Straddle Carrier Blog

Commonly used in port terminals and intermodal yards, the straddle carrier, also known as a straddle truck is a heavy goods vehicle which commonly lifts and transports freight containers. The straddle carrier is open at both front and rear which allows it to navigate over containers, connect using a telescopic spreader and lift the load underneath itself - hence the name.

With the ability to lift up to 60 tonne and stack containers up to four high, straddle carriers are essential pieces of machinery to organise dockyards / shipyards. At roughly a maximum speed of 25mph, the straddle truck can lift, transport and unload many containers from point a to b in a day.

Due to the size of the machinery, the dangers are very high however the rate of accidents are very low. Although they move fairly slowly they are remarkably quiet. Whilst working in the company of straddle carriers, stay well away from them, the weight behind them is immense and there are always blind spots for any vehicle.