Mobile Crane – A mobile crane is mounted on a chassis, usually a truck, which provides mobility for the crane. This crane consists of two parts, namely (i) a bearing element, often referred to as the «lower», and (ii) a lifting component, including the boom, also referred to as the «top». They are connected together via a turntable that allows the top to swing from side to side. Modern hydraulic truck cranes are usually single-engine machines, with the same engine driving the undercarriage and the crane. The top one is usually driven by hydraulics passing through the turntable from a pump mounted on the bottom. Previously, hydraulic truck cranes had two engines. The one at the bottom is used to move the crane along the road and power the hydraulic pump for the outriggers and jacks.

These cranes can usually travel on highways, eliminating the need for special equipment to transport the crane. These cranes may have special features for rough terrain and all terrain. When working on a construction site, the outriggers extend from the chassis horizontally and then vertically to level and stabilize the crane during parking and lifting. Many truck cranes have the ability to move slowly (several kilometers per hour) while hanging the load. Special care must be taken not to swing the load away from the direction of travel, as in this case the greatest stability against tipping is provided by the stiffness of the chassis suspension.

Most cranes of this type also have movable counterweights for stabilization, in addition to the outriggers. Directly suspended loads are the most stable, as most of the crane’s weight acts as a counterweight. Tables calculated by the manufacturer (or electronic safety equipment) are used by crane operators to determine the maximum safe loads for stationary operation (on outriggers), as well as loads (on rubber) and travel speeds. The lifting capacity of mobile cranes can vary from 12 to 1200 tons.

Telescopic crane. A telescopic crane has an arrow consisting of several pipes inserted one into the other. A hydraulic or other mechanical mechanism extends or retracts the tubes to increase or decrease the overall length of the boom. These types of booms are often used for short term construction projects, rescue work, lifting boats in and out of water, etc. The relative compactness of telescopic booms makes them adaptable to many mobile applications. However, it should be noted that although telescopic cranes are not automatically mobile cranes, many of them are. They are often mounted on trucks.