Lorry Crane vs Mobile Crane: Which Fits the Job?
Use a lorry crane (lorry loader) when the job is getting a delivery off the vehicle it arrived on; use a mobile crane when the job is a genuine planned lift. A lorry loader typically lifts up to a few tonnes at working radius and travels with the load, while a mobile crane lifts far more but needs separate mobilisation and a formal LOLER lift plan for most lifts. "Just get a crane" isn't specific enough — a mobile crane and a lorry-mounted loader crane are different machines with different tickets, capacities and mobilisation costs. This comparison sets out which fits a delivery-and-offload job versus a genuine construction lift.
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What is a lorry loader?
A lorry loader is a crane mounted on a lorry, also called a lorry crane or HIAB. It is used mainly to load and unload the vehicle it is mounted on, such as lifting building materials, cabins or plant off the back of the lorry at the delivery point. A mobile crane is a separate machine brought to site for planned lifts.
Side by side
| Factor | Mobile crane | Lorry loader (HIAB-type crane) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical capacity | Several tonnes to hundreds of tonnes depending on class | Typically up to a few tonnes at working radius |
| Mobility | Needs separate mobilisation/road transport | Self-contained on the delivery vehicle |
| Ticket | NPORS mobile crane category, often plus appointed person | NPORS/ALLMI lorry loader ticket |
| Lift planning | Formal lift plan expected under LOLER for most lifts | Simpler load charts, still LOLER-relevant for lifting persons/loads |
| Typical use | Steel erection, plant installation, precast placement | Builders' merchant deliveries, aggregate/timber offload |
How to decide
- A lorry loader is a crane built onto a delivery vehicle — it exists primarily to load/unload that vehicle's own cargo.
- A mobile crane is a dedicated lifting machine, capable of much higher capacities and more complex lift geometry, but needs separate mobilisation to site.
- If the job is essentially "get this delivery off the lorry," a lorry loader operator (often the driver) is proportionate.
- If the job is a planned lift — steel, plant, precast, out-of-reach placement — a mobile crane with a proper lift plan is the right tool.
Mobile Crane Training
- Duty charts, outrigger setup and ground bearing
- Lift planning, signals and exclusion zones
- Daily inspections and reporting defects
When each option wins
Mobile crane wins when…
Planned lifts of significant weight, height or complexity — anything needing a real lift plan, exclusion zones and an appointed person should be a mobile crane job, not a lorry loader improvisation.
Lorry loader (HIAB-type crane) wins when…
Routine delivery offload where the crane is simply getting the driver's own load off the vehicle — a lorry loader ticket is faster, cheaper and proportionate to the risk.
Cost & time
Mobile crane hire and mobilisation costs considerably more than a delivery vehicle's integral crane, and the ticket takes longer to obtain given the range of crane classes. Lorry loader tickets are often bundled into a driver's existing role and are quicker and cheaper to add.
Compliance
Both are lifting operations under LOLER 1998, requiring thorough examination and, for anything beyond routine repetitive lifts, a documented lift plan. Using a lorry loader for a lift it wasn't designed for (beyond its own vehicle's cargo, or beyond rated capacity) is a common and serious non-compliance.
Our recommendation
Ask what the crane is actually for. If it's unloading materials the vehicle brought, a lorry loader ticket is proportionate. If it's a structural or positioning lift with real consequence if it goes wrong, don't improvise — book a mobile crane with a proper lift plan.
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Lorry crane vs mobile crane: the practical differences
A lorry crane, also called a lorry loader, is mounted on a delivery vehicle and mostly used to load and unload its own cargo. A mobile crane is a dedicated lifting machine that travels to site to carry out lifts. Capacity, reach, set-up and the planning needed differ considerably.
Training is separate for each. Logan Plant Training delivers mobile crane training; lorry loader training is not a course Logan offers. BS 7121 guidance applies to both, and each lift needs planning by a competent person under LOLER 1998.
Signs you have outgrown the lorry loader
The load chart runs out at the radius you need, the load has to be placed rather than set down beside the vehicle, or the lift passes over people, structures or services. Any of these moves the job towards a mobile crane and a fuller plan.
Each machine has its own ticket. Lorry loader operators hold an NPORS or ALLMI lorry loader card; mobile crane operators hold the relevant NPORS mobile crane category, and the lift usually needs an appointed person.
Operators of lorry-mounted cranes can book lorry loader (HIAB) training at your depot.
FAQ
Can a lorry loader lift someone else's materials, not just its own delivery?
Only within its rated capacity and with a proper risk assessment — it's not designed as a general-purpose site crane.
Do I need an appointed person for a mobile crane lift?
For anything beyond simple, repetitive lifts, yes — LOLER 1998 expects a competent appointed person to plan and supervise the lift.
Is a lorry loader ticket cheaper than a mobile crane ticket?
Generally yes, reflecting the lower capacity and simpler operating envelope.
Is a lorry crane the same as a HIAB?
HIAB is a brand name often used for any lorry-mounted loader crane. It is a crane built onto a delivery vehicle, mainly for loading and unloading that vehicle's cargo.
Does a lorry loader lift need a lift plan?
Lorry loaders have simpler load charts, but they remain LOLER-relevant, so lifts still need to be planned by a competent person.
Is a lorry loader the same as a lorry crane?
Yes. Lorry loader and lorry crane are two names for the same machine: a crane mounted on a lorry, used mainly to load and unload the vehicle it is mounted on. It is often called a HIAB after one well-known brand.
Which training does a lorry loader operator need?
Lorry loader operators need training on the lorry loader itself, separate from a mobile crane ticket. Logan offers lorry loader training under ALLMI, the scheme most commonly asked for with this machine.