Frequently Asked Questions About HIAB Hire in Liverpool & the North West

HIAB is a Scandinavian brand name (from Hydrauliska Industri AB) that has become the generic industry term for a knuckle-boom crane mounted on a lorry. "HIAB hire" means renting a lorry fitted with one of these hydraulic cranes, together with a qualified and experienced operator, to lift and position heavy or awkward loads.

The crane arm can slew (rotate), telescope (extend) and fold at articulated knuckle joints, giving it exceptional reach and precision in tight or restricted spaces where a conventional mobile crane couldn't operate. It can typically lift loads ranging from half a tonne up to 25 tonnes or more, depending on the specific vehicle specification.

HIAB crane lorries are used across a wide range of industries in Liverpool and the North West — from construction and utilities to events and commercial deliveries.

See our full range of HIAB services →

The cost of HIAB hire in Liverpool and across the North West depends on several factors:

• Crane size and capacity — a larger crane with greater reach or lifting capacity will cost more than a smaller unit.
• Duration of hire — we offer half-day, full-day and longer-term rates. Longer hires generally represent better value per hour.
• Location and access — jobs in Liverpool city centre may require additional considerations such as traffic management, affecting overall costs.
• Nature of the lift — complex or specialist lifts requiring additional planning or accessories may incur additional charges.

We provide free, no-obligation quotes for all HIAB hire in Liverpool and the North West. Get in touch today and we'll turn your quote around quickly.

A HIAB crane lorry can lift a remarkably wide range of loads. Common examples include:

• Structural steel beams, RSJs and columns
• Plant, machinery and heavy industrial equipment
• Concrete sections, precast units, blocks and kerbing
• Generators, transformers and electrical switchgear
• Shipping containers and prefabricated buildings
• Large boulders, paving slabs and landscaping materials
• Rooftop HVAC units and mechanical plant
• Vehicles and vehicle-mounted equipment
• Event structures — staging, grandstands, branded installations

The maximum safe working load at a given radius depends on the specific crane specification and outreach distance. Contact us to discuss whether our HIAB fleet is suited to your particular lift in Liverpool or the North West.

This depends on where the lift is taking place and how the HIAB lorry is positioned. If the vehicle needs to be parked on or over a public highway, or if the crane will operate over a public footway or carriageway, you are likely to need one of the following:

• Section 50 Licence — for work affecting the public highway in Merseyside or elsewhere in the North West
• TTRO (Temporary Traffic Regulation Order) — for road closures or traffic management on public roads in Liverpool
• Lifting Operations Notification — some local authorities require advance notification for crane operations near public spaces

Our experienced team can advise you on what permits or notifications are required for your specific project in Liverpool or Merseyside, and can assist with the application process. Contact us to discuss your project →

We recommend booking as early as possible to secure your preferred date and ensure we have the right crane available for your project. However, we understand that construction and logistics projects often have tight or changing timescales.

We can frequently accommodate short-notice requests across Liverpool, Merseyside and the wider North West, and we also offer emergency and out-of-hours HIAB hire for urgent situations. Contact us today and we'll do our best to help — whatever your timescale.

J&P Site Services is based in Liverpool and provides HIAB crane lorry hire throughout Merseyside and the wider North West of England, including:

• Liverpool city centre and all Liverpool postcodes
• Wirral, Birkenhead and Ellesmere Port
• St Helens, Huyton and Prescot
• Warrington and Runcorn
• Wigan, Bolton and Leigh
• Greater Manchester
• Preston, Lancaster and the Fylde Coast
• Chester and North Wales border areas

If your project is outside the areas listed, please get in touch — we'll always try our best to accommodate you.

Yes — absolutely. Every J&P Site Services HIAB operator holds a valid CPCS (Construction Plant Competence Scheme) card for crane lorry/HIAB operation. This is the recognised industry qualification and is required by most construction sites and principal contractors across Liverpool and the North West.

We also carry comprehensive public liability insurance for all HIAB operations, and all of our lifting equipment is regularly inspected and LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998) compliant. Thorough examination certificates are available on request.

You can hire J&P Site Services with complete confidence that your project is in safe, qualified hands.

A HIAB (crane lorry) is a vehicle-mounted hydraulic knuckle-boom crane. It drives to the site under its own power and combines transport with lifting capability. This makes it faster to mobilise, less expensive, and more versatile than a conventional mobile crane for a large proportion of lifting jobs.

A standard mobile crane (such as an all-terrain or rough-terrain crane) is a dedicated lifting machine with much greater lifting capacity — potentially hundreds of tonnes — and is used for the heaviest, tallest or most complex lifts.

For the vast majority of lifting jobs in Liverpool and the North West — placing materials, loading and offloading, construction site lifts up to approximately 25–30 tonnes — a HIAB crane lorry is the most cost-effective and efficient solution. Contact us to discuss which solution is right for your project.

Yes. For complex or notifiable lifts we can provide a full Lift Plan, Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS). This documentation is a legal requirement under LOLER for certain categories of lift and is also typically requested by principal contractors on construction projects in Liverpool and across the North West.

Even for simpler lifts, every job begins with a pre-lift briefing and assessment of conditions on the day, ensuring our operator is satisfied that the lift can proceed safely. Ask us about lift planning →

Our HIAB crane lorry is a heavy-duty wagon with a cargo payload of 7.5 tonnes and a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 26 tonnes when operating on its own. When we attach our trailer, that adds a further 7.5 tonnes of cargo capacity — giving a combined payload of up to 15 tonnes across the wagon and trailer, with a gross train weight (GTW) of 44 tonnes.

The crane fitted to the vehicle is a Fassi 48 tm. The "48 tm" figure refers to its lifting capacity in tonne-metres — meaning it can lift heavier loads at closer range and lighter loads at greater reach. As a guide, this allows for confident lifts of several tonnes at typical working distances, and precision placements at extended outreach. It is well suited to the majority of construction, utilities and commercial lifting jobs in Liverpool and across the North West.

In plain terms: if you need to move or place loads up to around 7.5 tonnes on site, or transport up to 15 tonnes with the trailer, our vehicle is likely to be a good fit. For very heavy single-piece loads or lifts requiring maximum reach simultaneously, get in touch and we will confirm whether our setup is right for your specific job.