Founded in 1999 by Gys and Jan Jacobs, Jacobs Transport was started with the use of only one secondhand crane truck and has grown to include a comprehensive fleet of over 50 vehicles and equipment and a wide range of services. Amongst other services the Gautengbased company specialises in the fields of machine moving and rigging, including loading, offloading, rigging and positioning of any machinery up to 75 t.

Jacobs Transport is a major player in the container, modular unit and parkhome transport and rigging industry sectors and can also destuff bulk loads or crates and assist with the rigging process to factory production or assembly lines. Jacobs Transport also specialises in abnormal transport and its associated permits and escorts both cross country and cross border, as well as the effective management of factory moves and the palletising and crating of equipment to export standards.

Jacobs Transport facilitates border clearance to all neighbouring countries, as far north as the Democratic Republic of Congo. By using the Jack and Slide hydraulic systems, Jacobs Transport ensures the safe movement of heavy machinery such as transformers, boilers, injection moulds and presses, especially where height clearance may be a hazard. These systems are designed to easily load, offload and transload valuable and sensitive equipment to engineered specifications. In addition to in-house specialised and certified equipment, compliant and trained riggers, including qualified red seal riggers, and on-site safety officers, Jacobs Transport also offers access to a range of carefully vetted subcontractors, delivering turnkey solutions.

The 21-year old company constantly upgrades its fleet of vehicles and equipment, which includes crane trucks up to 40 t, trailers with flat deck and drop sides, sidelifters, roll backs, Hidrokon, vehicle-mounted cranes and vehicles used to transport dangerous goods and abnormal loads. Jacobs Transport’s highly skilled drivers and crew are supported by a dedicated maintenance and breakdown assistance team and its rigging team includes experienced assessors that safely and cost-effectively manage rigging requirements. Vehicle track and trace capabilities such as drive-cam with 24-hour live video tracking, proof-of-delivery tracking, tracing and capturing and query resolutions are also available.

Jacobs Transport is ISO9001: 2015 quality management system certified and prides itself on being a Christian-based company with reliable and ethical values, providing clients with personalised, passionate and efficient customer service.

Choosing the correct crane is essential for safe and efficient lifting, whether you require a crane for a single project or if you want to expand your business and need to move around heavy equipment. The right crane selection is dependent on the number of job sites you need the crane for and the weight of each load.  Currently for many business owners, crane truck hire is one of the most efficient and smartest types to consider. With numerous benefits, it is no surprise as to why individuals are opting to go this route.

A crane truck is more commonly referred to as a truck mount crane and as suggested by the name, such trucks consist of two sections; the lower and upper. The lower section resembles a semi truck and which will sit on either four or eight wheels and is inclusive of a cab for driving which may also double as an operating booth. The upper section refers to the crane which is mounted at the rear of the truck. The cab has to be of the right height in order to have proper visibility when driving on public roads. Such truck and crane assembly are available for hire in numerous truck and crane heights and configurations to make them compatible for use in various lifting situations. Unlike
conventional cranes, rear mount crane trucks can be moved or driven to different locations by any individual who has the correct drivers license requirements. Such vehicles ease the hassle of truck and crane hire as these vehicles are able to move around in smaller job sites.

What are the advantages of hiring rear mounted crane trucks?

The sheer size and mobility of the truck makes them the ideal choice for any industrial projects. Listed below are the ways that a crane truck will be beneficial to your business.

1. Improvement of site accessibility

The standard cranes which we are accustomed to require transportation of the crane components to the actual job site location before it can be of any use. This already creates added expenses before the initial crane use and factor in that the setup of a traditional crane and keep impractical, time consuming and even impossible in secluded locations. A single unit piece of equipment, such as a truck mount crane will be easier to move and get to remote sites. In additional, mounted cranes do not require support pads which are commonly used in conventional setup. Sandy or soft land proves no difficulty or hindrance as the need for support is not necessary.

2. The easier transportation of material

The hire of such a crane enables the client to move heavy materials or objects over a short distance on the actual crane itself. Having the capacity to work in this manner means that a lower number of trucks will have to be used on site and minimal time will have to be spent on transport logistics.  Movement of materials with a conventional crane requires too many additional steps as the item will have to first be lifted via the crane, loaded onto a truck which will then drive to the new location thereafter the materials will be offloaded by the crane again. Investing in mounted crane hire will eliminate all unnecessary movements.

3. Less amount of space required on site

Rear mount cranes require less space than your standard separate truck and crane hire would. When
taking space requirements into consideration, the characteristics of a mounted crane simply make it the better option to settle with. Acting as a single unit makes it ideal for use in urban areas and in the development and construction of land which already has existing dwellings. Other vehicles making use of the same site are not inconvenienced in any way as they are able to freely move around the truck itself and pass through.

4. Fewer overhead costs

The use of a traditional crane requires prep of the site and the layering of a solid foundation and installation of support pads to ensure that the crane is able to be used in a safe manner. The crane would then have to be assembled on the foundation, all of which takes up a significant amount of time which could have been used on the actual project itself. In certain instances, specialized labor may be required for the crane assembly process. The benefit of using a truck with a crane already installed means that you can work on the original site with minimal to no prep and make use of all the workers you already have on site.

5. Shorter time required for inspection

All cranes requires inspection before use to ensure that all safety standards and measures are in place before the commencement of your daily on site work.  A mounted crane is no different however these inspections are much shorter due to the simple and compact structure of the crane. This shortened inspection time can reduce the average working hours for the day and may be the entire projected time frame for the job.

As you decide on the right crane for your business needs, consider the benefits of a truck crane and contact Jacobs Transport for more information on this particular hire.