Fleet and specialised equipment provider Lovemore Bros launched its new 80 t/m crane truck at the company’s open day in June, with its second unit to be in production by the end of the year.

The new 80 t/m crane truck has a narrow footprint and can fit into tight, restricted spaces with low headroom. The crane subframe is integrated – it is butt-welded to the crane chassis and is not mounted on top of the frame. This reduces the crane’s height and centre of gravity as much as possible.

The specially engineered crane truck is a first for Lovemore Bros in terms of its tridem rear axles on air suspension. “A great deal of effort and care has gone into this new crane truck and it has taken six months to build. This is the first time we have built one of these and this new crane truck will add value in that it has a robust lift,” says Lovemore Bros director Rob Lovemore.

The chassis cab was ordered from Sweden in August 2015, with layout and construction, in Durban, taking a further five months; an additional month was added for commission and testing. Lovemore states that the crane’s weight distribution, working stability and turning circle ability pointed the company towards a Volvo Tridem axle arrangement on air suspension with steerable rear axle.

The company points out that it developed the new crane truck to increase its capacity and send a signal to the market that it is the leader in the industry.

Lovemore adds that the market expects the company to be at the cutting edge, offering the latest equipment and it, therefore, has expectations to meet. “Customers are delighted that they can increase their demands and we will meet them,” he says.

The company indicates that the most notable attribute of Lovemore Bros crane trucks is that they are self-contained rigging entities. The crane trucks are equipped with extra stabilisers and built-in toolboxes with the rigging gear to undertake any task. A red seal-certified rigger leads an experienced crew that operates the whole rig, with every crane truck pulling a 10 m trailer of 20 t capacity.

The company’s fleet and specialised equipment consist of crane trucks with hydraulic cranes, abnormal load rigs with extendable trailers, a fleet of forklifts and numerous specialised hydraulic lifting gear, including mobile gantries.

Lovemore Bros prides itself on high-quality, substantial infrastructure, reliable equipment and a team of skilled personnel with many years of experience in the rigging, machine moving, warehousing and abnormal low-bed logistics industry.