It’s important to note that the maximum capacity is always measured by the shortest lift, usually over the rear of the crane, and with the outriggers fully extended.

Once you determine the distance, look on that line for the largest capacity that will indicate how many feet of boom must be extended.

The distance is measured from the center pin of the crane to the center of the load. The ‘ft.’ indicator on the left axis represents the radius, the distance from the center pin to the center of the load.ĮXAMPLE: You need to lift a load of 15 tons (30,000 pounds) a distance of 25 feet. Here, you’d graph out the specific lift the crane is needed for. In the legend at the top of the chart, you can see these ratings apply when using 6.5 tons of counterweight, with the outriggers extended to 22 x 22.3 feet. LIFT CAPACITY - This is where the magic happens. In the other two columns, the arrows indicate the weight load for each axle depending on what additional accessories are loaded.Ģ.

The transport weight (below) determines the trailer to be used, how to load the crane on the trailer, the route to take, and what permits are required to get it to the jobsite.Īlong the top axis, the first number is the gross vehicle weight. Knowledge of this information is especially critical if the crane will be working in a confined space, as the lifting capacity varies depending on whether the outriggers are extended. It includes data for operation with the outriggers extended, transport weight, and steering dimensions. DIMENSIONS and WEIGHT - The chart shows the crane dimensions. To illustrate how to read a crane chart, we’ve chosen the chart for the Terex RT345XL, a rough terrain crane with a maximum lift capacity of 45 tons.ġ. Everyone, from the crane operator, to the job supervisors, to even the sales guys have to know how to read a crane chart. Just like the old saying ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail,’ failing to consult a crane load chart before renting or employing a crane for a specific job could leave you with too much or too little capacity for your job.īefore a crane is rented, transported, employed or purchased, the crane chart must be consulted. Each crane has a load chart that, in short, specifies the crane’s capabilities - detailing its features and how its lift capacity varies when considering distance and angle.

Crane lorry load chart