Straddle carriers are specialized forklifts that drive over a heavy load or shipping container, lift it from above, move it where it needs to go, and stack it if applicable.
Read More (About Straddle Carrier Forklifts)Used indoors and outdoors to straddle, lift, and then horizontally transport cargo potentially weighing 44 to 150 metric tons, straddle carrier forklifts are among the most interesting, versatile, and manoeuvrable types of forklifts of all. They’re commonly used in distribution, shipping, steel, construction, aerospace, energy, concrete, and other industries in which hauling extremely heavy and oversized loads is required.
Straddle carrier forklifts drive over ISO shipping containers, steel slabs, or other cargo to lift it from above rather than using forks located at the front of the machine. (For ISO containers, the straddle carrier uses a top lift spreader attachment to help handle the load.) Such design and operation enables these lifts to load and unload cargo without the use of a crane or other equipment, as well as navigate and stack cargo in narrow aisles, potentially two, three, or even four containers at a time. The machines’ unique design also gives operators 360-degree visibility, and enables them to safely move especially long materials.
The roots of straddle carrier forklifts are said to date back to 1913, when Harry B. Ross invented his straddle buggy at the Stetson-Ross Machine Works in Seattle, Washington. Initial models were used to pick up and transport lumber on special pallets, or carrier blocks. The Gerlinger Carrier Company of Dallas, Oregon, USA, followed with its own straddle carriers in 1918. The Willamette Hyster Company came up with a combination straddle carrier and forklift in 1934, while Valmet in Finland made 54.4-metric-ton straddle carriers for steel and lumber starting in 1946 after the war. The Clark Equipment Company, the new owner of the original Ross Carrier Company, introduced stacking for shop-built containers with its Clark Van Carrier model 512 in 1959. However, it was in the mid-1960s when models specifically designed to move ISO-standardized shipping containers began to appear. In 1968, German firm Peiner developed its diesel-mechanical drive model PPH 30 S, the origin point of modern-day Konescranes Noell’s product line.
Compared to some forklifts and reach stackers serving similar functions, straddle carrier forklifts are typically lighter, more fuel-efficient, and better at allowing for higher-density storage while causing less damage to pavement and other surfaces. In terms of operation, today’s models provide a tight turning radius while spreading a cargo’s heavy weight evenly across all of its tires for more stable transport. Flotation tires can be used with some models to negotiate rough terrain. Manufacturers have come up with designs that require minimal maintenance time, while some models support customizations to meet operators’ various requirements. Some straddle lifts support tilting and rotating cargo to make material-handling tasks more efficient, for example. In addition to rotating, tilting, and remote control abilities, some models may support tandem usage with a second straddle carrier forklift to make handling especially long loads an easier task. Models with telescoping abilities, in addition to stacking two containers at once, can often navigate a heavy cargo through narrow and low entryways.
Other features can include regenerative braking and energy systems, hybrid engines that result in less fuel consumption and reduced carbon emissions, electric drivetrains with zero emissions, and even fully automated units and retrofitting kits, as well as support for various attachments that make loading and unloading cargo faster and more efficient.
Manufacturers include CombiLift, Gerlinger, Kalmar (maker of the bestselling Classic), Konecranes Noell, Kress, and Liebherr.
