# Nortons Hiab Services Ltd - full site text > Every page of https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk in one file, for AI > assistants and answer engines. Navigation, menus and footers are stripped; > only the body of each page is here. The short index is at > https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/llms.txt Generated 10 October 2026. 133 pages. Source of truth is the live page in every case. --- # Hiab Hire UK | Crane Truck Hire & Haulage | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/ (photograph: Nortons hiab crane-truck lifting a portable cabin off its trailer) Mainland UK · Manchester based Operated crane-trucks that carry the load and lift it themselves — transport and lifting anywhere on the UK mainland. One vehicle, one driver / operator, load on at one end and off at the other. Get a Quote Email Us FORS Bronze accredited ALLMI trained driver / operators Rigid, artic & wagon-and-drag 2007 Established Our own Fleet, not hired in FORS Bronze accredited UK Mainland coverage What we move ### Lifting and haulage, handled by one crew From a single cabin set down on a driveway to a full site relocation. Our driver / operators plan the lift, carry the load and set it down where it needs to go. (photograph: Hiab lifting a shipping container from a flatbed trailer) #### Container Transport Shipping containers collected, transported and placed exactly where you need them — no second crane, no forklift on site. (photograph: A Nortons eight wheel hiab setting up a run of refurbished portable cabins in the yard) #### Portable Cabin Transport Site cabins, welfare units and modular buildings moved, relocated and set down on prepared bases across the UK. (photograph: Nortons artic hiab carrying a long load on a flatbed trailer) #### Steel, Stillages & Precast Structural steel, beams and columns, glazing and material stillages, and precast concrete units — delivered and lifted straight into position on site. (photograph: Stainless steel process vessels loaded and strapped down on a Nortons wagon and drag) #### Plant & Machinery Access platforms, generators, packaged plant and site equipment on flatbeds, low loaders and extendable trailers. (photograph: Nortons loader crane with the boom fully extended over the lorry deck) #### Long-Reach Hiab Up to 19.6 metres of hydraulic outreach, so the load can be set down well away from where the lorry has to stand. (photograph: Rigid hiab placing a wide load unit at a community centre) #### Abnormal Loads Wide, long and oversized loads planned, notified and escorted — route surveys and permits handled. See everything we move Which vehicle ### Tell us what needs lifting. We will tell you which lorry. You do not need to know what it weighs or how far the crane has to reach. Describe the thing and where it has to end up, and picking the vehicle is our job. The chart below is here for anyone who does want the numbers. The Nortons hiab fleet: what each vehicle lifts, what it carries and how far it reaches | Vehicle | Lifts | Carries | Maximum reach | | 858 Rigid HIAB | Over 8 tonnes | Up to 5.5 tonnes | 19.6 m | | 658 Rigid HIAB | Over 8 tonnes | Up to 8 tonnes | 16 m | | 558 Rigid HIAB | Over 6 tonnes | Up to 10 tonnes | 14 m | | Wagon & Drag HIAB | Over 8 tonnes | Up to 14 tonnes | 16 m | | Artic HIAB | Over 6 tonnes | Up to 14 tonnes | 16 m | What a crane will lift depends on how far out it is working, so capacity falls as the boom reaches further. Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go and we will confirm the vehicle. The manufacturer data sheets are linked in full on the capacity page. See full lifting capacity charts (photograph: A Nortons hiab holding a large grey modular unit high above the deck on four slings) Recent work ### Real jobs, real places A decade of dated project pages, from Premier League stadiums to hospital sites and city-centre towers. (photograph: A Nortons hiab holding the red LFCTV studio unit on the slings alongside the stand at Anfield) Liverpool The LFCTV studio at Anfield (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park beside the ArcelorMittal Orbit) London Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry beside a new high-rise tower in Manchester city centre) Manchester City centre high-rise The whole portfolio  ·  See who we work for How we work ### Planned properly, and lifted by a fleet we keep replacing Two things a hiab supplier is either serious about or is not. #### Health & safety Our dedicated health and safety personnel and appointed persons are on hand to give guidance on all aspects of our operations, and whenever it is required we will submit fully detailed RAMS — risk assessments and method statements — together with lift plans. Most of our drivers and crane operators are ALLMI trained. Health and safety at Nortons #### New wagons, clean air We invest in new wagons continually rather than running lorries into the ground, and the 32-tonne and 44-tonne trucks we operate are Euro VI. Euro VI is the standard every UK clean air zone and low emission zone sets for heavy goods vehicles. The fleet is our own, not hired in. Clean air zones and Euro VI Common questions ### Before you get in touch #### What is a hiab? A hiab is a lorry with a hydraulic crane mounted behind the cab or at the rear. It carries the load and lifts it off itself, so one vehicle and one driver / operator do the work of a lorry plus a separate crane. "Hiab" is a manufacturer name that has become the everyday word for a lorry loader. #### How much can your hiabs lift? Our 858 rigid lifts over 8 tonnes, carries up to 5.5 tonnes and offers a maximum reach of 19.6m. The 658 rigid lifts over 8 tonnes and carries up to 8 tonnes to 16m; the 558 rigid lifts over 6 tonnes and carries up to 10 tonnes to 14m; the wagon and drag lifts over 8 tonnes and carries up to 14 tonnes to 16m; the artic lifts over 6 tonnes and carries up to 14 tonnes to 16m. Capacity falls as the crane reaches further out, so tell us the weight and the distance and we will confirm which vehicle suits. #### Do you supply the driver / operator? Yes. Every hiab goes out with a trained driver / operator. We do not offer self-drive. #### Where do you cover? Mainland UK — England, Scotland and Wales. We are based in Manchester and run nationwide daily. #### How do I get a price? Email us the load and the collection and delivery postcodes. That is usually enough for us to price it, and we will come back to you if we need anything else. What a hiab actually is ### Need a hiab? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. We will come back with a price and a vehicle that fits. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Services | Lifting, Haulage & Delivery | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/services (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a unit clear of the lorry bed on a site) Hiab lorries · Mainland UK One crew, one lorry, one visit. Our wagons carry their own cranes, so whatever we bring to site we can also put exactly where it needs to go. Get a Quote Email Us Most of the work ### What comes off the beds most days Containers, cabins and plant are items we often transport. Everything else we carry is listed further down. (photograph: Nortons eight wheel hiab lorry and trailer loaded with containers ready to deliver) #### Container transport Shipping containers collected, carried and set down where you want them, by the same wagon that brought them. (photograph: Nortons hiab lowering a portable cabin onto its base in a garden behind houses) #### Portable cabin transport Site cabins, welfare units and modular buildings craned in over a fence or a wall and lowered level onto a prepared base. (photograph: Nortons artic low loader carrying a red self-propelled boom lift) #### Plant and machinery Access platforms, generators and site machines on flatbeds and low loaders, lifted on rather than driven on where they will not start. Services ### Pick the one that fits your job If more than one applies, start anywhere — the same team quotes all of them. Container transport Shipping containers collected, carried and set down where you want them. No forklift needed on site. Portable cabin transport Site cabins, welfare units and modular buildings moved, relocated and set down level on a prepared base. Used cabin sales Used site offices, canteens, welfare and anti-vandal units bought, refurbished and sold, and delivered by our own hiabs. Plant and machinery Machines lifted on rather than driven on, so a unit that will not start still travels. Abnormal loads Over 44 tonnes, over 2.9 metres or over 18.65 metres, with our own notices and escorts. Wide loads Anything past 2.9 metres, escorted by our own vehicles rather than a fourteen day wait. Long loads Extendable trailers to 45ft, and wagon and drag units that give you two beds. Low loader hire For plant too tall for a flatbed, loaded by ramp or lifted on by our own crane. Contract haulage Ongoing haulage for construction, engineering and hire companies, on account. Storage and distribution Seven acres in central Manchester, with our fleet delivering to site on demand. UK nationwide delivery England, Scotland and Wales from a Manchester base, with nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads. Truck-mounted crane hire The lifting side on its own: lorry loaders lifting over 8 tonnes with an ALLMI trained driver / operator. Statues and sculptures Public and private artwork carried and craned onto its plinth by the same vehicle, soft-slung and chocked rather than strapped over. Hiab hire The general service. A crane, a bed and a driver / operator, by the job, the half day, the day or on contract. The long list ### Things we have lifted that are not on the menu The service pages above cover what people search for. This is closer to what actually goes on the beds. - Shipping containers, portable cabins, welfare units and modular buildings - Steel sections, portal frames, beams, roof purlins and fabrications - Precast concrete, blocks, kerbs, bollards and thermalite pallets - Plant, machinery, generators, compressors and piling rigs - Tanks, pressure vessels, silos, hoppers and water tanks - Signage, billboards, gantries and street lighting columns - Kiosks, snack bars, festival stands and event structures - Glamping pods, garden rooms, hot tubs and saunas - Rail equipment, sleepers and track-side materials - Cable drums, reels, steel coil and stillages - Sculptures and statues , safes and one-off awkward items - Full factory relocations and complete site-to-site moves - Airport and port collections and deliveries across the UK - Palletised freight distribution and site materials Not exhaustive, and not a promise that any given item is inside the crane chart — that depends on the weight and the radius. Send the details and we will check it properly. The unusual ones ### Jobs that were not on anyone’s list either (photograph: Helicopter prepared for road transport by Nortons at Blackpool Airport) #### A helicopter, from Blackpool Airport Rotors off, cradled, and moved by road. Not a weekly occurrence, but the principle is the same as any other awkward load. (photograph: Nortons hiab placing a kiosk on a coastal site) #### A kiosk on the coast Delivered and positioned on an exposed coastal site where a mobile crane would have had nowhere to rig. (photograph: Nortons placing food kiosks at a stadium) #### Food kiosks at a stadium Units placed inside a stadium concourse, working around the fixture list. (photograph: Nortons lorry delivering Christmas market units in Manchester city centre) #### Christmas market units, Manchester Delivered into the city centre overnight and collected again in January. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a large sign structure into position) #### Signage and gantries Large signage lifted into position and held while it is fixed, rather than dropped and left. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting an item in over a boundary wall) #### Lifted in over the boundary Domestic lifts where the only route to the back garden is over the wall or the fence. (photograph: Nortons lorries on a university campus delivery) #### University campus deliveries Working inside a live campus with pedestrians, timed access and no room for error. (photograph: Nortons lorries loaded with site cabins beside a large marquee at the Glastonbury festival site) #### Site cabins at Glastonbury Welfare units and site cabins run down to Somerset by lorry, then placed in a field with no hard standing and collected again afterwards. (photograph: Nortons eight wheel hiab lorry working on a football academy development) #### A football academy build Cabins and containers into a live training ground, lifted off the same wagon that carried them so nothing waits on a second contractor. Common questions ### Hiab services, answered #### What exactly is a hiab? A lorry with a hydraulic crane mounted behind the cab. Hiab is a manufacturer name that became the everyday word for the machine, the way people say hoover for a vacuum cleaner. The point of one is that a single vehicle carries the load and lifts it, so nothing else has to be hired or waiting. #### Do you only work in the North West? No. We are based in Manchester and a lot of our work is local, but we operate across mainland England, Scotland and Wales. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required. #### Can I hire a lorry without a driver? No. Every vehicle goes out with a Nortons driver / operator who is ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified. That keeps the competence, the lift plan and the insurance with us, which is where a client generally wants it. #### Do you work for private customers or only trade? Both. A single item delivered and set down, and a year-long site contract, are both normal work here. We are happy to open a credit account for regular customers, subject to credit checks. #### Something on my list is not on your site. Do you do it? Probably. The service pages cover what people search for, not everything we move — the list below gives a better sense of the range. If it needs lifting off a lorry, ask. The fleet  ·  Lifting capacity Who we work for ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Fleet | Crane Lorries, Artics and Drawbars | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/fleet (photograph: Nortons hiab lorries lined up in the Manchester yard at the end of the day) Rigid · Artic · Wagon & drag Hiab lorries, wagons, artics and trailers, all our own. What changes between the trucks is how much they hold, how far they reach, and how much they carry at the same time. Get a Quote Lifting Capacity 44t Maximum gross weight 19.6m Maximum reach Euro VI On the wagons we take into clean air zones FORS Bronze accredited The headline lorries ### Three trucks that decide most jobs 19.6 Metres of maximum reach #### 8-wheel rigid lorry with the HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 The long-reach wagons. A 66.1 tonne-metre lorry loader — 71.5 with ADC — on a 32 tonne rear-steer eight-wheeler. Eight hydraulic boom sections, front-mounted stabiliser legs and full 360 degree lifting over the cab. Lifts over 8 tonnes, carries up to 5.5 tonnes and offers a maximum reach of 19.6m. We run these as Volvo and Scania eight-wheelers. Rigid 8-wheeler Lifts over 8 t Carries up to 5.5 t 19.6m reach Rear steer Remote control (photograph: Nortons Scania rigid 858 hiab lorry set up on outriggers on a wet yard) 2 Load beds, one crane #### Wagon and drag trucks with the HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro The backbone of the fleet. Volvo eight-wheelers, each pulling a drawbar trailer and carrying a 51.2 tonne-metre lorry loader — 55.5 with ADC. Two load beds, one crane that works at both, 44 tonnes gross. Lifts over 8 tonnes, carries up to 14 tonnes and offers a maximum reach of 16m. 51.2 tm loader 16 m reach 44 t gross Carries up to 14 t Two load beds Drawbar trailer (photograph: Nortons articulated hiab tractor unit and flatbed trailer) 45ft Extendable trailers #### Artic hiabs with extendable trailers Where length is the problem rather than weight. A Scania artic with a 658 Hiab and a Volvo FH with a 622 Hiab, both running extendable trailers, plus semi-trailers extending to 36, 39 and 45 feet. This is what goes out for structural steel, long sections and anything that overhangs the back of the lorry. Artic hiab 44 t gross 36ft–45ft extendable 658 & 622 Hiabs Carries up to 14 t Steel & long loads (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag hiab loaded with timber on a drawbar trailer) The rest of the fleet ### The rest of what goes out (photograph: Nortons Scania eight-wheel rigid hiab lorry with the crane folded behind the cab) #### 8-wheel rigid, 855 Hiab Scania eight-wheelers on rear steer, carrying the 855 E-8 HiPro. Near enough the same reach as the 858 on a lorry of the same size. - Hiab HIAB 855 E-8 - Gross weight 32 t - Outreach 19.4 m (photograph: Nortons eight-wheel rigid hiab lorry parked outside Old Trafford) #### 8-wheel rigid, 558 Hiab The lighter rigid. A 49.7 tonne-metre lorry loader on a rear-steer eight-wheeler — enough for most site deliveries without the bulk of the big wagons. - Hiab HIAB 558 EP-5 - Gross weight 32 t - Outreach 14.5 m (photograph: Nortons 45ft articulated flatbed lorry carrying a large cylindrical tank) #### Artic with extendable trailer Semi-trailers extending to 36, 39 and 45 feet. What goes out when the load is longer than it is heavy. - Gross weight 44 t - Trailers 36ft – 45ft - Typical work Long loads (photograph: Nortons rigid hiab lorry loaded with stacked portable site cabins) #### Cabin and modular work Site cabins, welfare units and modular buildings, lifted level on a spreader beam so the frame is not pulled out of square. - Typical load Site cabins - Lifted with Spreader beam - Placed on Prepared bases (photograph: Nortons 7.5 tonne flatbed lorry carrying a small container) #### 7.5 tonne flatbed The small truck. Gets down streets and into yards the eight-wheelers cannot approach. - Gross weight 7.5 t - Body Flatbed - Typical work Restricted access (photograph: Nortons articulated tractor unit coupled to a 45ft flatbed semi-trailer with the crane stowed) #### The Moffett semi-trailer The 45ft trailer that carries our truck-mounted forklift. The Moffett rides on the back, comes off at the delivery and unloads the wagon without any site equipment. - Trailer 3-axle, 45 ft - Carries Truck-mounted forklift - Typical work Self-offload (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag hiab with its draw-bar trailer) #### Draw-bar trailers 20ft two-axle draw-bar trailers running behind the wagon-and-drag lorries. Two beds, one loader crane, one driver / operator. - Trailers 2-axle draw-bar - Length 20 ft - Typical work Two load beds What the Moffett does, and when it beats a crane  ·  Low loader hire The vehicles ### Our fleet includes Our fleet, none of it hired in. The Nortons Hiab Services vehicle fleet | Vehicle | Hiab | Gross weight | Emissions | | Artics | | Scania — Artic 6-wheeler with 658 Hiab and extendable trailer | HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro | 44 t | Euro VI | | Volvo FH — Artic 6-wheeler with 622 Hiab and extendable trailer | HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro | 44 t | Euro VI | | MAN — 6x3 artic tractor unit | — | 44 t | Euro VI | | Rigids | | Volvo — 8-wheel rigid, rear steer, 858 Hiab | HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 | 32 t | Euro VI | | Scania — 8-wheel rigid, rear steer, 858 Hiab | HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 | 32 t | Euro VI | | Scania — 8-wheel rigid, rear steer, 855 Hiab | HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro | 32 t | | | Scania — 8-wheel rigid, rear steer, 855 Hiab | HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro | 32 t | Euro VI | | Volvo — 8-wheel rigid, rear steer, 558 Hiab | HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 | 32 t | Euro VI | | Mercedes — 4-wheel flatbed | — | 7.5 t | Euro V | | Wagon & drags | | Volvo — 8-wheel wagon and drag with 658 Hiab | HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro | 44 t | Euro VI | | Trailers | | 3-axle semi trailer, 45ft