Container Deliveries Made By Crane Mounted Vehicle
Friday, 21st August 2009
Many people wonder when considering buying a shipping container how they will get it delivered to their premises. Standard transport usually consists of a lorry unit with a flatbed or skeletal trailer. This mode of delivery is ideal for moving containers from depot to port or vice versa and to premises where the contents are to be unloaded and the container taken away.
If however the container needs to be grounded on-site which will be the case if you are buying your container then standard transport can only be used if you have means of safely unloading the container yourself and lowering it into position. Should you not have the necessary plant to off load a freight container at your premises then a self unloading, crane mounted, delivery vehicle will be required.
Self unloading trailers have one or two cranes attached, either to the lorry unit or trailer, and will use chains with hooks to lift the container from the corner castings. The cranes on these vehicles are very manoeuvrable and can enable the driver to turn the container at a 90 degree angle and to reach out a considerable distance. The container can also be lifted over walls or fences and double stacked if necessary.
Conventional crane mounted, self unloading, vehicles will only be able to lift empty containers. Should you need to have a loaded container moved or delivered then a side loader will be required. These side loaders are able to lift over 30 tons but are restricted to be only able to lift when directly alongside the container and from the bottom corner castings with short chains. Although able to lift very heavy loads the manoeuvrability is compromised.