What Is a Hydraulic Straddle Carrier?

The Core Concept

A hydraulic straddle carrier is a self-propelled heavy lift vehicle. It straddles a load — lifting from below using a hydraulic spreader or lifting beam — and moves freely across the yard on rubber tyres. The entire lift-and-travel cycle is powered by an onboard diesel-hydraulic system.

Unlike electric or cable-reel powered cranes, the hydraulic straddle carrier carries its own power source. This makes it fully independent of yard infrastructure. You can deploy it anywhere your surface can support the wheel loads — no fixed installation required.

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How the Hydraulic System Works

The engine drives hydraulic pumps that supply pressurized fluid to the lift cylinders, drive motors, and steering actuators. All motion — lifting, lowering, travelling, and steering — is controlled through proportional hydraulic valves.

This architecture gives the operator smooth, stepless control at any speed. It is particularly valuable when positioning loads onto trailers, rail flatcars, or storage saddles where millimetre-level precision matters. Operators familiar with hydraulic excavators or heavy transport equipment adapt quickly to this control system.

Hydraulic vs Electric Straddle Carrier: Key Difference

The primary difference is the power and drive system. Electric straddle carriers use AC drive motors powered by either an onboard generator or an external cable reel. Hydraulic models use hydraulic motors driven by an onboard pump set.

For facilities with no fixed electrical infrastructure, the diesel-hydraulic model eliminates a significant dependency. For high-throughput terminals with power supply already in place, electric models may offer lower running costs per cycle. The right choice depends on your site — not on which technology is newer.

Product Specifications

Standard Configuration Overview

Lifting Attachments

The standard delivery includes one lifting attachment. Common configurations:

• Telescopic ISO spreader – 20ft / 40ft, for standard container handling
• Fixed lifting beam with adjustable hook points – for steel structures, pipes, and irregular cargo
• Rotating spreader – for precise angular positioning in confined spaces
• Custom saddle frame – for cylindrical or asymmetric industrial loads

Multiple attachments can be supplied with a single machine and changed in the field.

Available Capacity Classes

Application Scenarios

Port and Container Yard Operations

In port-adjacent facilities and smaller container depots, hydraulic straddle carriers handle ISO container loading and unloading without requiring the civil infrastructure of an RTG crane system. They are a practical first-equipment choice for growing depots that need immediate operational capacity.

A single 50T unit can handle the full cycle — receiving a container from a truck, moving it to the storage area, and retrieving it for outbound loading — without a secondary horizontal transport vehicle. This simplifies operations and reduces labor requirements compared to crane-plus-tractor configurations.

Heavy Industrial and Steel Logistics

Steel service centers, fabrication yards, and module assembly facilities frequently use hydraulic straddle carriers to move loads that standard port equipment cannot handle. Lifting beams and custom saddle frames allow the machine to handle coils, structural sections, pressure vessels, and prefabricated modules that would otherwise require a crane plus rigging team.

The diesel-hydraulic system is well suited to these environments, where power supply is often limited and the load mix changes frequently.

Offshore and Project Cargo Yards

For module yards, offshore supply bases, and project cargo terminals, the flexibility and high-capacity lifting of a hydraulic straddle carrier is often the defining operational advantage. Custom models with extended leg clearance, enhanced stability systems, and explosion-proof specifications are available for specialized applications.

Key Features That Matter to Buyers

Full Mobility — No Fixed Infrastructure

This is the feature that drives most purchase decisions. No rails. No overhead structures. No power supply installation. The machine arrives, is commissioned, and is operational within days. For buyers in markets with limited infrastructure or rapidly growing operations, this is a decisive advantage.

Cold Weather and Harsh Environment Readiness

Standard models are designed for -20°C operating conditions. Cold weather packages — including hydraulic fluid rated to -40°C, engine block heaters, and insulated cabin systems — are available for operations in Northern and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and similar climates.

Multi-Mode Steering for Tight Spaces

Four independent steering modes — straight travel, 4-wheel coordinated steer, crab steer, and pivot steer — allow the machine to manoeuvre in yards where space is constrained. This is particularly relevant for facilities retrofitting a straddle carrier into an existing layout not originally designed for one.