extendable | — | — | — | | 3-axle semi trailer, 39ft extendable | — | — | — | | 3-axle semi trailer, 36ft extendable | — | — | — | | 3-axle semi trailer, 45ft | — | — | — | | 3-axle semi trailer, 45ft, Moffett | — | — | — | | 2-axle draw-bar trailer, 20ft | — | — | — | Vehicles are bought and sold as the work changes, so treat this as the range we run rather than a register. What a lorry loader will actually lift depends on how far it has to reach — the full charts are on lifting capacity . The lorry loaders ### What is on the back of the wagons The loader crane models across the fleet. These are the manufacturer’s figures — and a reminder that the model number is not the tonne-metre rating. Loader crane models in the Nortons fleet | Model | Lifting moment | With ADC | Max lift | Hydraulic outreach | | HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 | 66.1 tm | 71.5 tm | 18,000 kg | 19.6 m | | HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro | | | 18,000 kg | 19.4 m | | HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro | 51.2 tm | 55.5 tm | 10,900 kg | 17 m | | HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro | 50 tm | 54 tm | 22,000 kg | 15.8 m | | HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 | | 49.7 tm | 10,800 kg | 14.5 m | See the full load chart for every loader crane Behind the lorries ### The fleet is only half of it A lorry loader is no use without someone who can plan the lift. Most of our driver / operators are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified, and the cranes are worked by remote control so the driver / operator stands where they can see the load rather than sitting in a cab. - FORS Bronze accredited operator - ALLMI trained lorry loader driver / operators - CPCS qualified, with continuous skills training - NEBOSH qualified health and safety officer, and our own appointed persons - Rail Track PTS held by several of our driver / operators; LINK UP members for safety critical sites - Nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads as required, with our own escort vehicles See our accreditations (photograph: Nortons articulated flatbed lorry loaded and sheeted ready to leave the yard) Common questions ### About the fleet #### What sort of vehicles do you run? Every vehicle is ours rather than hired in: artic hiabs, eight-wheel rigid lorries and wagon-and-drag combinations, backed by extendable semi-trailers and draw-bar trailers. Our range of vehicles is set out further up this page. #### Which vehicle carries the most weight? The wagon-and-drag units and the artics, both plated at 44 tonnes gross. The eight-wheel rigids run at 32 tonnes gross, and there is a 7.5 tonne flatbed lorry for jobs where access matters more than payload. #### What is a wagon and drag? A rigid lorry with a drawbar trailer behind it. You get two separate load beds and one loader crane that can work at either, which suits multi-drop work and long runs. Several of our trucks are wagon-and-drag combinations, each one carrying a 658 Hiab. #### Are the vehicles clean air zone compliant? The 32 tonne and 44 tonne wagons are Euro VI, so they meet the standard in every UK clean air zone including Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and the London LEZ. The 7.5 tonne flatbed is Euro V and stays out of the charging zones. We invest in new wagons continually, so tell us where the job is and we will confirm what is coming. #### Do you have anything small enough for a domestic street? The 7.5 tonne Mercedes flatbed gets into places the eight-wheelers cannot approach. For genuinely tight access, tell us the street and the width and we will tell you honestly what fits. #### How old are the lorries? Kept modern on purpose. We invest in new wagons continually rather than running trucks into the ground, so the fleet turns over steadily and there are recent vehicles in it every year. #### Are the vehicles FORS accredited? Yes. Nortons is a FORS Bronze accredited operator and the fleet is reviewed and approved under the FORS standard. Most of our lorry loader driver / operators are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified; several also hold Rail Track PTS, and we are LINK UP members. #### I only need a small lift. What is the smallest hiab you run? Our smallest is a 7.5-tonne Mercedes flatbed, and for a lot of what people describe as a small hiab job it is exactly the right vehicle. It is worth knowing that the thing which usually decides the vehicle is not weight at all - it is reach and access. A bigger lorry with a longer boom can often stand further back on the road and still place the load, where a smaller one would have to get right up to it and cannot. So describe the job rather than picking a size, and we will tell you which of ours does it best. #### Do I need a small hiab truck or a van with a crane? Almost certainly neither, and that is good news rather than bad. Small hiab and hiab van are the words people reach for when a load feels modest, but a single pallet, a garden room, a hot tub or a shed base is routine work for a rigid, and one vehicle doing it properly beats a smaller one that cannot quite get there. Tell us what it is and where it has to go and we will tell you which vehicle we would send. ### Not sure which lorry you need? Tell us what the thing is and where it has to go. Picking the wagon is our job, not yours. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Contact Nortons Hiab Services | Manchester & UK-Wide URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/contact (photograph: Nortons Volvo hiab lorry loaded with cable drums outside the Manchester yard) Manchester · Mon–Fri 06:00–18:00 · Sat 07:00–12:30 Email is the quickest way to get a price. Tell us what you need lifting or moving and we will come straight back to you. Email us info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk The best route for anything with detail. It reaches the office directly. Where we are Nortons Hiab Services Ltd Norton Street, Off Hulme Hall LaneMiles Platting, ManchesterM40 8HD Minutes from the M60, M62 and M6, and from Manchester city centre. By phone 0161 205 8363 0161 277 8490 Two lines into the traffic office. Company No. 06140715. Opening hours - Monday to Friday 06:00 – 18:00 - Saturday 07:00 – 12:30 - Sunday Closed We always do our best to answer enquiries that come in outside office hours. Email is the best route in the evening, and you will normally have an answer first thing. Send us a message ### Tell us what you need lifting or moving Leave this field empty Your name * Company Email * Phone * What is it about? Hiab hire enquiry Quote request Container or cabin transport Plant and machinery transport Abnormal or wide load Backloads and return loads Accounts Careers Something else Your message * I am happy for Nortons Hiab Services to use these details to reply to my enquiry. * Send Message (photograph: Nortons Volvo hiab lifting a site cabin clear of the ground at the Manchester yard) #### Prefer not to fill in a form? Email info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk directly, or ring 0161 205 8363 . Both reach the same people. Useful pages - Full quote form - The fleet and what each vehicle does - Lifting capacity and reach - Everything we lift and carry - Where we deliver, and backloads What happens next ### You will hear back from a person Enquiries go to our office in Manchester, not to a call centre or a shared inbox on the other side of the country. Reply to the email we send and it lands with the person handling your job. - Email replies usually the same working day - We will tell you if it is not a hiab job — and what it needs instead - Nothing is charged until you have a figure and you have agreed it (photograph: Two Nortons hiab lorries working together on a container lift) --- # Request a Hiab Hire Quote | Nortons Hiab Services URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/quote (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry standing ready for hire with the crane folded) No obligation · Mainland UK Tell us what the load is and where it has to go. Quote request ### Ask us for a price Only the starred fields are needed. Anything you do not know yet, leave blank. Leave this field empty About you Your name * Company (if applicable) Email * Phone * The journey Collecting from Delivering to Date required The load What needs lifting or moving? Weight (if known) Size — length, width, height (if known) Anything else Attach files, if you want to (optional) Up to 5 files — JPG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC or PDF, 10MB in total. Hold Ctrl (or Cmd on a Mac) to pick more than one. Entirely optional. Comments I am happy for Nortons Hiab Services to use these details to quote for this job. * Send Quote Request #### What we do with it We work out which vehicle suits the weight and the reach, check the route for anything that needs notifying, and come back with a figure. No obligation, and nothing is charged until you have agreed it. (photograph: Nortons Volvo hiab down on its outriggers lifting a site cabin off the trailer) What moves the price - The vehicle class the job needs - Distance, and whether a return load fits - Time on site, including waiting - Out of hours or weekend working - Clean air zone charges on the route - Escorts, permits or notifications for abnormal loads Rather just email? info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk 0161 205 8363 Before you send it ### Four things to assist us None of it is compulsory. Ask for the quote with whatever you have and we will work the rest out with you. #### Weight A rough figure is fine, and a guess is better than nothing. It decides the vehicle more than anything else does. #### Reach How far from where the lorry can stand to where the load has to land. #### Ground What the outriggers will be standing on, and whether anything is underneath it. #### Overhead Cables, trees, canopies and anything else in the crane’s arc. How reach and weight work together --- # Hiab Hire | Crane-Truck & Hiab Lorry Hire UK-Wide | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire (photograph: Nortons hiab crane-truck lifting a steel vessel onto a flatbed trailer) Operated hire · Mainland UK Crane-trucks that carry the load and lift it off themselves. One vehicle, one trained driver / operator, collected and placed where it needs to go. Get a Quote Email Us Operated Driver / operator included FORS Bronze accredited 2007 Trading since 360° Over-cab lifting What it is ### Hiab hire is a lorry with its own crane, and the person to work it Hiab hire means hiring a lorry with a hydraulic crane mounted on it, together with a trained driver / operator. The vehicle carries the load and lifts it off itself, so one truck and one person do the work of a lorry plus a separate crane and crane crew. “Hiab” is a manufacturer’s name that became the everyday word for a lorry loader. Truck-mounted crane, lorry loader, crane-truck and hiab all describe the same machine. Nortons has been hiring hiabs out of Manchester since 2007, from one vehicle then to a mixed fleet of rigids, artics and wagon-and-drag units now. Every unit goes out operated. We do not do self-drive, which means the competence, the lift plan and the insurance sit with us rather than with you. - One of our own driver / operators on every vehicle, most ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified - FORS Bronze accredited fleet - Cranes worked by remote control, so the driver / operator stands where they can see the load - Risk assessments, method statements and lift plans (photograph: Nortons driver / operator slinging a site cabin ready to lift with a hiab crane) What we hire hiabs for ### The jobs that come in every week Anything that has to be lifted on, carried and lifted off again. If it fits on a bed and the crane can reach it, it is a hiab job. (photograph: Nortons hiab working in a Manchester city centre street with traffic management) #### City centre and restricted access Narrow streets, parked cars, overhead lines and a permit window. We work the tight jobs other hauliers turn down, with a banksman and an exclusion zone. (photograph: Nortons hiab crane lifting a load over a brick wall into a rear yard) #### Lifting over walls and boundaries Yards, courtyards and gardens reached in over the boundary rather than through the property. Reach decides what is possible, so tell us the distance. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry loaded with timber packs for a construction site delivery) #### Construction material deliveries Timber packs, brick and block, drainage, steel and roofing lifted straight off the bed and placed where the trade needs it, not dropped at the gate. (photograph: Nortons articulated lorry carrying two shipping containers on the motorway) #### Containers and site boxes Shipping containers, tool stores and secure boxes collected, carried and set down level on a prepared base. No forklift needed on site. (photograph: Two Nortons hiabs rigged either side of a long steel section for a dual lift) #### Dual lifts with two vehicles Long or awkward loads carried between two cranes working together, planned and supervised as a single lifting operation. (photograph: Nortons articulated flatbed carrying brick packs on the M6 motorway) #### Nationwide deliveries and collections Manchester to anywhere on the UK mainland, daily. Return loads keep the price down when the timing suits. Choosing the vehicle ### Start with the load, not the truck Two numbers decide it: how heavy the load is, and how far the crane has to reach to put it down. Everything else follows. Which Nortons hiab suits which type of load | If you are moving | Typical vehicle | Why | | A single pallet, a pod or a small machine | Rigid hiab | Smallest footprint, easiest access, quickest on and off site | | Site cabins and welfare units | Rigid or wagon & drag | Bed length matters more than crane size; drag units carry two | | A 20ft or 40ft container | Artic hiab | Bed length and payload; the crane places it rather than tipping it | | Steel beams, columns and long sections | Artic or extendable trailer | Overhang is the limiting factor, not weight | | Plant and tracked machines | Low loader or artic flat | Deck height and ramp access; the crane handles attachments | | A load that has to be set down a long way from the lorry | 858 rigid, 19.6m reach | Reach is the constraint. Capacity falls as the boom extends | | Several drops on one run | Wagon & drag | Up to 14 tonnes of payload with the crane still available at every stop | See the lifting capacity figures How it runs ### From enquiry to load on the ground #### You send the details The load and both postcodes. Email is the quickest way to reach us. #### We price and pick the vehicle We match the weight and the reach to a vehicle in the fleet and come back with a figure and a date. #### Paperwork if it is needed Risk assessment, method statement and lift plan for site work. Notifications and escorts for abnormal loads. #### The lift Driver / operator sets up, establishes the exclusion zone, lifts and places. You sign it off and we are away. What we need from you on the day. Somewhere firm and level for the outriggers, an area kept clear under the lift, and someone with the authority to say where the load goes. If the ground is soft or the surface is over a basement or a drain, tell us beforehand — we carry spreader mats but we need to know. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry set up in a Manchester city centre street for a rooftop lift) Where we work ### Manchester based. Mainland UK covered. The yard is in Miles Platting, five minutes from the M60, so Greater Manchester and the North West are day-in day-out work. Beyond that we run nationwide — England, Scotland and Wales — most days of the week. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required, and where a route needs it we work with the relevant police authorities and provide our own escort vehicles. Manchester Liverpool Leeds Birmingham Sheffield Newcastle Hull London Glasgow Edinburgh Cardiff Where we deliver Common questions ### Hiab hire, answered #### What does hiab hire include? A vehicle, a trained driver / operator and the standard lifting gear for the job — slings, chains and shackles. The driver / operator plans the lift, carries the load and sets it down. We do not offer self-drive, so you never need a licensed driver / operator of your own on site. #### How far in advance should I book? There is no minimum notice. Some jobs are booked weeks ahead and some are booked the same morning, and both are normal — ask us whenever you know about it and we will tell you what is free. Same-day and next-day work is often possible, particularly around Manchester and the North West. The only work that genuinely needs time is anything that has to have a lift plan, a road closure or an abnormal-load notification. #### Do I need to be on site? Someone needs to be there who can confirm where the load goes and who has authority over the drop area. On construction sites that is usually the site manager. On domestic jobs it is normally the homeowner. #### What do you need from me to quote? The load — what it is, roughly how heavy and how big. The collection and delivery postcodes. And what the access is like at each end. That is nearly always enough for us to price it and pick a vehicle. #### How far from the lorry can the load be placed? The 858 reaches 19.6 metres, so the load can be placed a long way from where the lorry has to stand. Reach and weight trade against each other, so the further out the crane works, the less it can lift. Tell us the weight and the distance and we will tell you whether it is a hiab job. #### Is hiab hire cheaper than hiring a crane and a lorry separately? For most loads that one vehicle can carry, yes — you are paying for one vehicle and one driver / operator rather than a lorry, a mobile crane and a crane crew. Once a load is beyond what a lorry loader can lift, a mobile crane is the right answer and we will say so. #### Do you do hiab rental as well as hiab hire? Yes, and they are the same thing. Hiab rental, hiab truck hire and lorry crane hire all describe one arrangement here: the vehicle comes with one of our own driver / operators for as long as the job takes, by the job, the half day or the day. Hiab truck rental means the same again. The only thing we do not do is self-drive, so there is no version where the lorry turns up without a person to work the crane. If you want the truck and the operator together anywhere in mainland Britain, that is what we have done since 2007: hiab hire UK wide from one Manchester yard, with no subcontractor between you and the vehicle. #### Is there a hiab hire company near me? If you are anywhere in mainland Britain, yes. We are based at our own yard in Miles Platting, Manchester, and run nationwide every day. Around Manchester and the North West a hiab near you usually means same day or next morning. Further out it is normally next day, and a long run often prices better than people expect because it can pair with a return load. The honest answer to "hiab hire near me" is that a hiab is a lorry, and lorries travel. #### What if I do not know what size hiab I need? That is completely normal and it is our job, not yours. Tell us what the thing is, roughly how heavy you think it might be, and what is between the road and where it needs to end up. If all you can say is that it is a shipping container going into a back garden, that is enough for us to start. Nobody is expected to read a load chart before picking up the phone. Truck-mounted crane hire  ·  See the fleet ### Tell us what needs lifting or transporting Send us a line about the job and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Truck-Mounted Crane Hire | Hiab Crane Hire UK | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/truck-mounted-crane-hire (photograph: A line of Nortons truck-mounted crane lorries with booms folded) Operated · Mainland UK Hiab crane hire and lorry-mounted crane hire with the driver / operator included, anywhere in mainland Britain. Tell us what needs lifting and roughly where it has to end up, and we will work out which crane it takes. Get a Quote Email Us One machine, a