Do you need to transport building materials to a construction site which is difficult to access? Or do you have heavy items which can’t be lifted by hand? Perhaps you have waste to dispose of after a building project. Whatever your needs for hiring a HIAB truck, they are a useful way to load and unload materials safely and easily. Designed with a crane mounted onto the truck or lorry, they make light work of lifting and shifting building materials, whether it’s for a landscape gardening job, a small building site or a large-scale construction project.
HIAB Lorries can usually be hired by the day, so they are useful for a one-off job or if you need to regularly transport building materials but don’t want to buy one. Although renting a crane truck might seem simple, there are quite a few things to think about beforehand. These will largely depend on your needs, the amount and weight of the materials you are lifting, and the access you have to the site. Before you get in touch with HIAB truck rental companies, read our top 5 tips to make the whole process simpler, easier and more cost-effective.
Tip 1: Make sure a HIAB is what you definitely need
Before you decide to hire a HIAB truck, consider exactly what jobs you need the crane truck to do. The most common uses of a HIAB lorry include:
● Waste disposal and muckaway: to dispose of materials during or after a construction project. There might be particularly large amounts of waste or heavy items that need to be lifted by a crane.
● Transporting heavy building materials: sometimes access is limited or materials are particularly heavy and need a crane to lift them. HIAB trucks can be used to lift up and over to drop the materials to a specific location, or just from the truck to the ground.
Make sure it’s definitely a HIAB truck that you need to get the job done safely and efficiently. It may be that a MEWP would suit the job better, if for example you need a large working platform to help with a lighting installation job.
Tip 2: Assess how heavy and bulky the items are
Once you know exactly what you need the crane mounted truck for, whether it’s transporting materials, disposing of waste or a combination of the two, you need to work out how much weight the crane will be lifting. Highway Hire HIAB trucks range from 7.5 to 26 tonnes, with different lifting weights to suit different jobs.
Are you using the crane to transport roof trusses, timber or bags of sand? If you just need to transport one or two items from the truck to the ground then there’s no point paying for a 26 tonne HIAB lorry. Equally, if you’re delivering a range of building materials to a construction site then you’ll need a larger lorry with a bigger lifting weight. Whatever the materials are, make sure that the crane you choose is capable of picking up these items, especially if they are an awkward shape or size.
Tip 3: Calculate how high you need to lift the materials
Some HIAB trucks have the cranes mounted to the cab and others to the back of the lorry. If you need the crane to lift up and over or reach an area which is hard to access, then you’ll need to make sure the crane can outreach as far as you need it. If you only need to transport materials from the truck to the ground then a smaller vehicle might be better.
Tip 4: Do a site survey and talk to the site manager
Before you rent a HIAB truck, do a site survey to check the ground, access and any nearby buildings or structures which could impact using the crane safely. Building projects go through lots of different stages and depending on which stage you’ll be using the HIAB truck, the ground and working conditions could be very different. If the ground is unstable or uneven then you need to make sure the HIAB lorry can cope with these conditions.
Speak to the site manager and check that you will able to gain access on the day of your HIAB truck hire. If this isn’t decided beforehand you could end up hiring one for longer than you need which will cost more money.
Tip 5: Always hire a qualified HIAB operator
Operating a HIAB truck requires a trained driver who is CPCS accredited. They will need a CSCS card, so make sure you see their identification beforehand. Using someone who is not experienced or who doesn’t have the necessary accreditations could result in injury and accidents. Save yourself a headache and choose a qualified driver. Highway Hire can assist with sourcing a reputable and trained operator should you need one.
Summary: Tips for choosing a HIAB lorry
Having followed our top 5 tips, you should now have a much clearer idea of the type of HIAB truck you need to hire. Smaller ones are often used by builders and landscape gardeners who are delivering loads from the truck to the ground (without having to lift up and over). Medium ones usually have the crane mounted behind the cab leaving room for other materials, so they’re often used for transporting a mixture of items. Large HIABs are typically used to deliver building materials to construction sites where access is limited, or where a crane needs to lift up and over. Whatever you are using it for, make sure you choose the right one for the job.
Highway Hire will be pleased to discuss your needs in more detail to help you choose the right HIAB lorry. Take a look at our HIAB trucks available for hire or call 0845 600 2028 and our friendly and experienced team of advisors will be pleased to help.