Long Service Life With In-House Maintainability

Design life is 15–20 years under normal conditions, per FEM 1.001 crane classification standards. Hydraulic systems are maintainable by any qualified hydraulic technician — unlike proprietary electronic drive systems that require specialist support. This matters significantly for buyers in markets where OEM service coverage is limited.

What to Verify Before Buying

Regardless of which supplier you approach, verify these three things before signing a contract:

1. CE Declaration of Conformity issued by the manufacturer
2. Full load test certificate from factory acceptance testing
3. Spare parts availability confirmed in writing for minimum 5 years

A supplier who cannot provide all three is a risk — regardless of price.

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Product Description

An RTG crane (Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane) is a mobile overhead crane designed to stack and move ISO containers in port container yards and inland depots. Unlike rail-mounted cranes(RMG Container Gantry Crane), RTG cranes run on rubber tyres — giving them full mobility across the yard without fixed infrastructure.

👉View Professional Buying Guide: RTG Crane vs RMG Crane: Which One Actually Fits Your Project?

RTG cranes are the backbone of modern container terminal operations. They bridge the gap between ship-to-shore cranes and horizontal transport, enabling efficient container stacking, retrieval, and yard organization.

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Why Buy From Us?

HT Cranes is a professional manufacturer of RTG cranes with over 15 years of lifting experience. Our cranes are exported to ports and logistics yards across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Every unit is factory-tested before shipment and backed by full documentation including CE Declaration of Conformity and ISO 9001 certification records.

We do not resell third-party equipment. Every crane we supply is built, assembled, and tested in-house — giving you full quality traceability from steel fabrication to final commissioning.

Related Case Study

90-Ton Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane Exported to Mexico

Client: Port Logistics Operator | Destination:

Manzanillo, Mexico Capacity: 90t | Span: 8m | Delivered in 14 Weeks

View Full Case Study →

Application Scenarios

Container Port Terminals

RTG cranes are the standard choice for medium to large container terminals. They handle 20ft and 40ft ISO containers with precision, supporting both manual and semi-automated operations. Our cranes integrate with Terminal Operating Systems (TOS) for real-time yard visibility.

Intermodal & Rail Freight Yards

For intermodal facilities connecting sea, road, and rail, RTG cranes provide flexible container handling without the need for fixed rail installation. This reduces civil construction cost significantly and allows the yard layout to be reconfigured as operational needs change.

Inland Container Depots (ICD)

Inland depots require compact, cost-effective lifting solutions. Our mid-range RTG cranes (35T–41T) are widely deployed at ICDs across emerging markets where throughput is growing but space is limited.

Industrial Storage & Heavy Logistics

Beyond ports, RTG cranes are used in heavy industrial facilities for lifting steel coils, prefabricated structures, and oversized cargo. Custom spreader configurations are available for non-standard loads.

Crane Features

High-Efficiency Drive System

Our RTG cranes use AC variable frequency drive (VFD) technology across all motions — hoist, trolley, and gantry travel. This reduces energy consumption by up to 30% compared to older DC-drive systems and extends the service life of mechanical components through smooth acceleration and deceleration.

Explore our complete RTG Crane Maintenance Guide for daily inspection checklists, service intervals, and fault troubleshooting tips. Read the Full Guide →

Smart Automation Ready

Our RTG cranes are pre-wired for automation upgrades including DGPS-based auto-positioning, remote operation consoles, and integration with yard management software. This future-proofs your investment as terminal automation becomes the industry standard.

Technical Parameters

The challenge most procurement teams face is not finding RMG container gantry crane— it is knowing what to specify, what to verify, and which suppliers are genuinely capable of delivering a certified, automation-ready system at the scale their operation requires.

This page gives you a clear, practical overview of RMG cranes: how they work, what defines the right specification, what questions to ask any supplier, and why our equipment is trusted by terminal operators across four continents.

What Is an RMG Container Gantry Crane?

The Core Design

RMG Container Gantry Crane is a large gantry structure that travels on fixed rails installed on the ground. It spans multiple container rows and stacks containers within a defined block. The crane moves along its rail axis to cover the full length of the storage block. A trolley travels across the gantry span to position the spreader over the target container.

Unlike RMG container gantry crane — which run on rubber tyres and move between blocks — an RMG operates in a fixed corridor. This constraint is also its advantage: the rail system provides precision positioning, enables full automation, and supports higher stacking without the stability limitations of a rubber-tyred machine.