dozen names ### Truck-mounted crane hire, hiab and lorry loader all mean the same vehicle A truck-mounted crane is a hydraulic arm mounted on a lorry chassis, so the vehicle both carries the load and lifts it. Hiab crane hire, lorry-mounted crane hire and lorry loader hire all describe that same vehicle. So do crane truck hire and truck crane hire. None of them is a different service, a different fleet or a different price list — so if you have been quoted for one and asked about another, you are comparing like with like. Truck-mounted craneThe plain description. Common in tender documents and specifications. Lorry-mounted craneThe same machine again. A lorry mounted crane and a truck mounted crane are one and the same; which word people use tends to follow whether they say lorry or truck. Crane truck, crane lorry, hiab lorry craneEveryday spoken forms. All of them mean a lorry carrying its own lifting gear. Lorry loaderThe industry term. ALLMI, the trade association, uses it — its full name is the Association of Lorry Loader Manufacturers and Importers. Loader craneThe manufacturers’ term, used in the standards and in the operator training. HiabA manufacturer’s brand that became the everyday word for the machine, in the way people say hoover for a vacuum cleaner. (photograph: Nortons truck-mounted crane with the boom extended and hook lowered) What they lift ### Crane work, week in week out (photograph: Nortons truck-mounted crane lifting a large steel pressure vessel) #### Tanks and pressure vessels Cylindrical loads with awkward centres of gravity, lifted on frames and chains and set down on prepared bearers. (photograph: Nortons truck-mounted crane lifting a cable drum from a flatbed) #### Drums, coils and reels Cable drums, steel coil and reels handled with the right lifting gear rather than slung and hoped for. (photograph: Nortons crane lorry lifting a brewing tank in a city street) #### Plant into finished buildings Brewing tanks, chillers and process plant lifted in through openings and over frontages on live premises. (photograph: Nortons truck-mounted crane lifting a portable cabin on a spreader beam) #### Cabins on a spreader beam Modular units lifted level on a spreader beam so the frame is not pulled out of square. (photograph: Nortons trailer loaded with tower crane jib sections) #### Crane and plant components Tower crane jib sections, counterweights and machine parts delivered to site and handed straight to the erection team. (photograph: Nortons crane lorry delivering structural steel to a building site) #### Steel and frame deliveries Portal frames, roof purlins and structural sections placed along the building line for the steel erectors. Choosing one ### You do not need to know which vehicle you need People ring us apologising for not knowing what something weighs. Nobody should have to. Working that out is the job. #### What we actually ask you Two things, neither of them technical. What is the thing? A shipping container, a garden room, a steel beam, a machine, a tank — a plain description is fine. Where is it going? Roughly where it starts and roughly where it ends up. That is genuinely enough for us to come back with a vehicle and a price. Anything else we need, we will ask you for once you have been in touch. Working out the weight, the reach and the access is our job, not something you should have to do before you can get a quote. #### What decides it, when we work it out Rarely the weight on its own. Far more often it is how far out the load has to be placed, because lifting capacity falls steeply the further the boom extends. A load that is easy at four metres from the vehicle can be impossible at fourteen. Which is why the question we come back with is usually about where the lorry can stand rather than about what the item weighs. After that it is access: the width of the entrance, the turning room, what the ground will take under the stabiliser legs, and whether anything overhead is in the arc of the boom. Those four decide most jobs. #### When a lorry loader is the right answer When the load has to be both carried and placed. That is the whole advantage: one vehicle, one driver / operator, one visit. A flatbed can bring your load but cannot put it anywhere, so you need lifting equipment waiting at the other end. A mobile crane can place it beautifully but carries nothing, so you are booking two things and paying for both. #### When it is not We will tell you when the answer is a mobile crane. If the weight at the radius you need is beyond what any of our vehicles will hold, or the lift has to go up rather than out, that is a different machine and pretending otherwise helps nobody. We would rather lose the job at the enquiry than turn up and not be able to do it. #### What a booking includes The vehicle, one of our own driver / operators, and the standard lifting gear for the work — slings, chains and shackles. Rates are by the job, the half day or the full day, whichever suits the work. You never have to supply a qualified driver / operator of your own, and the competence and the insurance stay on our side. The cranes ### What is actually on the vehicles These are the manufacturer’s own figures, from the data sheets we hold for every one of them. Note that the model number is not the tonne-metre rating — the 858 is a 66.1 tonne-metre crane. Nortons truck-mounted crane specifications, from the manufacturer data sheets | Crane | Lifting moment | With ADC | Max lift | Hydraulic outreach | Lifting height | | HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 | 66.1 tm | 71.5 tm | 18,000 kg | 19.6 m | 22.1 m | | HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro | — | — | 18,000 kg | 19.4 m | — | | HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro | 51.2 tm | 55.5 tm | 10,900 kg | 17 m | 19.5 m | | HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro | 50 tm | 54 tm | 22,000 kg | 15.8 m | 18.5 m | | HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 | — | 49.7 tm | 10,800 kg | 14.5 m | — | | HIAB 422 EP-5 HiDuo | 34.3 tm | 37.2 tm | 12,000 kg | 15.4 m | 18.1 m | | HIAB 700 XS | 66 tm | — | 17,900 kg | 14.8 – 22.8 m | — | | HIAB 600 | 51 – 57 tm | — | 15,900 kg | 14.8 – 22.8 m | — | Max lift is the load at its shortest working radius; it falls steeply as the boom extends. ADC is Automatic Duty Control, which allows the extra capacity a properly deployed set-up genuinely provides. Every figure is read from the manufacturer data sheet for that crane. Tell us the weight and the radius and we will confirm what the vehicle coming to you will hold. How capacity changes with reach Common questions ### Truck-mounted crane hire, answered #### What is a truck-mounted crane? A hydraulic loader arm bolted to a lorry chassis, usually behind the cab. It loads the lorry it sits on, so the same vehicle carries the load to site and lifts it into place. The trade names for it are lorry loader, loader crane, crane-truck and hiab — they all mean the same machine. #### How is it different from a mobile crane? A mobile crane is a dedicated lifting machine. It lifts far more and far higher, but it carries nothing, so you also need a lorry to bring the load. A truck-mounted one carries and lifts, which makes it faster and cheaper for anything inside its capacity, and the only sensible option where there is no room to rig the bigger machine. #### What does tonne-metres mean? It is the lifting moment — weight multiplied by distance from the column — and it is the fairest way to compare two cranes, because a headline maximum lift on its own tells you nothing about reach. One warning: the tonne-metre figure is not the model number. Our 858 is a 66.1 tonne-metre crane, 71.5 with ADC. Work from the load chart, never from the name on the boom. #### Can it lift over the cab? Our newer units can. The 858 and the 658 have front-mounted stabiliser legs, which gives full 360 degree lifting without losing capacity over the front of the vehicle. On older configurations the working area in front of the cab is restricted. #### Do you supply a crane without a driver? No. Every one of them goes out with one of our own driver / operators, most of whom are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified. That keeps the competence, the lift plan and the insurance with us. #### Who is responsible for planning the lift? We are, unless you tell us otherwise. We can supply generic risk assessments and method statements, or job-specific RAMS written around your site, together with a lift plan and an appointed person where the lift requires one. Our health and safety officer is NEBOSH qualified and we take on contract lifts. Tell us at the enquiry if your principal contractor needs the paperwork before the vehicle arrives. We do not hire plant out: we transport it, with our own driver / operator on the vehicle. #### Is hiab crane hire the same as truck-mounted crane hire? Yes, exactly the same. Hiab crane hire, crane truck hire and lorry loader hire all mean one vehicle. It is a lorry with a hydraulic arm on it, hired with our driver / operator. Hiab is a manufacturer's name that became the everyday word, the way people say hoover. If you have quotes using different words, you are comparing the same machine. #### What is the difference between a lorry mounted crane and a truck mounted crane? Nothing at all. It is the same machine under two names, and which one you hear depends on whether the person says lorry or truck. Both describe a hydraulic crane bolted to a lorry chassis so the vehicle carries the load and lifts it into place. #### Can I hire a crane truck without knowing the weight? Yes. Tell us what the item is and where it has to go and we will work the rest out. People ring us about things they have never had to weigh in their lives, and it is our job to look at a photograph or a description and say which vehicle it takes. Hiab hire  ·  See the fleet ### Tell us what needs lifting A plain description of the load and where it has to go is enough to get a price. If we need anything else we will ask. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab and Driver Hire | Crane and Driver / Operator | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-and-driver-hire (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry and driver / operator working at a stadium site) ALLMI · CPCS · Rail Track PTS The lorry, the crane and the person who knows how to use it, as one booking. From a single lift to a vehicle and driver / operator on your site for months. Get a Quote Email Us Where they work ### A day in the life of a hiab and driver / operator (photograph: Nortons driver / operator loading a hiab lorry in the yard) #### Loading before anyone else is up Most jobs start in the yard. The driver / operator loads, secures and checks the vehicle themselves, because they are the one who will unload it. (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag carrying a large panel on the motorway) #### The run itself A hiab and driver booking includes the miles. Wagon and drag units give a second bed on the same journey, so a two-load job stays a one-vehicle job. (photograph: Nortons hiab placing a site cabin onto its position) #### Placing, not just delivering A cabin, a unit or a machine set exactly where it has to go, levelled and released, rather than left at the gate for somebody else to move. (photograph: Two Nortons driver / operators working a dual lift with lifting frames) #### Two vehicles, one plan On a dual lift both driver / operators work to one lift plan under one appointed person, and the load is controlled from both ends. (photograph: Nortons hiab loaded with industrial equipment for a move) #### Whatever is on the list Plant, equipment, materials, one-offs. A half day or a day buys the vehicle and the driver / operator, not a fixed number of items, so they work through what is there. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a site container with the boom extended) #### Craning off, not tipping off Site boxes and containers lifted off the deck and set down where they are wanted, with the crane worked on the remote from where the load is visible. The short answer ### There is no self-drive option, and that is deliberate Every Nortons vehicle goes out with a Nortons driver / operator. A loader crane is not equipment you collect — it is a lifting operation, and the driver / operator is the person carrying it. On a typical delivery our driver / operator is the only person from Nortons on your site. They position the vehicle, judge the ground, set and pad the outriggers, rig the load, work the crane by remote control from where they can actually see it, and stop the job if something has changed since the plan was written. That is why the person matters more than the truck. Most of our driver / operators hold ALLMI lorry loader certification and CPCS cards, and several hold Rail Track PTS. We have our own appointed persons, so a lift plan is arranged as part of the job. Accreditations and competence Our own Fleet, not hired in FORS Bronze accredited ALLMI Trained lorry loader driver / operators 2007 Established What comes with the driver / operator ### Our fleet, and nearly all of it has a crane on the back The 32-tonne and 44-tonne wagons are Euro VI, so a hiab and driver booking is compliant in every UK clean air zone without a conversation about it. Most of our artics, rigid lorries and wagon and drag trucks carry a loader crane. The exceptions are a tractor unit and a 7.5 tonne flatbed, for the work that does not need one. The fleet changes as we buy and sell, so tell us the job and we will tell you what is coming. The full fleet, vehicle by vehicle How it gets booked ### Three ways people hire a hiab and driver Job rate, half day or full day. You are never asked to buy a day you do not need. #### One lift, one visit, one job price A delivery with a lift at the end of it, or a collection with a lift at the start. The most common booking we take, and it is quoted as a job price from two postcodes and the weight — not as a share of a day. #### Half a day or a day on site The vehicle and driver / operator stay with you and work through a list — unloading deliveries, repositioning units, shifting materials round a site. Half-day and day rates both exist, so a morning’s work is charged as a morning. #### Ongoing contract A vehicle and driver / operator allocated to your work on a regular pattern, usually with the same small group of drivers so they learn your sites and your product. Contract and dedicated vehicle work (photograph: Nortons hiab loaded with a large curved steel arch section) What to have ready ### Four things that make the day work Almost every delay on a hiab and driver booking comes from the same short list, and all four are settled before the lorry leaves the yard if you tell us. - Where the lorry can stand — and whether the outriggers can go down there - What the ground is — hardstanding, compacted stone, soft verge, made ground - What is overhead — cables, canopies, trees - Who is meeting us — and whether the site will actually be ready at that time Waiting time is the single most avoidable cost on a hiab booking. Everything else on this list is a safety question first and a cost question second. What actually moves the price Common questions ### Hiab and driver hire, answered #### Can I hire a hiab without a driver? No, and you should be wary of anyone who says yes. A loader crane is not plant you sign for at the gate: the driver / operator reads the ground, sets the stabilisers, works to the lift plan and stops the job if it changes. Our insurance and our ALLMI obligations both sit with that person, so every vehicle goes out with one of our own driver / operators. #### What does the driver actually do on site? Everything between the load being on the lorry and the load being where you want it. They position the vehicle, assess the ground, set and pad the outriggers, rig the load, work the crane and sign the paperwork. On most jobs the driver / operator is the only Nortons person there, so they carry the whole job. #### What qualifications do your driver / operators hold? Most of our driver / operators hold ALLMI lorry loader certification and CPCS cards, and several additionally hold Rail Track PTS for work inside the railway boundary. We are LINK Up members. Cranes are worked by remote control, which keeps the driver / operator out from under the load and lets them stand where they can actually see it. #### Do I need to provide a banksman or a slinger? Not usually. Our driver / operators are trained to sling and signal, and for a straightforward delivery the driver / operator handles it alone. Where a lift genuinely needs a second pair of hands or a separate banksman, we say so at quote stage and send one — it is not something we discover on the day. #### Can I hire the same driver each time? On contract and repeat work, yes, and it is usually worth asking for. A driver / operator who already knows your site, your access and your product is faster and safer than one starting cold. Contract haulage customers are generally worked by the same small group of driver / operators. #### How long can I have the lorry and driver for? For one job, for half a day, for a full day, or on contract work weeks or months at a time. You are not obliged to take a day you do not need — a single lift is priced as a job. Drivers hours regulations apply to any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes, so a long day has a legal ceiling; we will tell you where it falls rather than let it be discovered at four in the afternoon. #### Can I hire a hiab lorry and driver together? That is the only way we supply one. The flatbed turns up with the crane already on it and one of our own people driving, most of them ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified. Hiab lorry and driver hire, hiab hire with driver and hiab and operator hire are three ways of describing that one booking. You never have to find a licensed driver / operator yourself, and the competence and the insurance stay with us. #### Is hiab lorry hire with driver available near me? Anywhere in mainland Britain. The yard is in Manchester, so the North West is usually same day or next morning; the rest of England, Scotland and Wales is normally next day. The driver comes with the lorry wherever it goes. #### Can I have the same driver each time? On regular work, usually yes, and it is worth asking for. A driver who already knows your site, your gate, your ground and the person who signs for the load saves time on every visit after the first. Hiab hire  ·  Lorry loader hire Lift planning and RAMS ### One lift or one hundred Tell us what needs lifting or moving and when. We will tell you which vehicle, which driver / operator and how long it will take. