The Crane Gang

Visitors to Convoy in the Park on 21-22 July will be able to see some of the best operators in the country go head to head in the UK heat of the Hiab-sponsored World Crane Championship

Although operating a crane takes no little skill, it sounds simple enough: in the shortest time possible and using a Hiab X-HiPro 232 crane, to move water cans from a truck around a circuit of obstacles. The operator with the fastest time and fewest faults is crowned the winner.

Of course, it’s not simple at all. The skills needed to get round the course without making a mistake are considerable, especially when you add in the pressure of an audience watching on. But the entrants in the World Crane Championship (WCC), the unofficial Loader Crane World Championships, sponsored by Hiab, have the talent required – and this competition gives them deserved recognition for what they do.

A serious business

Heats for the WCC are taking place in 16 countries around the world over the spring and summer – the UK and Ireland heat takes place at Convoy in the Park – and the winners will battle it out for the overall title at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, Germany, on 22-23 September.