Called the Multilift Commander, the unit was developed for the logistics needs of government organisations, but this is the first time Hiab has offered it commercially.
An application for the Multilift XR21 hooklift, it enables both ISO 1C and 1CC freight containers and DIN standard demountable flatracks to be handled by the same truck.
“This is a new application for the commercial hooklift market. It adds value and versatility to our customers’ hooklift trucks, as switching from handling flatracks to lifting ISO containers weighing up to 16.5 tonnes can now be done at the simple push of a button,” says Hiab’s Henri Janhonen.
“It effectively means that our customers can transport a container to any location that a truck can access, where no infrastructure such as a port crane or heavy forklift truck exists, and drop it off and collect it again at any subsequent date.”
Available in two lengths for three-axle or four-axle trucks, the Commander unit has three parts: a lifting frame and rear support rollers, both made from high-tensile steel, and a stowage frame.
An electric actuator moves the lifting frame from the stowage position to the lifting position, and a pneumatic safety latch in the hooklift secures the lifting frame to the hook, preventing the lifting frame from shifting while in use.
The rear rollers are fitted directly to truck’s chassis to support the container, and side guards help to guide the container during loading and unloading. Once loaded, the container is securely locked on to the truck with two ratchets at the front and two twist locks at the rear. When not in use, the container-lifting frame stows behind the cab.