A crane truck — also called a picker truck or HIAB — carries its own hydraulic crane behind the cab. That single detail changes what is possible at both ends of a delivery: the truck can load itself at pickup and place the load at delivery — often without a separate crane, forklift or loading dock, depending on the load, the reach required and a safe setup on site.
The clearest sign you need one
A crane truck earns its place when freight has to be lifted or placed and suitable unloading equipment is not available on site — or when the load is simply too heavy for it. Plenty of deliveries that cannot come off by hand are handled with Y2K’s power tailgates and pallet jacks instead; the crane comes in when the freight has to go up, over or into position. Rooftop HVAC units are the classic example: the freight has to travel, then go up. So are generators, transformers, sea cans and storage containers, and precast concrete or masonry landing on a prepared pad.
Reach and capacity
Across our available equipment, the maximum boom reach is 100 feet, with lifting capacity up to 48,000 lbs and freight capacity up to 120,000 lbs. What a given truck can lift at a given reach depends on the boom position, the load and the site. On request we can add a 20,000 lb spreader bar for wide or awkward loads, pallet forks, and a 5,000 lb winch for specialized moves. Side, rear and top-loading access means the truck can work with the site rather than against it. Full specifications are on our crane truck services page.
Tight sites are the real test
Reach is not only about height. On a constrained downtown site, reach is what lets the truck stay on the street and still set a load over a hoarding or into a courtyard. This is where booking ahead pays off: the more our dispatch team knows about access, overhead obstructions and the placement point, the better the equipment match.
Booking notes
All HIAB jobs are subject to a four-hour minimum, and booking in advance is the best way to make sure a truck is available for your date. If a Y2K HIAB is not available when you need it, our dispatch team can look for a suitable carrier through our freight and brokerage network, subject to equipment and scheduling availability.
