Truck Mounted Crane Hire in Crowborough, East Sussex —
HIAB and Knuckle Boom Crane Hire for Delivery and Placement
Deliver and place in a single visit. A truck-mounted crane — HIAB or knuckle boom — carries your load on the truck and lifts it exactly where it needs to go without a second vehicle or a separate crane mobilisation. Call 01892 662 777.
54 Years Trading
CPCS-Certified Operators
Lift Plans Included
Same or Next-Day Mobilisation
Heavy materials to deliver and position on site — without the cost of a separate crane mobilisation?
A truck-mounted crane combines the haulage capacity of a flatbed lorry with a hydraulic knuckle boom crane mounted behind the cab. The truck delivers the load and the crane positions it — in one vehicle, one visit, one cost. This model is the standard for material deliveries that require precise placement, work over obstacles, or lifting to heights beyond manual or telehandler reach.
Operated truck-mounted crane hire with CPCS-certified operators. East Sussex and Kent deliveries. Same or next-day mobilisation.
What a Truck Mounted Crane Is Used For
The core advantage of a truck-mounted crane is the combination of haulage and lifting in a single vehicle. For deliveries of structural steel, timber frame panels, concrete products, heavy equipment and other materials that require both road transport and precise on-site placement, a HIAB or knuckle boom truck eliminates the need to coordinate a delivery lorry and a separate crane. The delivery driver is also the crane operator, the vehicle carries the load, and the crane places it.
Structural steel deliveries are a typical application. Steel beams and columns arrive on the truck and are lifted directly to their intended position — on the structure, through a restricted opening, or into a location inaccessible to a fork lift. Roofing deliveries follow the same pattern: roof trusses, ridge beams and roof packages are delivered and lifted onto the plate by the HIAB without a crane on site. For groundwork and drainage projects, concrete manhole rings, headwalls, kerb units and heavy precast products can be placed directly by the delivery truck without a separate crane.
In the garden and landscaping sector, truck-mounted cranes are used for placing large stone planters, garden structures, water features and heavy stonework in locations that cannot be reached by a telehandler or where a full-size crane would be disproportionate for the lift weight. For plant and equipment installations, a HIAB can lift generators, compressors and small transformers into plant room positions accessible from the road without requiring a separate crane operation.
Truck Mounted Crane Capacities and Reach
Truck-mounted cranes are rated by their lifting capacity at maximum radius, typically expressed as tonne-metres — a figure that combines capacity and reach. A 40 tonne-metre HIAB can lift 4 tonnes at 10 metres radius, or 10 tonnes at 4 metres radius. The practical working capacity at your required radius is the figure that matters, and this is established from the crane’s load chart for the specific lift geometry.
Modern knuckle boom cranes have a folded reach that allows them to work across the truck body and beyond, providing lifting capability at radii that an equivalent-capacity straight-boom crane might not achieve in the same vehicle footprint. Remote control operation allows the operator to stand at the lift point and guide the load precisely without returning to the cab. For deliveries in restricted road space or where the truck cannot park adjacent to the set-down point, the reach of a knuckle boom crane gives flexibility that a conventional mobile crane lacks.
For full specifications and pricing on our complete truck mounted crane range, browse the Coppard online catalogue.
Truck Mounted Crane Hire Across East Sussex and Kent
Coppard operates truck-mounted crane hire across East Sussex and Kent from our Crowborough base. We deliver and lift to sites in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Uckfield, East Grinstead, Heathfield, Wadhurst, Forest Row and the wider High Weald area. For deliveries and placements further afield across the South East, discuss your location when you call and we will confirm coverage.
Same or next-day mobilisation is typically available for straightforward deliveries where load weights, destination and access details are provided promptly. For multiple-drop programmes or complex placement operations, call us at the planning stage to agree a schedule. Ring 01892 662 777 to discuss your delivery and placement requirement.