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Lorry Loader Hire UK | Crane & Driver / Operator | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/lorry-loader-hire (photograph: Nortons artic lorry loader on its stabiliser legs with the crane folded behind the cab) ALLMI trained driver / operators · UK-wide The crane and the lorry are the same vehicle. One booking moves the load, lifts it into position and leaves — no separate crane, no second contractor, no waiting. Get a Quote Email Us The word itself ### Lorry loader, loader crane, hiab — one machine A lorry loader is a hydraulic arm bolted to the chassis of the lorry that carries the load. ALLMI, the trade association, calls it a lorry loader. The manufacturer HIAB gave the industry the name most customers type. Engineers say loader crane. They all mean the same vehicle. Why it matters commercially: a mobile crane has to be hired, delivered, set up and paid for separately from the haulage. A lorry loader arrives with the load already on the back. The crane is on the lorry, the driver / operator is in the cab, and the same visit does both halves of the job. Where a lorry loader stops being the right answer is height and duration. If the lift is above roughly twenty metres, or the machine has to stand on site for days rather than an hour, a mobile crane is the honest recommendation and we will say so. (photograph: Close view of a Nortons loader crane boom folded over the cab) What we load with them ### Typical lorry loader work (photograph: Tower crane mast sections loaded on a Nortons trailer) #### Crane sections and masts Tower crane mast sections and jib runs loaded flat and delivered to the erection site in the order the crew needs them. (photograph: Large steel tank loaded on a Nortons lorry loader) #### Tanks and vessels Cylindrical loads sit badly and roll easily, so they travel chocked and strapped on the deck and are lifted off on the crane. (photograph: Tower cranes over a city-centre construction site) #### City-centre construction Deliveries into live sites where a mobile crane could not be set up and the road cannot be closed for long. (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag loaded with two site containers) #### Containers and site boxes A wagon and drag carries two loads on one journey, and the crane on the front of it puts both of them exactly where they are wanted. (photograph: Nortons lorry loader placing a truck wash structure on rough ground) #### Machinery onto rough ground Structures and machines placed off the deck onto ground a mobile crane could not stand on, with the legs padded to spread the load. (photograph: Two Nortons loader cranes working together in the yard) #### Two cranes, one lift Where a load is long or unbalanced, two of our loader cranes lift it together to a single plan and a single banksman. (photograph: ALLMI swing-up stabiliser compliance label on a Nortons loader crane) Competence ### Who is operating it, and what they hold One of these is only as safe as the person setting the legs. Most of our driver / operators hold ALLMI lorry loader certification and CPCS cards, and several of them hold Rail Track PTS for work inside the railway boundary. We have our own appointed persons, and we can supply a lift plan and the RAMS that go with it, generic or written around your site. The health and safety page sets out how that works in practice. The stabiliser compliance label pictured is the sort of thing worth asking any lorry loader supplier to show you. Stabiliser legs are where a machine like this most often fails in the field. ALLMI, FORS, CPCS and the rest The cranes ### What each loader crane will actually lift Ratings from the manufacturer data sheets, not from the model number. The 858 is a 66.1 tonne metre crane, not an 85 — the number in the name is a model, not a capacity. Nortons loader cranes by lifting moment and outreach | Loader crane | Lifting moment | With ADC | Hydraulic outreach | Max lift | | HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 | 66.1 tm | 71.5 tm | 19.6 m | 18,000 kg at 3.8 m | | HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro | — | — | 19.4 m | 18,000 kg at 3.8 m | | HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro | 51.2 tm | 55.5 tm | 17 m | 10,900 kg at 5.1 m | | HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro | 50 tm | 54 tm | 15.8 m | 22,000 kg at 2 m | | HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 | — | 49.7 tm | 14.5 m | 10,800 kg at 4.6 m | Max lift is the load at the crane’s shortest working radius, and it falls as the boom extends. Every capacity-at-radius table is on the lifting capacity page . Before you enquire ### What to send us, and what you can safely leave out Short version: describe the job in a sentence and let us do the arithmetic. #### Useful What the item is, in ordinary words. Where it is now and where it has to end up — two postcodes will do. And what stands between the road and the landing point at the far end: a wall, a hedge, a gate, a run of parked cars, a garden that has never had anything heavier than a wheelbarrow on it. A photograph taken from where a vehicle would have to stop is worth more than any measurement you could send us. It shows the access, the surface, what is overhead and how far out the reach has to be, all in one go. #### Not needed An exact weight. A measured distance. Any of the figures on the specification tables further up this page. Those are there for people who want them — quantity surveyors, site managers, anyone writing a method statement — and they are genuinely useful to that reader. They are not a form you have to fill in before you are allowed to ask us a question. If a rough guess is all you have, give us the guess and say it is one. We will tell you quickly if the difference matters, and most of the time it does not. Common questions ### Lorry loader hire, answered #### What is a lorry loader? A lorry loader is a hydraulic arm mounted on the chassis of the lorry that carries the load. ALLMI, the trade association for the sector, uses "lorry loader"; the manufacturer HIAB gave the industry the word most customers use. They are the same machine. Because the crane travels with the load, one vehicle and one driver / operator do the delivery and the lift, with no separate crane to hire and nobody waiting on site. #### How big are your loader cranes? Most of our lorries carry a loader crane. Maximum reach runs from 14 metres on the 558 rigid to 19.6 metres on the 858 rigid, with the 658 rigid, the wagon and drag and the artic all at 16 metres. What each one lifts and carries is on the lifting capacity page, because the figure that decides a job is the weight at the distance you actually need. #### Are your driver / operators ALLMI trained? Most of them are. Our driver / operators hold ALLMI lorry loader certification and CPCS cards, and several of them additionally hold Rail Track PTS. We have our own appointed persons, and we can supply lift plans and RAMS, generic or written around your site. #### Can I hire the lorry loader without a driver? No. Every vehicle goes out with our own driver / operator. A loader crane is not plant you sign for at the gate — the driver / operator is the person who reads the ground, sets the legs and works to the lift plan, and our insurance and our ALLMI obligations both sit with them. #### What is the swing-up stabiliser sticker on your cranes? It records that the stabiliser system has been checked and found compliant. Stabiliser legs are the part of a loader crane that most often goes wrong in the field, so the check is worth asking any supplier about — and worth their being able to show you. #### Do you hire lorry loaders outside the North West? Yes. Manchester is the depot; the work is UK-wide across mainland Great Britain - England, Scotland and Wales. Lorry loader hire, loader crane hire and lorry mounted crane hire all mean the same vehicle, and it goes wherever the job is. Truck-mounted crane hire  ·  Hiab and driver hire What it costs ### Tell us what needs lifting A line about the load and where it has to go is enough. We will pick the crane and come back with a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Long Reach Hiab Hire | Operated, UK-Wide | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/long-reach-hiab (photograph: Nortons hiab with the boom extended out over a city-centre pavement) Operated · Mainland UK Across a site, over a fence line, into a yard the lorry cannot enter. The reach is only half the answer — here is what the crane will lift once it gets there. Get a Quote Email Us Reach and weight ### Reach and capacity trade against each other Every loader crane lifts less the further out it goes. A supplier who answers "how far can it reach?" without asking "how heavy is it?" has not yet quoted your job. Our furthest-reaching crane offers a maximum reach of 19.6 m. Close in it lifts over 8 tonnes. Right out at full reach it lifts a fraction of that. Same crane, same day, same driver / operator — the difference is caused entirely by distance. All five load charts (photograph: Nortons hiab standing on its stabiliser legs with the boom raised and the main hook out over the yard) On the job ### What long reach looks like in practice Five frames from one job — paving slabs off a city-centre rooftop, where nothing could be craned conventionally: the load had to come down from a roof, over a live footway, onto a lorry parked in a bus lane. The sixth is a different site, worked from outside the barrier line. (photograph: Nortons hiab parked alongside a city-centre building for a rooftop lift) #### The standing position The only place the lorry could stand was the carriageway alongside the building. Everything else about the lift followed from that one constraint. (photograph: Paving slabs lifted from a rooftop by a Nortons hiab) #### Off the roof Slabs lifted from roof level in graded loads rather than one heavy pick, because capacity at that radius set the limit, not the total tonnage. (photograph: Nortons hiab with outrigger legs set down on a city footway) #### Legs down on the footway At long radius most of the machine goes through the leg on that side, and that leg was standing on a public footway. Pads sized for the ground rather than for what was in the locker. (photograph: Load being lowered onto a Nortons hiab lorry in a city street) #### Down to the deck Loads brought down under control and landed on the lorry that would take them away. No second crane, no transfer, no second visit. (photograph: Street-level view of a Nortons hiab working against a city building) #### What it looks like from the street The reason long reach exists: from pavement level the whole operation is one lorry, four legs and a boom that goes where a crane could not be built. (photograph: Nortons hiab reaching in over a barrier line to place a large unit) #### In over the barrier line A different site, the same problem. The wagon could get no closer than the barrier line, so the reach did the walking and nothing had to be moved to let it in. The real constraint ### It is rarely the crane. It is where the lorry can stand. On almost every long reach enquiry, the limiting factor turns out to be the standing position rather than the boom. A crane that reaches nineteen metres is no use if the only place the lorry can stop is twenty-five metres from the drop. The second constraint is the ground under the outriggers. At long radius, most of the machine's weight goes through one leg, so what the surface will take matters as much as what the boom will do. Both are answerable before anyone travels. Tell us where the lorry would have to stop, how far it is from there to the drop point, and what the ground is made of, and we will tell you whether it works. Outrigger pad sizes by ground type (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a large plant unit off the flatbed alongside a hospital building) (photograph: Two Nortons hiabs lifting a long panel together on lifting frames) When one crane is not the answer ### Two cranes, one lift plan Long panels, frames and glazing units are often not heavy, but they are unbalanced — and holding a six-metre panel level on one hook at long radius is how they get damaged. A dual lift puts a crane on each end. It runs to one lift plan, with one appointed person and one banksman controlling both machines, and it usually places the load faster than a single crane working at the edge of its chart. It is also the answer when the drop point can be approached from two sides but neither side alone gives enough radius. How lifts are planned (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry set up in a narrow residential street with a stabiliser leg down on a spreader pad against a brick wall) Where it stands ### Reach starts with where the lorry can park On a long reach job the standing position decides everything else. A street like this one gives you one place to put the vehicle, one width to put the legs out into, and one surface to put them down on. Everything after that is arithmetic. From that standing position, how far out is the landing point, and what does the load weigh at that radius? Capacity falls steeply the further the boom goes, so a job that is straightforward at six metres can be impossible at fifteen. You do not need to work any of that out. Tell us roughly where the lorry could stop and roughly where the thing has to end up, and a photograph from the road answers most of the rest. The numbers ### Reach, height and what it lifts out there Hydraulic outreach is boom only. Lifting height is measured from the ground. Both come off the manufacturer data sheets. Nortons loader cranes by outreach, lifting height and capacity at maximum radius | Crane | Hydraulic outreach | Lifting height | Capacity at max radius | | HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 | 19.6 m | 22.1 m | 2,900 kg at 19.4 m | | HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro | 19.4 m | — | 2,900 kg at 19.4 m | | HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro | 17 m | 19.5 m | 2,820 kg at 16.9 m | | HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro | 15.8 m | 18.5 m | 2,960 kg at 15.8 m | | HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 | 14.5 m | — | 3,150 kg at 14.5 m | Common questions ### Long reach hiab hire, answered #### How far can a long reach hiab actually reach? Our furthest-reaching crane, the 858 rigid, offers a maximum reach of 19.6 metres. What matters more than the headline is what it will lift out there, because reach and capacity trade against each other on every loader crane ever built. The 858 lifts over 8 tonnes and carries up to 5.5 tonnes, so the honest question is always "how much, how far?" rather than "how far?". #### How far from the lorry can you place a load? As far out as the chart allows for that weight, and that is the honest limit rather than the headline reach. In practice the limiting factor is not the crane at all, it is where the lorry can stand and get its stabiliser legs down. Tell us the standing position and the distance to the drop point and we can answer before anyone travels. #### What do you need from me to check a long reach job? The weight of the load, the distance from where the lorry can stand to where the load has to land, and what is in between — a fence line, a boundary wall, parked cars, overhead cables. Describe those in words and we can usually settle it there and then; where it is borderline we come and look before anyone commits. #### Is a long reach hiab cheaper than a mobile crane? For a delivery, usually, because the crane arrives with the load already on it and there is nothing separate to hire. Where a mobile crane wins is height above roughly twenty metres, very heavy loads at long radius, or a lift that has to stand on site for days. We will tell you which one your job is. #### Can two hiabs lift one item together? Yes, and for long panels or frames a dual lift is often better than one crane at maximum radius. It runs to a single lift plan with one appointed person and one banksman controlling both machines. #### Do you need extra ground protection at long radius? The further the load goes out, the more load goes through the outrigger on that side, so what the ground will take matters as much as what the boom will do. The minimum spreader pad sizes by ground type are published on the lifting capacity page. On mud, peat or marsh there is no permissible load at all — the pads do not fix that, and no reputable driver / operator will pretend otherwise. #### Is long reach hiab hire available near me? Anywhere in mainland Britain. The long reach vehicles live at the Manchester yard with the rest of the fleet, so the North West is usually same day or next morning and the rest of the country next day. Reach is the reason people ring rather than the distance, so tell us what is in the way and we will tell you whether it works. #### Do I need to measure the distance before I ring? No. A rough idea helps but a description works just as well - where the lorry can stand, what is between it and the landing point, and whether that is a wall, a fence, a hedge or a row of parked cars. We would rather work it out from a sentence and a photograph than have you climbing about with a tape measure. The 858 — our longest reach  ·  Load charts Truck-mounted crane hire ### Tell us where it has to land A sentence about the load and where it has to end up is enough. Working out the reach is our job, not yours. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Low Loader Hire | Plant Transport Manchester | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/low-loader-hire (photograph: Telehandler chained down on the dropped deck of a Nortons low loader trailer) Operated · Mainland UK For plant that is too tall for a flatbed or will not climb a steep ramp. Loaded by ramp or lifted on by our own hiab, and chained down to the machine’s own lashing points. Get a Quote Email Us What it is for ### Height is usually the reason A low loader has a dropped deck between the neck and the axles, so the load sits lower than it would on a flatbed. That extra clearance is what keeps a tall machine inside the legal travelling height and under the bridges on the route. The second reason is the loading angle. A dropped deck gives a shallower ramp, so a long-wheelbase or low-clearance machine can drive on without grounding out on the transition. Where it is not the right answer we will say so. If the machine is short enough to travel on a flatbed and light enough for the crane, a hiab flatbed is generally quicker to load and cheaper to run. (photograph: Nortons tractor unit coupled to a low loader trailer) On the job ### What travels on the low loader (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a cement hopper onto a low loader trailer) #### Loaded by crane, not by ramp A hopper, tank or static unit has no wheels and no engine. The hiab picks it up and puts it on the deck. (photograph: Galvanised steelwork loaded on the low deck of a Nortons trailer) #### Steelwork and fabrications Galvanised steelwork squared off on the low deck before a strap goes near it. Height is bought back by the deck, not by taking the load apart. (photograph: Large steel vessel carried on the low deck of a Nortons trailer) #### Silos and process vessels A vessel does not care how it was lifted, only how it travels. Lower on the deck means a route rather than a bridge-by-bridge negotiation. (photograph: Cement hopper chained down on the deck of a Nortons low loader) #### Chained down properly Secured to the manufacturer’s lashing points, not wherever a chain happens to reach. (photograph: Cylindrical tank carried on a Nortons low trailer) #### Tanks that will not sit flat Cylindrical loads cradled and chained rather than slung and hoped for. (photograph: Nortons low loader carrying a cement hopper in transit) #### Inside the travelling height The dropped deck is what keeps a tall load legal and under the bridges on the route. Abnormal loads and escorts  ·  Plant and machinery transport What the crane lifts, at radius Common questions ### Low loader hire, answered #### When do I need a low loader rather than a flatbed? Height, mostly. A low loader has a dropped deck, so a tall machine sits lower and stays inside the legal travelling height. It also gives you a shallower loading angle, which matters for anything with low ground clearance or a long wheelbase. If the machine is short and inside the crane chart, a hiab flatbed is usually quicker and cheaper. #### How does the machine get on? Either it drives on up the ramps, or our hiab lifts it on. Being able to do both is the useful part: a machine that will not start, or has no operator on site, still gets loaded. #### What are the trailer dimensions and capacity? We give you the deck length, deck height and rated capacity for your specific load rather than a headline figure, because what decides it is whether your machine travels legally on that deck, not what the trailer could carry in theory. Tell us the make and model and we will confirm it against the machine data and the trailer plate before anything is booked. #### Do you handle the abnormal load paperwork? Yes, where it applies. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required, we carry out route studies, liaise with the police and local authorities where a movement needs it, and we run our own escort vehicles rather than waiting for someone else's. #### Do you move tracked machines? Yes. Tracked plant travels on the low loader with the tracks cleaned and the machine chained down to the manufacturer's lashing points. Tell us the make and model and we will confirm the weight and the travelling height from the machine data rather than from an estimate. ### Make and model is enough to start Tell us the machine, where it is now and where it needs to be. We will confirm the trailer and the route. