A HIAB truck is a lorry fitted with a hydraulic knuckle-boom crane — allowing it to load, transport and offload cargo without any additional lifting equipment at the delivery site. The crane folds compactly alongside the vehicle cab during transit and deploys within minutes on arrival.
The name HIAB comes from the Swedish company Hydrauliska Industri AB, which invented the lorry-mounted hydraulic crane in 1944. Today, HIAB is a brand name owned by Cargotec and is also used generically in the UK to describe any lorry-mounted crane truck — regardless of the actual crane manufacturer.
The crane is a knuckle-boom crane — so named because it folds at one or more points along its length, like a finger joint. This folding design allows the crane to extend outwards and then fold back for stowing, reaching its operating radius through a combination of the main boom and one or more jib extensions. The crane is powered by the lorry's hydraulic system, which is driven by the engine via a power take-off (PTO) unit.
The crane sits on a slew ring that allows full 360-degree rotation. Outriggers deploy from the vehicle sides to stabilise it during lifting operations. Most modern crane trucks are equipped with radio remote controls, allowing the operator to walk around the load and maintain a clear line of sight throughout the lift.
A HIAB truck carries almost anything that needs to be transported and placed precisely at the delivery point. Common loads include structural steel — RSJs, columns, beams and roof trusses — construction materials such as block packs, concrete panels and aggregate bags, portable cabins, site offices and welfare units, containers, generators, transformers, compressors, HVAC units, signage gantries and specialist items including sculptures, swimming pools, hot tubs and industrial plant.
The defining characteristic of this work is that the vehicle does not need a forklift, crane or lifting equipment at the delivery site. The crane is on the truck itself — which is why these trucks are so widely used in construction, where sites often lack permanent lifting infrastructure.
They come in a range of configurations. Rigid HIAB trucks — typically 18 to 32 tonnes — are the most common and are suited to local and regional work. Articulated HIAB lorries (artics) operate at 44 tonnes and offer maximum payload for long-distance haulage combined with crane offloading. Wagon and drag configurations extend the load bed for long structural loads. Low loaders handle tall or exceptionally heavy equipment. Crane capacity ranges from the HIAB 558 — lifting up to around 10 tonnes at minimum radius — up to the HIAB 855 and 858, which lift up to around 18 tonnes.
Weight limits, outreach and the types of loads these cranes handle across the UK.
Lift capacities for HIAB 558, 658 and 858 — and how reach affects the numbers.
Crane size, vehicle configuration and the questions to ask before booking.
Working to recognised UK transport, lifting and safety standards — across England, Scotland and Wales.
