Flying pigs or flying trucks?

Flying pig attached to drone

As most of us know, if something sounds so far-fetched or utterly unbelievable, we’ll often reply with something along the lines of “oh yeah?.. and pigs might fly!”. So, if we told you that flying trucks might be on the horizon in the not too distant future, how would you respond? Scania’s vision of flying … Read more

What is the biggest truck in the world?

Belaz 75710 - The biggest truck in the world

It’s unlikely that you’ll ever see one of these monsters parked in your local car park and, if you’re wondering what it is, it’s the BelAZ 75710 and it’s officially the biggest truck in the world. More about the BelAZ 75710 Made in Belarus, this enormous lorry is classed as a “haul truck” and belongs … Read more

Are electric vehicles greener than diesel?

As everyone knows, the haulage industry is heavily reliant on diesel engines to power their trucks. While electric and hybrid cars are becoming more widespread on UK roads, it doesn’t look likely that you’ll see electric-powered rigid and artic. trucks on our roads anytime soon. Aside from the sheer size (and weight) of the batteries … Read more

Ton vs Tonne – What’s The Difference?

Difference between ton versus tonne

Ton or Tonne? – It’s kinda like one of those “You say tomay-toe, I say tomar-toe” type scenarios, only slightly more confusing! Although everyone knows what a tomato is, the word is pronounced slightly differently depending on whereabouts you live in the world. Conversely, the weight measurements of ‘ ton‘ and ‘tonne‘ are pronounced the same whether you live … Read more

Heaviest Object Ever Lifted By A Crane

The Taisun crane holds the heaviest crane lift world record

After penning a recent blog about the biggest truck in the world, we couldn’t resist finding out more about heavy-duty cranes and just how much the strongest crane in the world is able to lift. The clear winner in the Heaviest Crane Lift Ever category turns out to be the ‘Taisun’ crane at Yantai Raffles … Read more

Asian Hercules III Floating Sea Crane Visits Scotland

Asian Hercules III crane

With wind energy becoming more widespread across the globe, the key components that are used to generate it need to be transported to their final destination somehow. For land-based wind farms, specially adapted low loader trucks are often used to carry out the task but for offshore wind farms, something a bit different is needed … Read more

Will hydrogen-powered trucks replace diesels?

a hydrogen fuel pump at a gas station

You’ve probably already heard of Elon Musk’s Tesla electric car company, but have you heard of the Nikola Motor Company yet? If you haven’t, you no doubt will in the not-too-distant future. Although both companies are named after the famous inventor Nikola Tesla, the two companies are unrelated. The reason that the Nikola Motor Company … Read more

What is a derrick crane? (And the curious case of its name)

A two guy derrick

When most people hear the word ‘crane’, they tend to broadly define it as a device that’s able to lift things. While this is of course true, cranes come in a bewildering array of shapes, sizes and functionalities. There are also an equally bewildering number of terms used for the different types of crane types … Read more

Steam Cranes – The Fairbairn Steam Crane, Bristol Docks

The Fairbairn Steam Crane at Bristol Docks

CRANES BEFORE THE STEAM ERA At the pinnacle of today’s modern mobile crane design we have obvious examples such as HIAB‘s hydraulic, truck mounted crane; but what about the pre-diesel, pre-hydraulic days? What source of power did they use to lift such heavy loads? Well, according to modern-day scholars, the very first use of cranes can … Read more