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Moffett Hire Manchester | Truck-Mounted Forklift | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/moffett-hire (photograph: Nortons flatbed lorry delivering a palletised load along an unmade farm track) Operated · From Manchester The forklift travels on the trailer. It comes off at your address, unloads the wagon and goes back on — so a palletised load reaches a site with no forklift, no loading bay and nobody waiting to receive it. Get a Quote Email Us What it is ### A forklift that arrives with the load A Moffett is a forklift carried on the back of the trailer. The driver takes it off at the delivery, unloads the wagon with it, drives it back on and straps it down before moving off. Nothing has to be waiting for you at the other end. That is the whole point of it. Most delivery problems are not about the journey, they are about the last thirty yards — a site with no forklift, a yard with nobody in it, a farm track, a half-built estate road. A wagon with a Moffett on the back solves that on its own. It is not a crane and it does not pretend to be. If the load has to go up and over something, that is hiab work and we will tell you so. The head on the front is not always plain forks either. A brick grab takes packs of bricks and blocks straight off the bed and sets them down flat, a pack at a time, so a load of masonry lands where the bricklayers want it. We can also move bricks by hiab with a brick grab — the same attachment on the end of the crane — for the packs that have to go over a wall, a fence or a scaffold rather than round one. (photograph: Nortons truck-mounted forklift fitted with a brick grab, taking a pack of bricks off the bed) The work it suits ### Where a Moffett earns its keep (photograph: Nortons flatbed lorry loaded with stillages outside the Manchester depot) #### Loaded and out Palletised and packaged goods, strapped down and away. Multi-drop rounds are where the forklift on the back pays for itself. (photograph: Stillages of window frames strapped down on a Nortons flatbed) #### Building products Glazing, frames, blocks, bagged materials, timber and roofing — the deliveries that turn up at sites with nothing to unload them. (photograph: Nortons flatbed being loaded in the yard with a crane working behind it) #### No site equipment needed Nobody has to be waiting with a forklift. The driver unloads on his own and takes the machine away with him. About these photographs. They show our flatbed and stillages delivery work. The full vehicle and trailer list  ·  Published crane load charts Choosing between them ### Moffett or hiab We run both, so we have no reason to sell you the wrong one. This is the honest comparison. Comparison of a Moffett truck-mounted forklift and a hiab truck-mounted crane |   | Moffett | Hiab crane | | Reach over an obstacle | None | Yes, that is what it is for | | Puts the load | On the ground, where it can drive | Where the crane can reach | | Best for | Pallets, packaged goods, multi-drop | Single heavy or awkward items | | Rough or soft ground | Handles it | Needs firm footing for the legs | | Site equipment needed | None | None | | Costs you payload | Yes, it rides on the trailer | Yes, the crane is on the vehicle | | Placing accuracy | Rough position | Onto a prepared base, to the inch | If you are not sure, describe the last thirty yards rather than the load. Whether there is a wall, a hedge, a fence or a level change between where the wagon can stop and where the goods have to end up is the question that decides it — not the weight. There is a fuller explanation of the difference on what is a hiab . On the record ### It turns up in our own archive We publish every return load we advertise, going back to 2015, exactly as it was written at the time. One of them is this, posted on 16 August 2016 : 45ft flat with Moffett available in Peterborough first thing tomorrow morning. Not a claim on a services page. A wagon, a date and a town, written down at the time by whoever was on the traffic desk that Tuesday. You can read the rest of that year on the 2016 archive and the whole decade from the back loads hub . (photograph: Nortons Scania tractor unit in the yard ready to run) Booking one ### What we need to know - What the load is and roughly what it weighs, pallet by pallet - Where the wagon can stop, and how far the goods have to travel from there - What the ground is like between the two — tarmac, hardcore, mud, grass - Whether anything has to be lifted over rather than carried round - The addresses, if it is a multi-drop round That last question is the one that changes the answer. If something has to go over a wall or into a first-floor opening it is not a Moffett job, and we will put a hiab and driver on it instead. Talk it through Common questions ### Moffett hire, answered #### What is a Moffett? A Moffett is a forklift that travels on the back of the trailer rather than meeting it at the other end. The driver drops it off the rear of the trailer at the delivery, unloads the wagon with it, drives it back on and straps it down. It means a palletised load can be put on the ground at an address that has no forklift, no loading bay and nobody waiting. #### What is the difference between a Moffett and a hiab? Reach. A hiab is a crane on the vehicle, so it lifts up and over things — a wall, a hedge, a parked car, a first-floor opening. A Moffett has no reach at all. It picks a load up off the deck, carries it at ground level and sets it down where it can drive to. If the load has to go over an obstacle you need a hiab. If it just has to get from the kerb to round the back of the building across rough ground, the Moffett is quicker and cheaper. #### When is a Moffett the right choice? Palletised and packaged goods going to sites with no unloading equipment. Building products, blocks, bagged materials, timber, fencing, roofing, plasterboard and similar. It is at its best on multi-drop work where the driver has to unload alone at several addresses in a day, and on soft or unmade ground where a pallet truck would sink. #### When is it the wrong choice? Anything that has to be lifted over something, placed on a base or set down accurately, and anything that is one heavy indivisible item rather than a set of pallets. That is crane work. It is also wrong where the delivery point cannot be driven to at all — the Moffett needs a route from the trailer to the drop, even a rough one. #### How much can it lift and how far do the forks reach? We confirm the rated capacity, fork length and mast height for your delivery rather than publishing a headline figure, because what decides it is the pallet weight and the ground between the wagon and the drop, not the number on a brochure. Tell us both and we will give you a straight answer before anything is booked. #### Does the Moffett take up part of the payload? Yes, and it is worth knowing before you book. The forklift rides on the trailer, so it costs you both weight and a little deck length. On a full 45 foot artic load that is rarely the deciding factor, but on a heavy load close to the plated weight it can be. Tell us the total tonnage and we will say whether it still fits. #### Do you supply the driver / operator? Yes. Every Moffett movement is operated. The same driver runs the vehicle and the forklift, and is qualified for both. You do not need to supply anyone at your end. #### Do you cover the whole country? We run from Manchester and work across mainland Great Britain. Moffett work tends to be regional simply because it suits multi-drop delivery rounds, but there is nothing stopping a single long-distance run if that is what the load needs. ### Tell us about the last thirty yards What the load is and where the wagon can stop. We will tell you whether it is a Moffett job, a crane job, or neither. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Cost | What Changes the Price | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-cost (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry working at the kerbside on a city road) Job, half day or day rates · No charge for a quote No list price, because there is no list job. Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go, and we will price the job in front of us. Get a Quote Email Us Same lorry, different job ### Why two quotes can be miles apart (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a modular unit on hardstanding) #### A straightforward drop Hardstanding both ends, load within a few metres of the lorry, site ready. In and out inside the hour. This is the cheapest shape a hiab job comes in. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry loaded with rolled matting) #### A run with a return leg Where the outbound job pairs with a backload, the empty miles disappear from the calculation. It is the same lorry and a better rate. (photograph: Two Nortons hiab lorries working beneath a motorway viaduct) #### Nowhere to set up Cones out, a lighting set and two vehicles working under a viaduct with no room above the boom. Set-up is the part people forget to ask about, and it is on the clock like everything else. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry on the approach to a stadium) #### A restricted or public site Traffic management, a footway that has to stay open, timed access. None of it is difficult, but all of it is time on site, and time on site moves a price more than most people expect. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a Christmas market feature in a Manchester square) #### A city centre with a time slot A civic square, a road closure and a window to work in. The lift itself takes minutes; the arrangements around it are what the quote is mostly made of. (photograph: Nortons low loader carrying a helicopter away from a hangar at Blackpool Airport) #### A one-off with real planning Unusual loads need a written plan, the right slings and often a site visit first. The plan is the cheap part; getting it wrong is not. Straight answer ### Why there is no price on this page Every other figure on this website is one we can evidence — a capacity off a manufacturer data sheet, a vehicle off the December 2025 schedule, a threshold out of the regulations. A "from £x" rate would be the only number here that was invented. A price you can rely on depends on the load, the access and how long the vehicle is on site. Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go and a real figure comes back the same day. Anything else we need, we will ask you for. Anything published without them is a headline that changes the moment somebody looks at the job. What we can tell you is how the work is bought. We quote job rates, half day rates and day rates , and which one you are offered follows the job rather than our diary — a twenty-minute drop is a job, not a day, and we are not going to sell you one because it is tidier for us. What is worth your time beyond that is knowing what actually moves the number, because that is what lets you compare quotes properly — and spot the one that has quietly assumed a smaller crane or a shorter day. The variables ### Six things that change a hiab price Roughly in the order they matter. The first two account for most of the difference between two quotes for what looks like the same job. #### Crane size and radius The single biggest factor, and the one most often got wrong. A load that lands three metres from the lorry may suit a 558; the same load at twelve metres needs an 858. Quote the radius and you get the right vehicle first time. #### Access and set-up Whether the lorry can get its stabiliser legs down where the load has to land. A tight yard, a soft verge or a footway that has to stay open all add time, and sometimes add a second vehicle. #### Time on site A drop that takes twenty minutes and a lift that ties a vehicle up all afternoon are different jobs. Waiting for a site to be ready is the most avoidable cost on any quote we issue. #### Distance and the return leg A loaded run out and an empty run back costs more per tonne than a job that pairs with a backload. Where a return load exists we use it, and that shows up in the price. #### Abnormal load status and escorts Over 44,000 kg gross, over 2.9 m wide, or a rigid length over 18.65 m and statutory notice applies — a minimum of two working days. A police escort requested through a force generally carries a fourteen-day lead; we run our own, which is usually cheaper and always faster. #### Lift planning and RAMS Most jobs need a documented plan. We have our own appointed persons, so the plan is arranged as part of the job. The one that catches people ### Reach costs more than weight A crane's rating is its capacity close in. What decides your job is what it will lift at the radius your load actually has to travel. Take our largest crane. Close in it lifts over 8 tonnes. Right out at 19.6 metres it lifts a fraction of that. Nothing about the load changed — only how far out it had to go. This is why "how heavy is it?" is the second question we ask and "how far from where the lorry can stand?" is the first. Get the radius wrong at quote stage and the vehicle that turns up cannot do the job, which is the most expensive mistake available on a lifting quote. Every capacity-at-radius table for every crane in the fleet is published, so you can check the answer before you ask for a price. See the load charts (photograph: Nortons hiab reaching right across a public plaza to land a marquee frame, with the lorry standing well back at the far side) Before you ask anyone ### Five questions that make quotes comparable - Which crane is on the vehicle you are quoting, and what will it lift at my radius? - What is the minimum charge, and what does the rate cover after it? - What happens, and what does it cost, if the site is not ready when you arrive? - Does this movement need statutory notice, and is that in the price? - If an escort is needed, is it yours or a force escort with a fourteen-day lead? Ask all five of every supplier. Two quotes that looked hundreds apart usually turn out to be answering different questions. Common questions ### Hiab hire cost, answered #### How much does it cost to hire a hiab? There is no honest single figure, which is why you will not find one on this page. The same lorry can do a twenty-minute drop or a full day of lifts on a restricted site, and the price properly reflects that. What we can promise is that a quote arrives with the crane, the radius and the time it assumes written down, so you can compare it against anyone else on the same terms. #### Do you charge by the job, by the half day or by the day? All three, and the job decides which. We quote job rates, half day rates and day rates, so a single drop is priced as a single drop rather than as a day you did not need. Where a vehicle is genuinely with you for a session or a full day, a half day or day rate is usually the cheaper way to buy it. Across the industry the mixing up of those three is why quotes look so different, so ask every supplier what the minimum charge is, what the rate covers after that, and what happens if the site is not ready when the lorry arrives. #### Is a hiab cheaper than hiring a crane? For most deliveries, yes, because you are not paying twice. A mobile crane has to be hired, delivered and set up separately from the haulage, and someone has to be there for both. A hiab arrives with the load already on it. Where a hiab is not cheaper is a long duration lift or one above its reach, and we will say so rather than stretch a job to fit the vehicle. #### Does it cost more if you have to reach further? It changes which vehicle comes, which is what changes the price. Capacity falls sharply with radius. The 858 rigid lifts over 8 tonnes and reaches 19.6 metres, but not both at once — the manufacturer charts in our documents show exactly where each crane stops being the answer. #### What makes a quote go up after it is issued? Almost always one of three things: the site was not ready and the lorry waited; the load turned out heavier or further from the hardstanding than described; or the movement needed notice nobody had asked about. All three are avoidable at quote stage, which is why we ask about them. #### Do you charge for a quote or a site visit? Quotes are free, always. Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go and you will get a price back. If a job needs somebody to come and look at it before we can price it or plan it, that site visit is chargeable, and we will tell you what it costs before we arrange anything. #### How much does it cost to hire a hiab truck? There is no single figure, and any firm quoting one before hearing about the job is guessing. What moves the number is which crane it takes, how far out it has to reach, how good the access is and how long we are on site - all of which matter more than mileage. We price by the job, the half day or the day. Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go and you will have a real figure rather than a range. #### Why do you not publish a price list? Because a price list for hiab hire would be wrong more often than it was right, and you would find that out on the invoice. Two jobs the same distance apart can differ by a factor of three on crane size and access alone. We would rather spend two minutes reading your enquiry and give you a number we will stand behind. Hiab hire  ·  Load charts Abnormal load notice ### Ask us for a price Describe the job in a sentence and we will come back with a real figure. Quotes are free and there is nothing to work out first. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Lifting Capacity Charts | Load at Radius | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-lifting-capacity (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry loaded with a large pressure vessel, planned as a single lift) Real charts · Manufacturer data What each crane in the fleet actually holds at every metre of reach. Taken straight from the manufacturer data sheets, not rounded off into a headline. ### The short answer A hiab’s capacity falls sharply as the crane reaches out. Our 858 rigid lifts over 8 tonnes, carries up to 5.5 tonnes and offers a maximum reach of 19.6m — and it does not do all three at the same moment. So the only useful question is not “how much can it lift” but “how much can it lift at the distance I need ”. Every table below is the manufacturer’s own figure for that crane. Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to land and we will confirm the chart for the vehicle that would actually come out to you. Reading a chart ### Three limits, in the order they bite People quote the tonne-metre rating, but it is usually the last limit you actually meet. In practice a lift is decided further up this list. #### Stability Whether the vehicle stays down. Set by the outrigger spread and by what the ground beneath them will take. #### Structure What the boom and column will carry without overstress, whatever the vehicle underneath is doing. #### Moment The crane’s rated lifting moment. The figure in the brochure. The tonne-metre figure is not the model number. It is a common assumption and it is wrong. Our 858 is a 66.1 tonne-metre crane (71.5 with ADC), not an 85 tonne-metre one. Always work from the chart. (photograph: Nortons hiab crane reaching over a site fence to place a load) The charts ### Capacity at radius, crane by crane Radius is measured from the centre of the crane column to the centre of the load. Figures are safe working loads with the crane correctly set up on firm, level ground. #### HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 66.1 tm lifting moment 71.5 tm with ADC 19.6 m hydraulic outreach 22.1 m lifting height 8 boom sections HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 lifting capacity at radius | Radius | 3.8 m | 4.6 m | 6.1 m | 7.8 m | 9.5 m | 11.4 m | 13.4 m | 15.3 m | 17.4 m | 19.4 m | | Capacity | 18,000 kg | 15,500 kg | 11,300 kg | 8,500 kg | 6,700 kg | 5,300 kg | 4,400 kg | 3,750 kg | 3,250 kg | 2,900 kg | Source: manufacturer data sheet 858-E8 X-Hipro.pdf . Crane weight 7,458 kg without support legs. #### HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro 19.4 m hydraulic outreach 8 boom sections HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro lifting capacity at radius | Radius | 3.8 m | 4.6 m | 6.1 m | 7.8 m | 9.5 m | 11.4 m | 13.4 m | 15.3 m | 17.4 m | 19.4 m | | Capacity | 18,000 kg | 15,500 kg | 11,300 kg | 8,400 kg | 6,700 kg | 5,300 kg | 4,400 kg | 3,750 kg | 3,250 kg | 2,900 kg | Source: manufacturer data sheet 855E-8HiPro.pdf #### 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 HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro lifting capacity at radius | 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. #### HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro 50 tm lifting moment 54 tm with ADC 15.8 m hydraulic outreach 18.5 m lifting height 6 boom sections HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro lifting capacity at radius | Radius | 2 m | 4.8 m | 6.4 m | 8.1 m | 9.9 m | 11.7 m | 13.7 m | 15.8 m | | Capacity (ADC) | 22,000 kg | 11,300 kg | 8,200 kg | 6,200 kg | 4,950 kg | 4,100 kg | 3,450 kg | 2,960 kg | | Without ADC | — | 10,400 kg | 7,500 kg | 5,700 kg | 4,550 kg | 3,750 kg | 3,150 kg | 2,680 kg | Source: manufacturer data sheet 622E-6-HiPro-Hiab-spec.pdf . Crane weight 5,600 kg without support legs. #### HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 49.7 tm with ADC 14.5 m hydraulic outreach 5 boom sections HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 lifting capacity at radius | Radius | 4.6 m | 6.4 m | 8.3 m | 10.3 m | 12.3 m | 14.5 m | | Capacity (ADC) | 10,800 kg | 7,600 kg | 5,700 kg | 4,500 kg | 3,750 kg | 3,150 kg | | Without ADC | 10,600 kg | 7,000 kg | 5,300 kg | 4,150 kg | 3,450 kg | 2,900 kg | Source: manufacturer data sheet 558EP-5 HIAB x-hipro.pdf . Crane weight 4,562 kg without support legs. The very close-in figures in the manufacturer charts need the right hook. The top of a chart is the crane’s structural maximum, and reaching it needs a heavy-lift hook or block rather than the standard one. It is not what we quote as the working figure — that is the line Nortons publish for each vehicle above. Tell us the weight and we will bring the right gear; it is not something to work out on site. Outrigger loads ### What the ground under the legs has to take The limit that stops more lifts than capacity ever does. With a 9.0m stabiliser span, our largest unit puts up to 220 kN through a single leg. These are the pad sizes that load needs on each ground type. Minimum spreader pad area and size by ground type, HIAB 855 E-8 | Ground type | Permissible pressure | Minimum pad area | Minimum square pad | | Filled ground, not artificially compacted | 100 kN/m² | 2.20 m² | 1484 × 1484 mm | | Asphalt | 200 kN/m² | 1.10 m² | 1049 × 1049 mm | | Fine to medium sand | 150 kN/m² | 1.47 m² | 1211 × 1211 mm | | Coarse sand to gravel | 200 kN/m² | 1.10 m² | 1049 × 1049 mm | | Crushed stone, compacted | 250 kN/m² | 0.88 m² | 938 × 938 mm | | Cohesive ground — soft | 40 kN/m² | 5.50 m² | 2346 × 2346 mm | | Cohesive ground — firm | 100 kN/m² | 2.20 m² | 1484 × 1484 mm | | Cohesive ground — half-solid | 200 kN/m² | 1.10 m² | 1049 × 1049 mm | | Cohesive ground — hard-solid | 300 kN/m² | 0.73 m² | 857 × 857 mm | | Rock, weathered | 100 kN/m² | 2.20 m² | 1484 × 1484 mm | | Mud, peat, marshy ground | 0 kN/m² | Not suitable | — | Permissible ground pressures to DIN 1054. Source: 855-8 GBP data.pdf . Mud, peat and marshy ground carry no permissible load at all — those need the ground making up before a lift can happen. Look at the soft-ground row. On soft cohesive ground a single leg needs a pad 2346mm square. On asphalt the same leg needs 1049mm. That is the difference between a job that runs and a job that sinks — so if the ground is soft, made up, or sits over a cellar, a basement, a drain or a service duct, tell us before the day. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a heavy coil onto a flatbed using chains) Working it out ### How to find the radius you need Radius runs from the centre of the crane column to the centre of the load — not from the front of the lorry, and not from the edge of the obstacle. - Find the closest spot the vehicle can legally and safely stand - Measure from roughly the back of the cab to where the load has to land - Add anything the crane must clear on the way — a wall, a hedge, a conservatory - Check what is overhead. Power lines change the answer completely - Check what is under the outriggers, and how wide they can spread #### Worked example A 2.1 tonne garden room, 14 metres from where the lorry can stand. On the 858 E-8 chart, 13.4 m gives 4,400 kg and 15.3 m gives 3,750 kg — so at 14 m there is comfortable margin over 2.1 tonnes. On the 422 EP-5 , 13.2 m gives 2,520 kg with ADC: it would do it, but with far less in hand. What actually decides the job is whether the road is wide enough to get the legs out, what is overhead, and what the ground will take. Those three rule out more lifts than capacity ever does. Common questions ### Capacity and reach, answered #### How much can a hiab lift? It depends entirely on how far out the crane is working. Our 858 rigid lifts over 8 tonnes and carries up to 5.5 tonnes, with a maximum reach of 19.6 metres — but not all of that at once. That is why the manufacturer charts on this page matter more than a single headline figure. #### What is a load chart? A table or diagram from the crane manufacturer showing the safe working load at each radius. It is the only figure a lift should ever be planned to. Every chart on this page is taken from the data sheet for the crane concerned. #### What does the tonne-metre rating mean? It is the crane's lifting moment — weight multiplied by distance from the column. It is the fairest way to compare two cranes, because a maximum lift quoted without a radius tells you nothing. Note that the tonne-metre figure is not the model number: our 858 is a 66.1 tonne-metre crane. #### Why does capacity fall as the crane extends? Because the load and the crane sit at opposite ends of a lever. The further the load is from the column, the harder it tries to tip the vehicle and the more stress goes through the boom. On our 858 the safe load at full reach is a small fraction of what the same crane holds close in, which is why the chart matters and a headline figure does not. #### What is ADC? Automatic Duty Control. It reads the actual crane and outrigger set-up and allows the extra capacity that set-up genuinely provides, rather than working to one fixed limit. Where a crane has both figures we show them side by side, because the ADC number is only available when the legs can be properly deployed. #### Does the ground affect what you can lift? Yes, and it is the thing most often overlooked. Outrigger loads are concentrated into a small area — up to 220 kN on our largest unit. Soft ground, fresh tarmac, basements, cellars, drains and inspection covers all matter. We publish the pad sizes needed for each ground type further down this page. #### Can I have the full data sheet? Yes. Email us the vehicle or describe the job and we will send the manufacturer data sheet for the unit that would come out. See the fleet  ·  Truck-mounted crane hire ### Not sure it is within reach? Tell us what the load is and where it has to end up. We will tell you which vehicle does it, or that it needs a mobile crane instead. Get a Quote Email Us --- # What Is a Hiab? Truck-Mounted Cranes Explained URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/what-is-a-hiab (photograph: A Nortons lorry standing on its outriggers with a site cabin lifted high on chains) The definition A hydraulic crane mounted on a lorry, so the same vehicle carries the load and lifts it into place. What one lifts, how far it reaches, and where the line is. Get a Quote Email Us A hiab is a hydraulic crane mounted on a lorry, normally just behind the cab, so the vehicle can load and unload itself without a separate crane or forklift. The word is a brand name that turned into the everyday term. The generic names are truck-mounted crane, lorry loader and lorry-mounted crane, and they describe the same machine. That is the whole of it. What follows is the detail that decides whether one will do your job: how much it lifts, how far it reaches, what stops it, and where the line is between a lorry crane and something else. We have been operating them out of Manchester since 2007. Where the word came from ### Hiab is somebody else’s trade mark HIAB is a registered trade mark of Hiab. The name is a contraction of Hydrauliska Industri AB, the Swedish company that began building lorry-mounted cranes in the 1940s. In Britain the brand became the generic word for the machine, the way Hoover did for vacuum cleaners and Biro did for pens. We buy and operate Hiab cranes and the company is called Nortons Hiab Services, but we are not part of the manufacturer and we do not represent them. If you want the neutral term, it is truck-mounted crane or lorry loader. Load handling equipment manufacturers and their logo such as HIAB and the HIAB logo are registered trademarks. Nortons Hiab Services Ltd is not associated or affiliated with HIAB or other load handling equipment manufacturers, and expressly disclaims any and all rights to any such marks. It matters practically, not just legally. If you search for “hiab hire” you will find operators running cranes made by several different manufacturers, all of them correctly described. Ask what is actually on the vehicle if the specification matters to you. How it works ### What actually happens on site #### The lorry arrives Sometimes loaded, so it unloads itself — one vehicle, one visit, no separate crane and no forklift at either end. Sometimes empty, because it has come to collect. And sometimes it comes purely to lift something that is already there. #### Outriggers go out and the vehicle is levelled Hydraulic legs extend sideways and down, lift the suspension out of the equation and give the crane a rigid base. How far they can extend decides how much the crane may lift, so a leg that cannot come out fully costs capacity on that side. #### The boom extends and slews Five to eight hydraulic sections telescope out, and the whole assembly rotates — continuously on every crane we run, rather than stopping at a limit. #### The load is slung and lifted Slings, chains or a lifting frame, attached at the points the load was designed to be lifted from. A trial lift of a few inches, held and checked, before anything goes anywhere. #### It is placed, not dropped Usually by somebody who can see the landing point while the driver / operator cannot. The last foot is deliberately slow. #### The legs come up and the site is left clear Pads collected, boom stowed, deck strapped and the paperwork signed. Then the lorry moves off under its own power, which is the other half of the reason there is only one contractor on site. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane with its boom extended over the rooftops of a terrace, lowering an air conditioning unit into the yard behind) #### It goes over things Over a fence, across a verge, past a parked row. Buying a route through the air is most of what a lorry crane is for. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry carrying an Archimedes screw chained to its deck through a residential street) #### It carries as well as lifts The crane is on a working lorry with a deck. Plant that cannot be driven is craned on, carried and craned off again. (photograph: A Nortons crane placing a grey site cabin precisely onto a stack of cabins) #### It places things accurately Onto bases, onto a stack, into a socket. Precision at the end of the boom is the skill you are hiring. The one thing to understand ### Capacity falls away with distance If you take one thing from this page, this is it, and it is the thing most people booking a lift for the first time have never been told. A truck-mounted crane is a lever. The further out the load hangs, the harder it pulls against the vehicle, and the less the crane is allowed to lift. So a crane does not have a capacity. It has a curve. Here is that curve for the three cranes we run most, straight off the manufacturers’ data sheets: | Radius | 558 EP-5 | 658 EP-6 | 858 E-8 | | Around 5 m | 10,800 kgat 4.6 m | 10,900 kgat 5.1 m | 15,500 kgat 4.6 m | | Around 7 m | 7,600 kgat 6.4 m | 8,000 kgat 6.7 m | 8,500 kgat 7.8 m | | Around 9 m | 5,700 kgat 8.3 m | 6,000 kgat 8.6 m | 6,700 kgat 9.5 m | | Around 11 m | 4,500 kgat 10.3 m | 4,750 kgat 10.6 m | 5,300 kgat 11.4 m | | Around 13 m | 3,750 kgat 12.3 m | 3,850 kgat 12.7 m | 4,400 kgat 13.4 m | | Around 15 m | 3,150 kgat 14.5 m | 3,250 kgat 14.7 m | 3,750 kgat 15.3 m | | Around 17 m | — | 2,820 kgat 16.9 m | 3,250 kgat 17.4 m | | Around 19 m | — | — | 2,900 kgat 19.4 m | | Maximum outreach | 14.5 m | 17 m | 19.6 m | | Rating | 49.7 tm | 51.2 tm | 66.1 tm | Every figure is read off the manufacturer’s data sheet and nothing is interpolated . The three cranes publish capacities at different radii, so each cell shows the nearest published point and the radius it actually applies at — which is why the numbers in a row are not all at the same distance. The 558 is quoted with automatic duty control engaged; the 658 and 858 at standard rating. The model number is not the rating. An 858 is not an 85 tonne-metre crane; it is 66.1 tm, or 71.5 tm with automatic duty control. Plan the lift from the load chart, not from the name on the boom. Every load chart we run, in full Hiab or mobile crane ### Where the line is Weight at radiusA lorry crane is very good up to a few tonnes at moderate radius. Ten tonnes at fifteen metres is a mobile crane job on any fleet. HeightThe 658 lifts to 19.5 m and the 858 to 22.1 m. That covers a flat roof and most industrial and commercial buildings. It does not cover the fourth floor of anything. Delivery includedThe lorry crane brings the load. A mobile crane does not, so you need a haulier as well — two contractors, two inductions and a sequencing risk. Set-up timeA lorry crane is rigged in minutes. A large mobile crane is an operation in itself, often with its own delivery vehicles. SpaceLorry crane outriggers spread a few metres. A mobile crane needs considerably more room and usually a road closure. Holding a load stillLorry cranes pick up, move and put down. Anything that must hang while it is bolted or aligned for an hour wants a machine rated for that duty. PeopleNever on a lorry crane, in any basket, under any circumstances. That is a MEWP. The words people use ### All the same machine - Hiab - Truck-mounted crane - Lorry loader - Lorry-mounted crane - Loader crane - Crane lorry - Crane truck - Hiab lorry Two that are not the same thing, and get confused with it constantly: MoffettA truck-mounted forklift that rides on the back of the trailer and is taken off at the delivery. It puts loads on the ground, not over obstacles, and it has no reach at all. Skip loader or hook loaderA mechanism for pulling a container or skip onto the bed of the lorry. It has no boom and cannot place anything anywhere except directly behind the vehicle. In plain words ### If you have never booked one before Most people arrive here having been told they need one, without being told what that means. #### What actually turns up A lorry, with a folded arm sitting behind the cab. When it arrives, legs come down on either side to hold it steady, the arm unfolds, and whatever is on the back gets picked up and put where you want it. Then the legs come up and it drives away. That is the whole thing. It arrives with a driver who is also the person working the arm, so nobody on your side needs any qualification, any equipment, or to be involved beyond pointing at where the load goes. #### You will see it spelt several ways Hiab, HIAB, hi ab and hi-ab all refer to the same machine, and hi ab hire and hiab hire mean exactly the same booking. It began as a manufacturer’s name and turned into the ordinary word for the vehicle, so there is no correct spelling to worry about getting wrong. #### How long it takes A straightforward delivery and placement is often under an hour on site. Something awkward — a long reach, a blind drop, a job needing a banksman at each end — can take a morning. The travelling is usually the longer part of the day. #### What it costs to ask Nothing, and you do not need to have your facts straight first. Send an email describing the thing and where it has to go. If it is a job for us you will get a price. If it is not, you will get told that, and told what you actually want instead. We would rather do that than quote for something we cannot do properly. #### What we will not do We do not lift over an occupied building. Where reach matters it is the distance out from the vehicle to the landing point — over a wall, a fence or a boundary — not clearing somebody’s roof. And we do not send the vehicle out without one of our own people on it. Common questions ### Straight answers #### What is a hiab? A hiab is a hydraulic crane mounted on a lorry, usually just behind the cab, so that the vehicle can load and unload itself without needing a separate crane or forklift. The name comes from Hiab, the Swedish manufacturer whose cranes became common enough in Britain that the brand name turned into the everyday word. The generic terms are truck-mounted crane, lorry loader and lorry-mounted crane, and they all mean the same machine. #### How much can a hiab lift? It depends entirely on how far out the load is. A truck-mounted crane lifts far more close in than at full reach. The largest crane on the Nortons fleet lifts over 8 tonnes and reaches 19.6 metres — but not both at the same moment. The single figure that describes a crane is its tonne-metre rating, and the model number is not that figure. #### How far can a hiab reach? Between about fourteen and twenty metres horizontally on the machines in normal UK use. The Nortons fleet reaches 14 metres on the 558 rigid, 16 metres on the 658 rigid, the wagon and drag and the artic, and 19.6 metres on the 858 rigid. Reach is measured horizontally from the centre of the crane column, not from the side of the lorry. #### What is the difference between a hiab and a crane? A hiab travels with its load and puts it where it goes, so one vehicle and one driver / operator do the whole job. A mobile crane lifts far more and far higher but carries nothing, so the load has to be delivered separately. For anything up to a few tonnes at moderate radius, a lorry crane is one contractor instead of two. #### Do you need a licence to operate a hiab? The driver / operator needs a recognised lorry loader operator certification as well as the appropriate HGV entitlement for the vehicle, and where they attach loads they also need slinging and signalling training. On operated hire the driver arrives with all of it and carries the certification on the vehicle. #### What is operated hiab hire? The lorry, the crane and a trained driver / operator come together as one hire, with the driver / operator remaining the employee of the haulier. It is how almost all UK lorry loader work is done, because the machine is not much use without somebody certificated to work it, and because the insurance and the lift planning sit with the company that owns the vehicle. #### What can a hiab not do? It cannot lift heavy loads at long radius, cannot work much above twenty metres of height, cannot hold a load steady for long periods while it is fixed, and must never lift people under any circumstances. It also cannot work anywhere its outriggers will not safely deploy, whatever the load weighs. #### Is Hiab a brand name? Yes. HIAB is a registered trade mark belonging to Hiab, a Swedish manufacturer founded in the 1940s. In Britain it has become a generic word for any truck-mounted crane, in the way that Hoover did for vacuum cleaners. Nortons Hiab Services buys and operates Hiab cranes but is not connected to the manufacturer. #### What does hiab stand for? As an English acronym, nothing. HIAB comes from Hydrauliska Industri AB, the Swedish company that built the first lorry-mounted hydraulic crane in 1944. The name stuck to the machine itself in Britain, the way hoover stuck to vacuum cleaners, so