Long loads on an extendable bed
Steel, frames, beams and modular sections that will not sit on a rigid without overhanging.
44 tonne artic · Extendable trailer
Artic 658 Hiab hire
A 51.2 tm HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro on a six-wheel tractor unit with an extendable semi-trailer. 10,900 kg at 5.1 m, 17 m of outreach, and the payload to make the journey worth it.
51.2 tmLifting moment
10,900 kgMaximum lift at 5.1 m
17 mHydraulic outreach
45ftExtendable trailer
What it is
The unit that carries the most
A Scania six-wheel tractor unit at 44 tonnes gross, with a HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro loader crane and an extendable semi-trailer. It is the vehicle we send when the load is long, heavy or both, and it lifts everything it carries.
The crane is rated at 51.2 tm (55.5 tm with Automatic Duty Control), giving 17 m of hydraulic outreach and 19.5 m of lifting height. The trailer extends from 36 feet out to 45, so the bed matches the load rather than the load being made to fit the bed.
The same 658 loader crane is on our wagon-and-drag lorries, which makes it comfortably the most common crane in the fleet — and means a driver / operator who knows this crane is almost always available.
On the job
What goes on the artic
Set up and lift on arrival
Legs out, load off, no second vehicle and no waiting for a crane to arrive separately.
Full loads, long distance
At 44 tonnes the artic makes a Manchester to Scotland run worth doing in one movement rather than two.
The load chart
What the 658 holds, and where
Safe working loads with the crane correctly set up on firm, level ground. Radius is from the centre of the column to the centre of the load.
HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro
51.2 tm lifting moment 55.5 tm with ADC 17 m hydraulic outreach 19.5 m lifting height 8 boom sections
| Radius | 5.1 m | 6.7 m | 8.6 m | 10.6 m | 12.7 m | 14.7 m | 16.9 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 10,900 kg | 8,000 kg | 6,000 kg | 4,750 kg | 3,850 kg | 3,250 kg | 2,820 kg |
Source: manufacturer data sheet
658EP-6HiPro.pdf. Crane weight 5,545 kg without support legs. Full charts for every crane are on the
lifting capacity page.
The 658 is a 51.2 tm crane, not a 65 tonne-metre one. The model number and the rating are different things. The old version of this page carried a figure of 10.9 tonnes with no radius against it, which is close to meaningless — that capacity holds at 5.1 m, and by 16.9 m the crane is down to 2,820 kg.
Artic or rigid
When the artic is the wrong vehicle
It carries the most, but it needs the most room. We would rather change the vehicle than turn up and not be able to get in.
Send a rigid instead when:
- The entrance is tight, or there is nowhere to turn a 16 metre outfit round
- The lift needs more capacity than length — the 858 rigid reaches 19.6m against the 658’s 16m
- It is a single drop in a city centre street with parking on both sides
- The site will only take one vehicle movement and the load is small
Common questions
Artic 658 hiab hire, answered
Why choose the artic over a rigid?
Payload and bed length. At 44 tonnes gross with an extendable semi-trailer, the artic carries considerably more than a 32 tonne eight-wheeler and takes loads that are simply too long for a rigid bed. The trade-off is access: an artic needs room to turn and to reverse.
How much will the 658 lift?
10,900 kg at 5.1 metres, falling to 6,000 kg at 8.6 metres and 2,820 kg at its full 16.9 metre working radius. The full chart is on this page. Note that this is a 51.2 tonne-metre crane, 55.5 with Automatic Duty Control — the number in the model name is not the rating.
How long is the trailer?
The extendables run to 36, 39 and 45 feet, and we also run fixed 45 foot semi-trailers. Which one comes depends on the load; tell us the overall length and we will match it.
Is the 658 only on the artic?
No. Our wagon-and-drag lorries carry the same 658 EP-6 loader crane, so the crane on this page is the most common one in the fleet by some distance. The wagon and drag gives you two beds and one crane, which suits multi-drop work.
Can the artic get onto a construction site?
Often, but it is the question worth asking first. Tell us about the entrance and the turning area. If it is tight we will put the load on a rigid or a wagon and drag instead and say so before you book.
Do you go outside the North West?
Yes, across mainland England, Scotland and Wales. Our own wide load exemption notices cover the whole of the United Kingdom and we run our own escort vehicles.
Not sure this is the right vehicle?
Describe the job in a sentence and we will tell you which lorry it wants and what it costs.
