Inside the HIAB fleet at our Manchester depot
No two loads are quite the same. A site cabin, a long steel beam, a factory machine and a pallet of materials each need a slightly different vehicle, so we run a mix of lorries and trailers from our depot in Manchester and send them out across England, Scotland and Wales.
Most of our lorries carry their own lorry mounted lifting arm. The driver parks up, lowers the stabilisers and lifts the load off the bed and into position. For loads that need a different approach, we have low loaders and flatbeds too.
Leave the choice of vehicle to us. Tell us about the load and where it is going, and we will plan it and pick the lorry for you.
What each vehicle is good for
Here is a plain guide to the vehicles we use and the jobs they suit.
Rigid HIABs
One lorry with the lifting arm behind the cab and a flat bed behind that. Nimble enough for town streets and tighter sites, and ideal for cabins, machinery, materials and single deliveries.
Wagon and drag HIABs
A rigid HIAB pulling a trailer. The lifting arm can reach both beds, so more loads travel in one trip. Popular for pairs of cabins, several containers or a mix of items.
Artic HIABs
A tractor unit with the lifting arm fitted, pulling a long flat trailer. Suited to bigger and longer loads such as steel, precast units, modular sections and long runs between regions.
Low loaders
A trailer with a deck that sits close to the road. Used for tall or heavy plant and machinery that needs to travel with a lower overall height.
Extendable trailers
Trailers that slide out to carry extra long loads such as beams, frames, pipes and roof trusses, then close up again for the return journey.
Articulated flatbeds
Long flat trailers for loads that are lifted on and off with other equipment at each end, such as lighting towers, palletised goods and site units.
HIAB and driver hire
Book one of these lorries with a trained driver for your own list of lifts and deliveries. See our HIAB hire with driver page.
Two HIABs together
For long or awkward loads, two of our HIABs can work side by side and share the lift. See our dual HIAB lifts page.
Compact lorries for town and site work
Our rigid HIABs handle a huge range of everyday jobs, from steel stillages at an industrial unit to a cabin dropped onto a prepared base. Their size makes them a good choice where space to manoeuvre is limited.
More carried in a single trip
A wagon and drag pairs a rigid HIAB with a trailer. The lifting arm reaches over both, so the driver can unload the lorry and then the trailer at the same delivery point. That makes it a sensible choice when you need several items moved together.
We use wagon and drag combinations for pairs of site cabins, groups of containers, gates, fencing and mixed loads for building sites. It is also handy for collecting from one place and delivering to several stops along a planned route.
Moving cabins? Our portable cabin transport page explains how we plan those jobs.
For longer and taller loads
Artic HIABs and flat trailers carry the longest loads we move, and low loaders take tall plant and machinery, including heavy lift haulage for plant that needs a lower deck. See our pages on machinery transport and steel and precast delivery.
Safe, well kept and ready to go
A good vehicle is only part of the job, which is why every lorry is matched to the work and driven by someone trained to use it.
Checked before every run
Vehicles and lifting equipment are checked at the depot before they leave, and inspected and serviced on a regular schedule.
FORS Bronze
Our fleet is accredited under the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme, with a focus on safety and driving in towns and cities.
Trained drivers
Every driver holds a CPCS card and works to ALLMI guidance, so the lorry is set up and used correctly on your site.
Questions about our vehicles
Which vehicle from your HIAB fleet will I get?
We choose the vehicle once we know the load, the route and the delivery point. Tell us about the load and we will plan it and send the lorry that suits the job.
What is the difference between a rigid and an artic HIAB?
A rigid has the lifting arm and the load bed on one chassis, which makes it handy for town streets and tighter sites. An artic is a tractor unit pulling a trailer, which gives a longer bed for bigger or longer loads.
What is a wagon and drag?
It is a rigid HIAB pulling a trailer. The lorry can lift loads onto and off both its own bed and the trailer, so more can be carried in one trip.
Do you have flatbed lorries with a HIAB?
Yes. Our rigid HIABs are flatbed lorries with the lifting arm mounted behind the cab, and our artic HIABs pull long flat trailers. We also run articulated flatbeds and low loaders for loads that are lifted on and off with other equipment.
Not sure which vehicle you need?
Tell us about the load, where it is now and where it needs to go. We will choose the right lorry, plan the lift and send you a price.
