Have anyone build or buy a crane or mechanism to load/unload shipping containers?

ZAR2USA · Jan 14, 2015

Have anyone build or buy a crane or mechanism to load/unload steel shipping containers on a trailer?

I want to load (at Place A) and unload (at Place B) 20' steel shipping containers onto a 22' car trailer. I don't want to drop unload them as same videos illustrate on YouTube.

I did a lot of research but was wondering if anyone else have had the same needs as me, and came up with a feasibly idea that works well.

Pictures please or schematics of your mechanism/ contraption.

Beltzington · Jan 14, 2015

I have thought about a similar contraption and the simplest design I came-up with was basically four hydraulic jacks mounted to a cross beam or directly to the container that would be used to lift the container off the trailer and allow the trailer to be pulled out from under the load and the container lowered to the ground. This of means the container would be left where the trailer was and need to be relocated by another method. A crane is an obvious solution but we are talking 10,000 pounds unloaded which is not something you want a contraption supporting. Curious why you don't like the roll-back method. That is how most companies deliver empty containers just like the large trash bins.

Military has been doing this for years but the containers are specifically built for the wheels, might give you some ideas.

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aczlan · Jan 14, 2015

Put a big roller on the back of the trailer, build something like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abElD-ZOmd8 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSQtkTQBYlw to mount on the back, pull forward til its almost off and put another pair on the front.
Alternatively, look for a set of M1022 or M1022A1 dollies, they attach to the ends and lift the whole thing.

Aaron Z

Rustyiron · Jan 14, 2015

A buddy built a trailer that was similar to a "roll off" dumpster type hoist. It had a large cylinder that pushed a sheave block that had a cable in it doubling the pulling stroke of the cyl. The bed hyd. tilted down to the ground at the rear, it had 3 6000# axles under it. It worked well but the trailer weighed close to 9000# empty. It had a 10hp honda and a 30 or so gal. hyd. tank, and was built like a tank. It took a hefty truck to move it around with a "tainer" on it. Are you aware that an empty 20' sea-tainer weighs about 4500 pounds? We both had a bunch of them and used them for job site storage on large housing projects. I'd never think about putting a 20'er on most of the car trailers that I've seen, just not built heavy enough and with the fenders……..

bcp · Jan 14, 2015

I have some ideas but first need to know if you are moving it on public roads or on private property. One time or often?

Bruce

ZAR2USA · Jan 14, 2015

Thx guys. I've seen a large number of setups, and most military setups(foreign included) I'm familiar with.

Yes, this will be for on road used. My units weigh 3500 lbs empty.

I want to horizontally lower it, to prevent surface damage/marks.

I keep it on the ground for ingress/egress ease, loading/unloading etc.

I want to use my 11k car trailer, because it will work for transport even though I have the fenders (unfortunately). My plan is to possible manufacture a sub floor that raises the floor height enough to clear the fenders. Some 4x6 pressure treated wood.

I though about a few ideas;

1) building two gantry cranes, with 4 chain falls/hoists. Each crane broke down into three or five pieces, cross I beam, 2 legs, 2 footers.

2) use semi landing gear, 2 pairs, a set for the front, 2nd set for the back.

3) buy 2 sets of electric pairs (front and back), HD landing gear for trailer (5th wheel, horse) and rig to batteries.

I need to be able to break down by myself, fairly quick, load on the truck to be reassembled at next stop, fairly quick (not a half day process each time).

Rustyiron · Jan 14, 2015

One thought Zar, if we're talking the std. Sea container, they are designed to be supported at the corners. Empty, I think you'd be fine supporting it inboard of the corner's (due to your trlr's width) but with a heavy load, you might need to see how the X-members are built. I think that the very front and back are lower than the rest of them and although they are designed for crazy (gross) weight, like 20 tons, the floor X-members are not all that heavy individually. I've bent a few of them up skidding and forklifting them around on the job.

aczlan · Jan 14, 2015

This only has to hold for 5 minutes while you drive out from under it, it needs to lift to no more than 36" off the ground and it doesn't need to move while on the jacks right?
Build something that locks onto the container like the wing lifts (my first link) do, but instead of their linkage, make a fixed standoff long enough to clear your fenders by a couple of inches and use two pieces of square tube that slide nicely in each other and put a 2" bore 3000PSI cylinder cylinder with at least a 40" stroke inside them (essentially making an outrigger that lifts vertically)
If you make it so that they sit out to the front or back, you should just need a piece of heavy angle that engages the twistlocks on the bottom.
Obviously, this will require a hydrualic power source and a 4 gang valvebody, but it should be faster to load and unload than a pair of gantrys and should be faster to use too.
Alternatively, make a dovetail with rollers that "ramps up" to your above fender height and use a heavy winch (with a RF remote) to pull it up or let it down gently. If you have a winch in the back and one in the front, you should be able to pull them on and off.

Aaron Z

ZAR2USA · Jan 14, 2015

Rusty it is always empty when loading and unloading. I use it for projects and it's empty before going to the next job. I appreciate your advice, thx Rusty.

Aaron, I also thought about custom building a rig with 4 cylinders, one on each corner, and either slide 2 I beams, one front and one rear wide enough so that I could drive under neath it in/out, or slide the 2 I beams into the factory installed forklift slots.

I too thought about using rollers, either telephone poles with even diameters, or steel pipe. My thought was to place one at the rear of the trailer, second halfway, and a third at the front. I thought I could make it work with one winch at the front of the trailer to pull it up, and then use the same winch keeping it stationary, but using a cable pulley at the back of the trailer to pull it off. My only concern is the cable breaking one day and possibly injuring me or someone else. I felt the other systems had a significant smaller factor for injury.