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RMG vs RTG: The Fundamental Difference

👉View Professional Buying Guide: RTG Crane vs RMG Crane: Which One Actually Fits Your Project?

Electric Power as Standard

RMG container gantry crane are powered by fixed electrical supply — typically via conductor rail or festoon cable system. There is no onboard diesel generator. This makes RMG container gantry crane significantly cleaner and cheaper to operate per move than diesel-electric alternatives. For terminals with sustainability commitments or operating in emission-controlled zones, this is an increasingly decisive factor.

Energy regeneration systems — which feed braking energy back into the grid — are standard on modern RMG designs and further reduce net energy consumption per lift cycle.

Product Specifications

Standard Configuration Parameters

Capacity Classes

Automation Configurations

RMG container gantry crane are available in three automation levels. The right level depends on your throughput, labor market, and capital budget:

Manual operation — operator in cabin controls all movements. Standard for smaller yards and operations where labor cost is not the primary driver.

Semi-automated (ARMG) — gantry travel and stacking sequences are automated; operator supervises via remote workstation and intervenes for exception handling. Widely deployed at mid-size terminals upgrading from manual operations.

Fully automated (ASC) — all crane functions are automated including truck interchange. No operator required per crane. This is the standard configuration for new greenfield terminals above 1 million TEU annual capacity.

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Application Scenarios

High-Throughput Container Terminals

The primary application for RMG container gantry crane is large container terminal storage yards. At terminals handling 500,000 TEU per year and above, the rail-mounted gantry’s density advantage over rubber-tyred alternatives becomes the decisive operational factor.

A typical RMG block covers 40–50 ground slots, stacks 1 over 6 high, and serves two truck lanes and one rail or internal transport lane within a single crane corridor. This layout achieves ground slot utilization of 75–85% — consistently higher than any RTG-based layout can sustain.

Automated Container Stacking Yards (ASC)

The world’s highest-throughput terminals — Rotterdam ECT Delta, Hamburg HHLA CTA, Busan Newport — operate fully automated stacking crane systems built on the RMG principle. The fixed rail provides the positional precision that automated systems require. No rubber-tyred crane can achieve equivalent automation reliability at scale.

For terminals planning automation — whether today or within the next five years — specifying an automation-ready RMG from the outset is significantly more cost-effective than retrofitting a manual crane later. Our cranes are designed with automation upgrade paths built into the structural and control architecture from the first unit.

Intermodal Rail Freight Terminals

RMG container gantry crane are widely deployed at inland container depots and intermodal rail terminals. In this context, the crane spans a rail track — loading and unloading containers directly from rail wagons on one side and truck lanes on the other. The rail-mounted gantry is the natural structural choice for a facility that is already built around rail infrastructure.

Port Back-of-Yard Storage Expansion

As port land becomes increasingly constrained, operators are expanding storage density rather than footprint. Converting an RTG yard to RMG operation — with higher stacking and fixed infrastructure — is a proven strategy for increasing terminal TEU capacity without acquiring additional land. This is a project type our engineering team handles regularly.

Key Features That Define Our RMG Cranes

HT crane RMG container gantry crane structures are designed to FEM 1.001 and EN 13001 standards for a 25-year design life under rated operating conditions. Box girder construction with full-penetration welds and non-destructive testing at critical joints is standard — not an option. The rail bogie system uses hardened steel wheels and sealed bearing units designed for the rail loads and cycle frequencies typical of high-throughput terminal operation.

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Civil Infrastructure Requirements

Rail Foundation Design

An RMG container gantry crane project requires a rail foundation designed to carry the crane’s wheel loads through the full operational cycle. This is a geotechnical and structural engineering task that must be completed before crane procurement is finalized — the crane’s wheel load specification drives the foundation design, not the other way around.

We provide full wheel load documentation and rail specification for foundation design as part of our standard pre-contract technical package. We also work with specialist civil engineers and can provide introductions to firms experienced in port crane foundation design.

Electrical Supply Infrastructure

RMG container gantry crane require a fixed electrical supply rated to the crane’s peak demand — typically 400–800 kW per crane depending on capacity and speed specification. The conductor rail or festoon cable system must be installed as part of the civil works package. We supply the crane-side electrical components and provide the supply interface specification for your electrical contractor.