We regularly supply truck mounted crane hire to customers across Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield, East Grinstead, Heathfield, Wadhurst, Forest Row and Tonbridge. Same-week delivery available from our Crowborough depot across East Sussex and Kent.
Safe Operation of Truck Mounted Cranes
Truck-mounted crane operations are lifting operations under LOLER and require the same planning and documentation as any other crane lift. A lift plan covering the truck position, outrigger deployment, lift geometry, load weight and rigging arrangement is completed before the operation begins. For straightforward single-drop deliveries, this is typically a brief document completed from site and load information provided in advance. For complex multi-lift operations, the plan is more detailed.
Outrigger pads must be deployed on a surface capable of carrying the concentrated loads — on soft ground, additional spreader plates or timber packing may be required to avoid the pads sinking under load. The truck must be on level or near-level ground within the crane’s stability limits. For deliveries in restricted road space, temporary traffic management under a permit may be required, and this is the responsibility of the hiring party to arrange. Our operator will assess the set-up conditions on arrival and will not proceed with a lift that does not meet safe operating requirements. Call 01892 662 777 to book.
Why Hire Agricultural Equipment from Coppard?
Coppard has been providing crane and lifting services to East Sussex and Kent for 54 years. Our truck-mounted crane operators are CPCS-certified and experienced in the combination of road delivery and precision placement that this type of operation requires. The machine and the operator arrive together, the lift plan is prepared in advance, and the lift is conducted safely and efficiently.
For contractors who regularly need both plant hire and crane services, Coppard’s ability to cover both from a single account simplifies procurement and reduces the number of supplier relationships you need to manage. Call 01892 662 777 to arrange your truck-mounted crane hire.
Searching for the best truck mounted crane hire near me? Coppard’s Crowborough depot covers Crowborough, Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield, East Grinstead, Heathfield, Tonbridge, Forest Row, Wadhurst, Hartfield and the wider High Weald area of East Sussex and Kent. Call 01892 662 777.
For the full range of Crane Rental Agency available from our Crowborough depot, visit our Crane Rental Agency page.
Browse the full Truck Mounted Crane Hire catalogue on the Coppard website — full specifications, models and current availability.
Frequently Asked Questions — Truck Mounted Crane Hire in Crowborough and East Sussex
What is the difference between a HIAB and a truck-mounted crane?
HIAB is a brand name that has become a generic term for truck-mounted knuckle boom cranes, in the same way that Hoover is used to mean vacuum cleaner. All HIABs are truck-mounted cranes, but not all truck-mounted cranes are HIABs by brand. The term is commonly used for any hydraulic knuckle boom crane mounted on a lorry chassis.
Can a truck-mounted crane lift over obstacles?
Yes — the articulating knuckle boom design allows the crane to lift over obstacles such as walls, fences, parked vehicles and building edges that would block a straight-boom crane. The working envelope is three-dimensional and the operator can manoeuvre the load around obstacles within the crane’s rated capacity at each position. When you call, describe any obstacles at your site and we will confirm whether the crane can work around them.
Do you need planning permission or permits for a HIAB operation on the public road?
If the truck needs to stop on the public highway to operate, a temporary traffic management arrangement may be required under a section 50 or 56 permit from the local highway authority. This is the responsibility of the customer to arrange before the operation. For operations entirely on private land, no road permit is required. We will advise at the planning stage if a road presence is likely to require a permit.
What load can a truck-mounted crane lift?
Capacity depends on the crane model and the radius at which the load must be lifted. Our truck-mounted cranes are rated for lifts up to several tonnes at close radius, with capacity reducing as radius increases. When you call, give us the load weight and the approximate lift radius and we will confirm whether the crane can handle the lift safely.
Need Truck Mounted Crane Hire near you in East Sussex or Kent?
Call 01892 662 777. Same-day collection from Crowborough. Delivery across East Sussex, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Uckfield, East Grinstead and beyond.
