There are many different styles and variation of cranes that abound in the world. They are each used for specific tasks and the majority are used for industrial purposes and are considered heavy equipment machinery.

Telescopic Crane

This crane has boom that consists of number of different fitted tubes that reside inside each other. A hydraulic mechanism is what extends or retracts the tubes to increase or decrease the length of the main boom.

Tower Crane

This crane is fixed to the ground and gives a great combination of height and lifting capacity. It's commonly used in construction to build sky scrapers and other tall buildings. To save space and to provide stability the vertical part of the crane is typically braced directly onto the completed building which is normally the concrete lift shaft located in the center.

Truck Mounted Crane

A crane that is mounted on a rubber tire truck that drives around for maximum portability. When in operation Outriggers extend horizontally and then vertically to both level and stabilize the crane for hoisting operations.

Rough terrain crane

This is a crane that is mounted on an undercarriage contains four rubber tires and is designed for pick-up and carry operations. Outriggers extend first horizontally and then vertically to both level and stabilize the crane for hoisting operations.

Crawler crane

An undercarriage mounted crane that also has a set of tracks that provide extra stability and mobility.

Loader crane

A loader crane is fitted to a trailer and used to unload/load goods onto the trailer. It contains many different jointed sections that can be folded into a smaller space when the crane is not being used. One of the sections may be able to telescopic in and out.

Overhead crane or suspended crane

The hoist is located on a trolley that moves in one direction along one or two beams and is always at a right angle. These cranes are often mounted on the side of an assembly area.

Stacker crane

A crane with a mechanism similar to a forklift that is used in automated warehouses. The crane moves on a track located in a warehouse and the fork can be raised or lowered to various storage levels to retrieve products. Stacker cranes are most often used in hazardous environments like freezer, so worker dos not have to tolerate harsh conditions.