Supplier Evaluation: What to Ask

Before placing an RMG container gantry crane order, verify four things with any supplier:

1. CE Declaration of Conformity — issued by the manufacturer, not a trading company. Confirm the manufacturing entity matches the entity on the CE document.

2. Structural design certification — FEM 1.001 and EN 13001 compliance should be verified by an independent structural engineer, not self-declared. Ask for the design appraisal certificate.

3. Reference terminals — request the names and locations of operating terminals using the supplier’s RMG cranes. Verify throughput and automation level. A supplier with no verifiable operating references at scale is a significant risk.

4. Automation upgrade path — if automation is in your five-year plan, confirm the crane’s control architecture supports it. Ask specifically what is required to upgrade from manual to semi-automated operation and what that upgrade costs.

Conclusion

An RMG container gantry crane is the highest-density, highest-automation-potential yard equipment available for container terminals. For operations planning growth beyond 500,000 TEU, or for any greenfield terminal where land efficiency is the primary design constraint, it is the rational long-term infrastructure choice.

The specification process requires more upfront engineering than a rubber-tyred crane purchase — rail foundation design, electrical supply planning, and automation architecture decisions all need to be made early. But this investment in planning pays back in a crane system that operates reliably for 25 years with lower per-move energy cost and a clear path to automation.

Our team provides full pre-contract technical support: wheel load documentation, electrical supply specifications, foundation design introduction, and TOS integration planning. Contact us to begin the technical review for your project.

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This page covers everything you need to evaluate a Single Girder RTG Crane: how it works, where it excels, what makes ours different, and the full technical specifications. Ready to specify a unit? Our engineering team responds to enquiries within 24 hours, ensuring you get the right solution for your port or yard.

Product Introduction

The Single Girder Rubber Tired Gantry Crane is a self-propelled, mobile gantry lifting system mounted on rubber tyres. It operates without fixed rails, tracks, or permanent ground infrastructure — making it one of the most flexible solutions available for container handling, industrial yard lifting, and logistics operations where site conditions or operational flexibility make rail-mounted systems impractical.

The crane’s single box girder bridge is supported on two rubber-tyred leg assemblies. The trolley and hoist travel along the bridge to position loads horizontally. The full crane assembly travels longitudinally through the yard on rubber tyres. Multi-mode steering — including crab steering and 90-degree transverse travel — allows precise maneuvering in confined spaces and quick repositioning between rows.

This configuration is particularly well suited to small and medium container depots, precast concrete production yards, steel storage areas, logistics distribution centers, and light port terminal operations where throughput does not justify a full double girder RTG installation.

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Why Buy From Us?

HT Cranes is a professional manufacturer of RTG cranes with over 15 years of lifting experience. Our cranes are exported to ports and logistics yards across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Every unit is factory-tested before shipment and backed by full documentation including CE Declaration of Conformity and ISO 9001 certification records.

We do not resell third-party equipment. Every crane we supply is built, assembled, and tested in-house — giving you full quality traceability from steel fabrication to final commissioning.

Related Case Study

90-Ton Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane Exported to Mexico

Client: Port Logistics Operator | Destination:

Manzanillo, Mexico Capacity: 90t | Span: 8m | Delivered in 14 Weeks

View Full Case Study →

Product Parameters

Main Structure and Components

Bridge Girder

• Single box section steel girder — welded structural steel
• Shot-blast cleaned to Sa 2.5 and multi-layer painted (zinc-rich primer + epoxy + polyurethane topcoat)
• Designed for the full span and rated load at M4–M6 duty classification

Leg Assemblies

• A-frame or portal-type legs, one on each side of the bridge
• Each leg mounted on a rubber-tyre bogie with independent drive motor
• Bogie synchronization control prevents bridge skewing during travel

Rubber Tyre Travel System

• Solid rubber or pneumatic tyres — application-specific selection
• Four-corner bogie layout; all bogies steerable for multi-mode travel
• Suitable for reinforced concrete yard surfaces without crane rail foundations
• Maximum yard grade: 2% loaded (site confirmation required)

Hoisting System

• Wire rope electric hoist or low-headroom hoist (configurable)
• Load-rated hook block with safety latch
• Upper and lower travel limit switches as standard
• Overload protection via load cell — automatic cutout at rated SWL

Electrical System

• PLC-based control with VFD on all motion axes
• IP54 main control panel (IP55 for outdoor environments)
• Emergency stop at all operating positions
• Operational fault diagnostics and hour meter display

Key Features

① No Rail Infrastructure Required

The rubber tyre travel system eliminates crane rails, rail foundations, and the civil engineering work that fixed gantry and rail-mounted systems require. The crane can be operational on a prepared concrete yard surface without structural modification to the ground.