people now say hiab whoever made the crane. #### Is it spelt hiab, hi ab or hi-ab? The manufacturer spells it HIAB. You will see hi ab and hi-ab written just as often, and hi ab hire, hi-ab hire and hiab hire all mean the same thing. Nobody will think less of you for any of them - we answer to all three. #### Is a hiab lorry the same as a hiab truck? Yes. Hiab lorry, hiab truck, hiab wagon and crane lorry are all the same vehicle. Lorry is the British word and truck is the American one, and the trade uses both interchangeably. Hiab hire  ·  Operated hire  ·  What it costs  ·  More of this sort of thing ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 858 Hiab Hire | 8-Wheel Rigid, 19.6m Reach | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/scania-858-hiab (photograph: Nortons Scania eight-wheel rigid hiab with the 858 crane folded behind the cab) 32 tonne rigid · Driver / operator supplied Our heaviest crane on an eight-wheel rear-steer rigid. Lifts over 8 tonnes, carries up to 5.5 tonnes and offers a maximum reach of 19.6m. It gives 22.1 m of lifting height, and the load is carried on the same vehicle that lifts it. Get a Quote Email Us 66.1 tm Lifting moment Over 8t Maximum lift 19.6 m Hydraulic outreach 22.1 m Lifting height What it is ### The biggest crane we run, on a rigid chassis The 858 is a HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 — a 66.1 tm loader crane on an eight-wheel rear-steer rigid lorry at 32 tonnes gross. We run these on both Scania and Volvo chassis, and they are Euro VI. Eight boom sections give 14.9 m of hydraulic extension and 19.6 m of outreach in total. Continuous slew and front stabiliser legs mean it works all the way round the vehicle, including over the cab, which is what makes it useful on a site where there is only one place to stand the lorry. Because it is a rigid rather than an artic, it gets into places a 44 tonne outfit cannot — but it carries less. If the load is long or heavy rather than awkward, the 658 artic is usually the better answer. (photograph: Nortons 858 hiab with its stabiliser legs deployed on a wet yard) On the job ### What the 858 gets sent to (photograph: Nortons 858 hiab lifting a large steel structure into position) #### Structures lifted whole Wash gantries, frames and steelwork lifted in one piece and set down on prepared bases, rather than assembled in position. (photograph: Nortons 858 hiab with the boom folded, parked on a site road) #### Long reach over an obstacle Nineteen metres of outreach means the lorry can stand on the road and the load can go over a wall, a fence or a parked row of cars. (photograph: Rear steer axle on the chassis of a Nortons eight-wheel rigid hiab) #### Rear-steer access The steering rear axle tightens the turning circle, so a 32 tonne eight-wheeler gets round yard corners that would stop a longer vehicle. (photograph: Nortons eight-wheel rigid hiab loaded with a large steel vessel in a works yard) #### Heavy single lifts Tanks, vessels, transformers and machine bases — loads where the weight matters more than the length. (photograph: Two Nortons rigid hiabs lifting a large steel tank between them) #### Two rigids on one load Where an item is too heavy or too long for one crane to take alone, a second vehicle takes the other end and both work to the same lift plan. (photograph: Nortons Scania eight-wheel rigid hiab standing with an empty deck and a stabiliser leg down) #### Sent to collect, not just deliver The lorry does not always turn up with the load on it. Plenty of jobs run the other way: legs down, lift on, strap and away. The 858 on film ### Watch it work This film is held until you accept cookies. Nothing is requested from YouTube while you are on this page — the still below is served from this website. Accept the cookie policy and it unlocks where it stands, without the page reloading. Cookie settings Nothing is loaded from YouTube until you press play. The still below is served from this website, so no third party knows you are here unless you choose to watch it. When you do, the film plays through YouTube’s no-cookie player. (photograph: Nortons Scania 858 with the crane up and two men in orange overalls beside it on a wet yard) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: The new 858 hiab joins the fleet) The load chart ### What it holds, and where Read across to the radius you need. Capacity falls steeply as the boom extends, which is why a headline maximum lift on its own tells you very little. #### HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 66.1 tm lifting moment 71.5 tm with ADC 19.6 m hydraulic outreach 22.1 m lifting height 8 boom sections HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 lifting capacity at radius | Radius | 3.8 m | 4.6 m | 6.1 m | 7.8 m | 9.5 m | 11.4 m | 13.4 m | 15.3 m | 17.4 m | 19.4 m | | Capacity | 18,000 kg | 15,500 kg | 11,300 kg | 8,500 kg | 6,700 kg | 5,300 kg | 4,400 kg | 3,750 kg | 3,250 kg | 2,900 kg | Source: manufacturer data sheet 858-E8 X-Hipro.pdf . Crane weight 7,458 kg without support legs. Full charts for every crane are on the lifting capacity page . The model number is not the tonne-metre rating. The 858 is a 66.1 tm crane, 71.5 tm with Automatic Duty Control — not 85 tonne-metres. The figures above are read straight off the manufacturer data sheet, which you can download. Getting a straight answer ### Two figures and we can tell you You do not need to work any of this out yourself. Send us two things and the rest is our job. - What it weighs. The weight and rough size of the heaviest item, as near as you know it. - Roughly where it has to land. How far that is from the nearest place a lorry could reasonably stand. From those two we work out the radius, read it against the chart, work out what the stabiliser legs will put through the ground and tell you whether the 858 is the right vehicle for it. If you would rather check it yourself, the full charts and the ground pressure table are on the capacity page . (photograph: Nortons 858 hiab cab and crane column seen from the side) Common questions ### 858 hiab hire, answered #### How much will the 858 lift? The 858 rigid lifts over 8 tonnes, carries up to 5.5 tonnes and offers a maximum reach of 19.6m. Capacity falls the further out the crane works, so check your load against the distance you actually need rather than against a headline number. The manufacturer data sheet is linked on this page. #### Is the 858 an 85 tonne-metre crane? No. The model number is not the rating, though the assumption comes up constantly. The 858 E-8 is a 66.1 tonne-metre crane, 71.5 with Automatic Duty Control engaged. Work from the load chart. #### Can it lift over the cab? Yes. The 858 has front-mounted stabiliser legs, so the working area in front of the vehicle is not restricted and you get full continuous slew without losing capacity over the front. #### What can the vehicle itself carry? It is a 32 tonne eight-wheeler on rear steer, so the payload depends on the crane and body fitted; as a rule of thumb the crane and legs alone account for roughly 8.5 tonnes. Send us the weight and dimensions and we will tell you whether it goes on this vehicle or on an artic. #### How much ground does it need? Enough width to get the stabiliser legs out, and ground that will take the load through them. Outrigger pressure is the part most people forget: on soft cohesive ground a single leg can need a spreader pad over two metres square. We publish the full ground pressure table so you can check the set-up area before we arrive. #### Do I get a driver with it? Always. The 858 goes out with one of our own driver / operators, most of whom are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified, and the crane is worked by remote control so they stand where they can see the load. The 855 rigid  ·  The 658 artic The whole fleet ### Is the 858 the right vehicle? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to end up. We will confirm the vehicle and what it will cost. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 855 Hiab Hire | 32t Rigid, 19.4m Outreach | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/scania-855-hiab (photograph: Nortons Scania eight-wheel rigid carrying the 855 E-8 hiab crane) 32 tonne rigid · Rear steer An eight-section HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro on a rear-steer eight-wheeler. Lifts over 8 tonnes, carries up to 5.5 tonnes, with 19.4 m of hydraulic outreach — and the load travels on the same lorry that lifts it. Get a Quote Email Us Over 8t Maximum lift 19.4 m Hydraulic outreach 8 Boom sections 32t Gross vehicle weight What it is ### The workhorse rigids Scania eight-wheel rear-steer rigids at 32 tonnes gross, each carrying a HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro loader crane with eight boom sections and 19.4 m of hydraulic outreach. In day-to-day work these are interchangeable with the 858 units . Both lift over 8 tonnes and carry up to 5.5 tonnes, so the decision between them comes down to which is free on the day rather than which is stronger. Between the 855s and the 858s we can put more than one heavy rigid on the same job, which is how dual lifts and phased site set-ups get done in a single visit. (photograph: Two Nortons Scania eight-wheel rigids with 855 hiab cranes standing in the yard) On the job ### Where the 855s get sent (photograph: Nortons 855 hiab delivering a portable unit inside a football stadium) #### Stadium and event set-ups Units placed inside stadium footprints where a mobile crane cannot rig and a forklift cannot reach. (photograph: Nortons eight-wheel rigid hiab lifting a large black process vessel between silos) #### Vessels into working plants Tanks and process vessels lifted in among live pipework and silos, where the set-up area is whatever is left between them. (photograph: Nortons hiab placing a large white unit under a building canopy on a city street) #### Under a canopy, into an opening Units set down under overhangs and through openings, where the height available decides the lift as much as the weight does. (photograph: Overhead view of a Nortons 855 hiab lifting panels on a site) #### Panels and sections over a fence line Wall panels and sections taken over hoarding and set down inside the working area. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry and drag trailer loaded with two timber-clad pods) #### Long, light and awkward Timber pods, frames and long sections that weigh very little and take up a great deal of room, run out on a wide load marker board. (photograph: Close view of the boom sections on a Nortons 855 hiab crane) #### Eight sections of boom A long, thin boom reaches further at low weight, which is what a cabin or a panel actually needs. The load chart ### Capacity at radius Read off its own load diagram. Radius is measured from the centre of the crane column to the centre of the load. #### HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro 19.4 m hydraulic outreach 8 boom sections HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro lifting capacity at radius | Radius | 3.8 m | 4.6 m | 6.1 m | 7.8 m | 9.5 m | 11.4 m | 13.4 m | 15.3 m | 17.4 m | 19.4 m | | Capacity | 18,000 kg | 15,500 kg | 11,300 kg | 8,400 kg | 6,700 kg | 5,300 kg | 4,400 kg | 3,750 kg | 3,250 kg | 2,900 kg | Source: manufacturer data sheet 855E-8HiPro.pdf Full charts for every crane are on the lifting capacity page . The ground matters more than the crane. An 855 on full stabiliser span puts roughly 220 kN through one leg. On soft cohesive ground that needs a spreader pad 2,346 mm square; on asphalt, 1,049 mm. The full DIN 1054 table for this crane is published on the lifting capacity page . Common questions ### 855 hiab hire, answered #### What is the difference between the 855 and the 858? Very little in practice. Both are eight-section E-8 cranes on 32 tonne eight-wheel rigids, both lift over 8 tonnes and both carry up to 5.5 tonnes. The 858 is the newer X-HiPro unit and reaches slightly further. If your lift is inside what they will do, either will handle it and we will send whichever is free. #### Is the 855 clean air zone compliant? Our 32 tonne rigids are Euro VI, which is the standard every UK clean air zone is written around, including Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and the London LEZ. Tell us where the job is when you book and we will confirm what is coming before it leaves the yard. #### Can it lift over the cab? Yes, with continuous slew. As with all of our eight-wheelers the limit is the ground and the radius, not the direction of the lift. #### Do you supply the lifting gear? Chains, slings, spreader beams and lifting frames, yes. Tell us what the load is and where the lifting points are and the driver / operator will bring what the lift needs. The 858 rigid  ·  The lighter 558 The whole fleet ### Which rigid do you need? Describe the job and we will tell you whether it is an 855, an 858 or something else entirely. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 558 Hiab Hire | 32t Rigid, 14.5m Outreach | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/rigid-558-hiab (photograph: Nortons eight-wheel rigid hiab with the crane at full extension holding a truck wash gantry clear of the ground) 32 tonne rigid · The lighter unit A five-section HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 on a rear-steer eight-wheeler. 49.7 tm with ADC, 10,800 kg at 4.6 m and 14.5 m of hydraulic outreach — enough for most site deliveries without the bulk of the big cranes. Get a Quote Email Us 49.7 tm Lifting moment with ADC 10,800 kg Maximum lift at 4.6 m 14.5 m Hydraulic outreach 5 Boom sections What it is ### The one that covers most jobs A Volvo eight-wheel rear-steer rigid at 32 tonnes gross, carrying a HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 loader crane rated at 49.7 tm with Automatic Duty Control. Euro VI, like the other 32 and 44 tonne wagons. Five boom sections and 14.5 m of outreach cover the great majority of what a hiab is actually asked to do: a cabin off the bed and onto a base, a pallet over a wall, a machine into a yard. The crane weighs 4,562 kg without its legs, which is well under two tonnes lighter than the 858 — weight that goes back into the payload. If the reach or the weight is beyond it we will tell you and put the job on the 855 or the 858 instead. (photograph: Nortons eight-wheel rigid hiab lifting a vehicle wash gantry into place) On the job ### Everyday work for a rigid (photograph: Nortons eight-wheel rigid hiab positioning a wash gantry on its base) #### Plant set down on prepared bases Wash bays, gantries and skid-mounted plant taken off the bed and placed on bolts rather than assembled in position. (photograph: Site dumper loaded on the bed of a Nortons rigid hiab lorry) #### Small plant moved between sites Dumpers, rollers and mixers loaded by the same crane that carries them, with no ramps and no second vehicle. (photograph: Conveyor section loaded on a Nortons rigid hiab lorry) #### Awkward one-off items Conveyors, frames and fabrications that are neither heavy nor simple, handled with the right slinging rather than the biggest crane. (photograph: Nortons rigid hiab lifting a small site office into position) #### Kiosks and small buildings Weighbridge offices, gatehouses and security cabins lifted into position on live sites. (photograph: Nortons driver / operator at the crane controls of an eight-wheel rigid hiab with a cabin on the bed) #### The driver / operator comes with it The same person drives the lorry and works the crane, so there is nobody else to book and nothing to wait for when the vehicle arrives. (photograph: Two Nortons eight-wheel rigid hiabs set up on the same site with their stabilisers down) #### A second rigid where it helps Where the work will not fit one vehicle and one day, we send another off the same fleet rather than stretch a single lorry over both ends of the job. The load chart ### Capacity at radius, with and without ADC Safe working loads with the crane set up correctly on firm, level ground. #### HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 49.7 tm with ADC 14.5 m hydraulic outreach 5 boom sections HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 lifting capacity at radius | Radius | 4.6 m | 6.4 m | 8.3 m | 10.3 m | 12.3 m | 14.5 m | | Capacity (ADC) | 10,800 kg | 7,600 kg | 5,700 kg | 4,500 kg | 3,750 kg | 3,150 kg | | Without ADC | 10,600 kg | 7,000 kg | 5,300 kg | 4,150 kg | 3,450 kg | 2,900 kg | Source: manufacturer data sheet 558EP-5 HIAB x-hipro.pdf . Crane weight 4,562 kg without support legs. Full charts for every crane are on the lifting capacity page . Nearly 50 tonne-metres from a five-section crane. The 558 rates higher than a good many six and seven-section machines with larger model numbers. Compare charts, not names — ours are all published side by side on the lifting capacity page . Common questions ### 558 hiab hire, answered #### Why hire the 558 rather than the 858? Cost and availability, mostly. If your lift sits inside the 558 chart there is no advantage in sending a bigger crane, and the smaller unit is more often free at short notice. It is the same 32 tonne eight-wheel chassis underneath, so access is identical. #### What will it lift? With ADC engaged, 10,800 kg at 4.6 metres, 5,700 kg at 8.3 metres and 3,150 kg at its full 14.5 metre radius. Without ADC, 10,600, 5,300 and 2,900. The full chart is on this page. #### How does it compare with a five-section crane elsewhere? The 558 EP-5 X-HiPro is a five-section crane rated at 49.7 tonne-metres with ADC. That is more than most machines carrying a bigger-sounding model number, which is the whole reason we publish charts rather than names. #### Is it suitable for site cabins? For most single units, yes. A standard 32ft by 10ft anti-vandal cabin is comfortably inside the chart at normal set-down radius. Tell us what the unit is and where it has to go and we will confirm before you book. #### Does it come with a driver? Yes. Every vehicle we hire out goes with a Nortons driver / operator, most of them ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified. We do not hire cranes without a driver / operator. The 855 rigid  ·  The 858 rigid The whole fleet ### Not sure which crane you need? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. We will match the vehicle to the job, not the other way round. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Artic 658 Hiab Hire | 44t, Extendable Trailer | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/artic-658-hiab (photograph: Nortons articulated lorry with the 658 hiab crane behind the cab) 44 tonne artic · Extendable trailer 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. Get a Quote Email Us 51.2 tm Lifting moment 10,900 kg Maximum lift at 5.1 m 17 m Hydraulic outreach 45ft Extendable 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. (photograph: Nortons 658 artic hiab with the boom raised on a site) On the job ### What goes on the artic (photograph: Nortons 658 artic hiab with the extendable trailer loaded) #### Long loads on an extendable bed Steel, frames, beams and modular sections that will not sit on a rigid without overhanging. (photograph: Nortons 658 artic hiab with its stabiliser legs out ready to lift) #### Set up and lift on arrival Legs out, load off, no second vehicle and no waiting for a crane to arrive separately. (photograph: Side view of a Nortons 658 artic hiab loaded and ready to travel) #### 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 HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro lifting capacity at radius | 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 (photograph: Nortons artic with a 658 hiab standing in the yard) 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 transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required and we run our own escort vehicles. The 622 artic  ·  Wagon and drag The whole fleet ### 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. