals vary depending on the truck required. Bigger trucks, tight access, out-of-hours work, and permit-heavy jobs all move the number up. For a firm number, we need the specifics — send them through and we’ll come back to you.
Standard minimum call-out is 3 hours for a crane truck. Small jobs in metro areas can often be scheduled back-to-back with other work in the same area that day, which brings the effective cost down — that’s one of the things we optimise for when we’re scheduling.
Yes. Council road, footpath and traffic-management permits, and state road-authority oversize permits (VicRoads, Transport for NSW, TMR, Main Roads WA, DIT) are all handled as part of the job. You don’t chase councils — we do.
Yes. We cover every mainland state, and we work from whichever location is closest to your site. Regional jobs are usually fine too, provided there’s a suitable truck within reach — we’ll tell you either way when you send the details.
For standard weekday jobs in metro areas, 3–5 business days is comfortable. Same-day is often possible in Melbourne. Interstate work usually needs 5–10 business days depending on the state and the job — ring us and we’ll tell you honestly.
Weekend, night and public-holiday work usually attracts a loading, and it’s shown in the quote rather than buried in it. We’re transparent about it up front.
Public liability and crane insurance are in force on every job, and current certificates are verified before work starts. Certificates of currency can be provided on request before the job begins if your site or head contractor requires them.
No. We only supply wet hire — the crane arrives with a qualified operator. Safer, simpler, insurable, and it stops arguments about who’s responsible if something goes wrong. See the wet-hire section above for why.