② Multi-Mode Steering for Tight Yards

Straight travel covers primary yard lanes. Crab steering allows diagonal repositioning. 90-degree transverse travel moves the crane sideways between adjacent rows without a wide turning arc. This combination handles the maneuvering requirements of compact container depots and industrial yards.

③ Variable Frequency Drive on All Motions

VFD-controlled travel, hoisting, and trolley traverse provide smooth acceleration and deceleration — reducing mechanical shock on the structure and load, improving positioning precision, and extending drive component service life.

④ Energy-Efficient Drive Options

• Electric (grid-connected): Cable reel or festoon power supply; zero local emissions during operation
• Diesel-electric: Onboard diesel generator powers electric drive motors; suitable for sites without reliable grid supply; regenerative braking reduces fuel consumption during lowering cycles

⑤ Intelligent Anti-Sway Control

Electronic load stabilization detects and corrects spreader or hook swing during travel and placement. Reduces cycle time, improves stack accuracy, and lowers the skill threshold required for consistent operation.

⑥ Robust Corrosion Protection

Multi-layer coating system for outdoor and coastal environments:

• Abrasive blast cleaning: Sa 2.5 standard
• Layer 1: Zinc-rich epoxy primer
• Layer 2: Epoxy intermediate coat
• Layer 3: Polyurethane topcoat
• DFT (dry film thickness): To project specification

Applications

Container Depot and Inland Terminal

Single Girder Rubber Tired Gantry Crane handle 20-foot and 40-foot ISO containers in inland depots, intermodal yards, and small container terminals. Rubber tyre mobility allows repositioning as yard layout and utilization patterns change — without the civil works commitment of a fixed rail system.

Precast Concrete Production Yard

Precast manufacturers use Single Girder Rubber Tired Gantry Crane to lift, move, and stack concrete panels, beams, and bridge elements within open-air production yards. The self-supporting structure eliminates any requirement for a building-mounted runway.

Steel and Metal Fabrication Yard

Outdoor steel storage and fabrication sites use RTG cranes to move steel plate, sections, coils, and fabricated assemblies between storage, processing, and dispatch areas. The rubber tyre system handles imperfect yard surfaces better than rail-mounted alternatives.

Logistics and Distribution Center

General cargo handling facilities use Single Girder Rubber Tired Gantry Cranes for loads exceeding forklift capacity — large machinery components, packaged equipment, oversized palletized cargo, and fabricated assemblies.

Light Port Terminal and Shipyard Ancillary Area

In smaller port facilities and shipyard storage zones where a full double girder RTG is not warranted, a single girder configuration provides practical container and component handling without fixed infrastructure investment.

Maintenance Workshop and Repair Facility

Vehicle maintenance facilities, heavy equipment service workshops, and industrial repair bays use single girder RTG cranes for engine lifts, component positioning, and equipment transfer across large workshop floors.

Comparison: Single Girder vs Double Girder RTG Crane

A single girder configuration is appropriate when lifting capacity, duty cycle, and ground loading all fall within its rated range. For higher capacity, higher throughput port operations, a double girder RTG is the more suitable starting point.

Customization Options

Why Choose HaiTai Crane

Backed by 20+ years of manufacturing experience and exports to 80+ countries, HaiTai Crane delivers CE and ISO 9001:2015 certified lifting solutions to ports, shipyards, and marinas worldwide. From standard configurations to fully engineered custom builds, our technical team tailors every crane to your site conditions and operational requirements.

10+ Years Exp.

5,000+ Customers

50+ Countries

Simon

Crane Solutions Specialist  ·  HT Crane

Specialized in Gantry Crane, Port Crane, Container Crane , Marine Boat Crane & Overhead Crane export solutions. 10+ years helping global clients with pre-sales consultation, capacity selection and site-specific configurations.

+86 136 7352 1295 info@cranehaitai.com Contact Us