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Volvo 622 Hiab Hire | 44t Artic, 15.8m Reach | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/volvo-622hiab (photograph: Nortons Volvo FH articulated lorry carrying the 622 hiab crane) 44 tonne Volvo FH · Extendable trailer A 50 tm HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro on a Volvo FH six-wheel tractor unit. 11,300 kg at 4.8 m with ADC, 15.8 m of hydraulic outreach, and an extendable trailer under the load. Get a Quote Email Us 50 tm Lifting moment 54 tm With ADC 15.8 m Hydraulic outreach 18.5 m Lifting height What it is ### Artic reach with a lighter crane A Volvo FH six-wheel tractor unit at 44 tonnes gross with an extendable semi-trailer, carrying a HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro loader crane rated at 50 tm, 54 tm with ADC. Six boom sections give 11.1 m of hydraulic extension and 15.8 m of outreach. Against the 658 artic it reaches a little less far but weighs less, which leaves more of the 44 tonnes for the load itself. That is the trade most people miss. On a long-distance full load the crane is dead weight; a lighter crane on the same tractor unit means more payload arrives at the other end. (photograph: Nortons Volvo 622 hiab artic with the extendable trailer drawn out) On the job ### What the Volvo gets sent to (photograph: Nortons Volvo 622 hiab lifting a portable cabin into position) #### Portable cabins and modular units Site accommodation lifted level on a spreader beam and set on prepared bases, then linked and stacked. (photograph: Nortons Volvo 622 hiab lifting a load over a boundary wall) #### Over a wall or a hedge line Fifteen metres of outreach puts a load into a yard the lorry cannot enter. (photograph: Rear view of a Nortons Volvo 622 hiab artic loaded for the road) #### Full loads, long distance A lighter crane on a 44 tonne outfit leaves more of the weight allowance for the load. (photograph: Nortons Volvo 622 hiab artic standing in the yard) #### Ready to go out Our own vehicle, maintained in our own yard and replaced rather than run into the ground. (photograph: Nortons Volvo 622 hiab set up on stabiliser mats with its legs fully extended) #### Set up before anything moves Legs out to their full spread, mats down, ground looked at first. Most of the time on site goes on setting the vehicle up properly, and the lift itself is the quick part. (photograph: Nortons Volvo 622 hiab lifting a long modular unit level on four legs of chain) #### Slung level, not lifted by one end A long unit picked up level so it arrives without a twist in it. How a load is slung decides more jobs than what the crane could hold on paper. The load chart ### With and without ADC Two rows, because the answer genuinely depends on the set-up. The upper row is with Automatic Duty Control engaged and the stabilisers fully deployed. #### HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro 50 tm lifting moment 54 tm with ADC 15.8 m hydraulic outreach 18.5 m lifting height 6 boom sections HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro lifting capacity at radius | Radius | 2 m | 4.8 m | 6.4 m | 8.1 m | 9.9 m | 11.7 m | 13.7 m | 15.8 m | | Capacity (ADC) | 22,000 kg | 11,300 kg | 8,200 kg | 6,200 kg | 4,950 kg | 4,100 kg | 3,450 kg | 2,960 kg | | Without ADC | — | 10,400 kg | 7,500 kg | 5,700 kg | 4,550 kg | 3,750 kg | 3,150 kg | 2,680 kg | Source: manufacturer data sheet 622E-6-HiPro-Hiab-spec.pdf . Crane weight 5,600 kg without support legs. Full charts for every crane are on the lifting capacity page . The 22,000 kg figure at 2 m is the crane’s structural maximum. Reaching it needs a heavy-lift hook or block rather than the standard one, and a radius that close to the column is rarely where a load actually sits. Treat it as a ceiling, not a working figure — and tell us the weight so we bring the right gear. Common questions ### Volvo 622 hiab hire, answered #### How much does the 622 lift? With Automatic Duty Control engaged it holds 11,300 kg at 4.8 metres, 6,200 kg at 8.1 metres and 2,960 kg at its full 15.8 metre radius. Without ADC those figures drop to 10,400, 5,700 and 2,680. Both rows are published in the load chart on this page, because which one applies depends on how the crane is set up. #### What does ADC actually mean? Automatic Duty Control. The crane monitors its own set-up and, when the stabilisers are fully deployed on good ground, permits the extra capacity that configuration genuinely provides. It is not a way of overloading the crane; it is the crane recognising that it is standing properly. #### What trailer comes with it? An extendable semi-trailer. Between the artics we run 36, 39 and 45 foot extendables plus fixed 45 foot beds, and the trailer is matched to the load. #### Is the Volvo Euro VI? Yes. The 32 tonne and 44 tonne wagons are Euro VI, so they are compliant in UK clean air zones. The 658 artic  ·  All five load charts The whole fleet ### Tell us about the load We will confirm whether the 622 covers it, or put the job on a crane that does. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Wagon and Drag Hiab Hire | Two Beds, One Crane | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/wagon-and-drag-hiab (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag hiab lifting a load in a city centre street) 7 units · 44 tonnes gross Two loading beds behind one cab, with a 51.2 tm HIAB 658 EP-6 that loads and unloads both. The biggest single group in our fleet, and the most flexible thing we run. Get a Quote Email Us 7 Wagon & drag units 44t Gross combination weight 17 m Hydraulic outreach 20ft Draw-bar trailer What it is ### One crane, two beds, one driver / operator A wagon and drag is a rigid eight-wheeler towing a two-axle draw-bar trailer, running at 44 tonnes gross. The crane sits on the wagon and reaches both beds, so a full load can be delivered in two drops without a second vehicle or a second driver. Several of our lorries are set up this way, all Volvo eight-wheelers with the HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro loader crane, and we run 20-foot draw-bar trailers behind them. The advantage over an artic is that the two halves can be separated. Where a site entrance will take a rigid but not a full outfit, the trailer stays outside and the wagon goes in on its own — then comes back out for the rest. (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag hiab with its 20 foot draw-bar trailer coupled) On the job ### Where two beds earn their keep (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag hiab loaded with long fencing panels) #### Fencing, gates and panels Long, light loads split across both beds so nothing overhangs and nothing has to be double-handled. (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag hiab unloading fencing panels on site) #### Two drops, one journey Deliver the trailer load at the first site and the wagon load at the second, without a return trip. (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag hiab lifting a container from the trailer) #### Containers and cabins A 20ft container fits the drag trailer exactly, and the 658 lifts it straight off onto its bearers. (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag hiab working on a restricted site) #### Restricted site access Drop the trailer outside, take the wagon in alone, come back for the rest. (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag hiab with a site unit on the wagon bed and another on the drag trailer) #### Loaded across both beds The crane sits on the wagon and reaches back over the headboard onto the drag, so both beds are loaded and stripped without a forklift at either end. (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag hiab out on the road with the drag trailer coupled behind) #### Distance work at 44 tonnes The outfit runs at the same weight as an artic, so a long run costs no more than it would on a single trailer and arrives able to unload itself. The crane ### The same 658 as on the artic Our wagon-and-drag lorries carry the identical loader crane, so whichever one turns up the lifting figures are the same. #### 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 HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro lifting capacity at radius | 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 . In practice ### When this is the vehicle we would send It is not the obvious choice for most jobs, and that is exactly why it is useful for some. #### Two beds instead of one A rigid pulling a drawbar trailer gives you two separate load platforms rather than one long one. That matters when a consignment splits naturally in two, when one half is going to a different address, or when the total is comfortably inside 44 tonnes but the shape of it does not suit a single trailer. #### The trailer can be left behind Drop the trailer at the gate and the rigid goes in on its own, with the lifting gear still on it. On a site with no turning room, a tight entrance or an overhead restriction, that is often the difference between the job happening and the job being rescheduled. An articulated unit has no equivalent trick. #### What it will handle Up to fourteen tonnes carried, lifting over eight tonnes, reaching to sixteen metres. In practical terms that covers most building materials, most site accommodation, most plant that is not oversized, and a great deal of steel. #### How to ask for one You do not have to. Tell us what needs moving and where, and if this combination is the right answer that is what we will quote. People sometimes ask for a specific vehicle because a previous supplier sent one; it is worth describing the job instead and letting us pick, because the right choice often changes with the access rather than the load. Common questions ### Wagon and drag hire, answered #### What is a wagon and drag? A rigid lorry towing a draw-bar trailer. You get two separate loading beds behind one cab, and the crane on the wagon can load and unload both. It runs at 44 tonnes gross, the same as an artic, but the two shorter beds behave very differently on site. #### Why is that better than an artic? For multi-drop work it usually is. You can drop the trailer, deliver from the wagon alone into a tight site, then come back and re-couple. An artic is one long vehicle that has to go everywhere in one piece. #### Which crane is on them? They all carry the HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro: 51.2 tonne-metres, 55.5 with ADC, 10,900 kg at 5.1 metres and 17 metres of hydraulic outreach. That is the same crane as on our 658 artic, so the lifting capability is identical — only the beds differ. #### How long are the trailers? Twenty feet and two axles, and we run several of them. The wagon bed sits in front of it, so a long load can be split across the two rather than overhanging. #### Do you need somewhere to leave the trailer? If we are dropping it, yes — somewhere flat and safe on or near the site. Tell us at the quote stage and we will plan the delivery around it. #### What is a wagon and drag lorry? A wagon and drag lorry is a rigid lorry pulling a drawbar trailer, so you get two separate load beds instead of one long one. Ours run at 44 tonnes with a 658 Hiab on the wagon. The advantage over an artic is that the trailer can be dropped and the wagon worked on its own, which matters on a site with no room to turn. #### When would you send a wagon and drag vehicle rather than an artic? When the load splits naturally into two, when one end of the job has tight access and the other does not, or when the total weight suits 44 tonnes but the length does not suit a single trailer. A wagon and drag vehicle carries up to 14 tonnes with the crane on board and reaches 16 metres. The 658 artic  ·  Container transport The whole fleet ### One journey or two? Tell us the drops and the load and we will work out whether a wagon and drag saves you a vehicle. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Container Transport & Delivery UK | Hiab Lift | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/container-transport (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a green shipping container off the trailer on its slings) Delivered and placed · Mainland UK The lorry that carries your container also lifts it off and sets it down where you want it. No forklift, no separate crane, no one waiting on site. Get a Quote Email Us 10–40ft Standard container sizes 32ft And the other in-between sizes Placed No forklift needed UK Mainland coverage How it works ### One vehicle, one visit A hiab is a lorry with a hydraulic crane behind the cab, so it loads itself. We collect the container, carry it to you, set the stabiliser legs, lift it off the bed and place it on your bearers — all with one vehicle and one driver / operator. Compare that with a flatbed and a forklift: two pieces of kit, two costs, and a delivery that fails if the forklift is not there when the lorry arrives. It also means the container can go somewhere a forklift could never reach — over a wall, behind a building, up a bank. We move containers from ports and depots to sites, between sites, and away again at the end of a job. Empty, part-loaded or full — the only figure we need is the gross weight. (photograph: Nortons hiab artic carrying a 40ft shipping container on the motorway) What we move ### Containers, and everything shaped like one (photograph: Several shipping containers delivered and positioned by a Nortons hiab) #### Multiple units in one visit Two or three containers delivered and positioned in sequence, stacked or set out in a run, without a second vehicle. (photograph: Nortons hiab placing containers at a cricket ground) #### Stadiums and venues Units placed inside venue footprints where a mobile crane cannot rig, working around the event calendar. (photograph: Nortons hiab with the boom extended over a row of stacked units) #### Reaching past the obstacle The boom extended out over a hoarding, a hedge or a stacked row, so the lorry never has to enter the space. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a loaded shipping container in a street) #### Loaded containers Full and part-loaded units lifted on the corner castings, with the gross weight checked against the chart first. (photograph: Nortons hiab moving a container between site compounds) #### Site to site moves Containers relocated between compounds as a job phases, and taken away when the site closes. (photograph: Nortons lorry loaded at a dockside collection) #### Port and depot collections Collected from docks and depots across the UK and delivered straight to site, no double handling. The numbers that matter ### Will your container go where you want it? Two things decide it: how heavy the container is, and how far the crane has to reach to put it down. Here is what our cranes hold at the radii that come up most. Nortons crane capacity at the radii typical of container placement | Crane | Alongside the lorry | Over a wall or fence | Right across a yard | Maximum outreach | | 858 E-8 | 15,500 kg at 4.6 m | 8,500 kg at 7.8 m | 5,300 kg at 11.4 m | 19.4 m | | 855 E-8 | 15,500 kg at 4.6 m | 8,400 kg at 7.8 m | 5,300 kg at 11.4 m | 19.4 m | | 658 EP-6 | 10,900 kg at 5.1 m | 6,000 kg at 8.6 m | 3,850 kg at 12.7 m | 16.9 m | | 622 E-6 | 11,300 kg at 4.8 m | 6,200 kg at 8.1 m | 4,100 kg at 11.7 m | 15.8 m | | 558 EP-5 | 10,800 kg at 4.6 m | 5,700 kg at 8.3 m | 3,750 kg at 12.3 m | 14.5 m | Figures are safe working loads read from the manufacturer data sheets, with the crane correctly set up on firm, level ground. An empty 20ft container is around 2,200 kg and an empty 40ft around 3,800 kg, so an empty container is inside every crane in the table at every radius shown. The full charts and the source PDFs are on the lifting capacity page . Before delivery day ### Five minutes now and the delivery runs to time - Where will the lorry stand? It needs room to get the stabiliser legs out, and ground that will take the load through them. - What is overhead? Power lines, phone lines and tree branches over either the lorry or the drop point. - What is the container going onto? Railway sleepers, concrete blocks or a slab — level, and in place before we arrive. - How far from the road? A rough idea is plenty — it is what decides which vehicle we send. - Is anything in the way at the gate? Height restrictions, bollards, a locked barrier and who has the key. Tell us about the approach and the drop point with the enquiry. If we need to see it we will ask, and it means we arrive with the right vehicle. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry carrying a shipping container on the road) Before it arrives ### The two things worth checking on your side #### Where the lorry can stand It needs a firm, level position within reach of the landing point, and enough width to put its legs down on both sides. A driveway that a car fits down is not automatically one a rigid fits down. If you are unsure, just say so with the enquiry and describe the approach in your own words — we will ask for anything else we need. #### What the ground will take The legs concentrate a great deal of force into four small areas. Block paving, new tarmac, a lawn over made ground, a manhole, a service duct or a recently backfilled trench are all worth mentioning. We carry spreader pads and we plan around soft ground routinely; what we cannot plan around is not being told. #### What you do not need to work out Whether it will reach. How heavy the unit is when it is empty. Which of our vehicles it takes. What the swing radius is. All of that is our side of the job, and we would far rather work it out from a description and a postcode than have you trying to establish it from a chart. #### If it is going somewhere difficult Tell us that first rather than last. Awkward is normal here — over a wall into a back garden, between two buildings, behind a boundary fence, into a compound with one gate. Knowing at the enquiry means the right vehicle turns up. Common questions ### Container transport, answered #### Do I need a forklift or a crane on site? No. That is the whole point of a hiab. The crane is on the lorry, so the same vehicle that brings the container lifts it off and sets it down where you want it. You do not need to hire anything else or have anyone waiting. #### What size containers can you move? Standard 10ft, 20ft and 40ft shipping containers, and the in-between sizes too — 16ft, 24ft and 32ft — plus non-standard and modified units. A 20ft container sits exactly on a draw-bar trailer, which is why our wagon-and-drag units do a lot of this work. #### How heavy can the container be? An empty 20ft container is around 2,200 kg and an empty 40ft around 3,800 kg, both comfortably inside every crane we run. A loaded one is the interesting case. Our 858 rigid lifts over 8 tonnes and carries up to 5.5 tonnes, so tell us what is in the container and where it has to go, and we will confirm the vehicle. #### What do you need on site? Somewhere firm and level for the lorry to stand with its stabiliser legs out, clear headroom above the drop point, and ground that will take the container. #### Can you place a container in a back garden? Yes, and we do it often. With up to 19.6 metres of hydraulic outreach the container can be set down well away from where the lorry stands — over a wall, a fence or a hedge and down the side of a property. We do not lift over houses, so the way in has to be round the building rather than across it. Tell us where it has to end up and we will tell you straight away. #### Do you collect from ports and depots? Yes. We collect from ports, docks and depots across the UK and deliver direct to site. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required. #### Do you offer shipping container transport as well as delivery? Yes. Shipping container transport, container haulage and container delivery are all the same job for us. The box travels on the lorry and the lorry's own crane sets it down where it has to go — no forklift at either end, no separate crane to book, and no need for a hard standing big enough to reverse a trailer onto. #### What makes your container transportation services different from a flatbed haulier? The crane. A flatbed can carry a container but it cannot place one, so you still need lifting equipment at the delivery. Ours arrives with the lift already on the vehicle, which on a tight site is often the difference between the container going where you want it and going where the lorry can reach. #### Can you do container transport around Manchester at short notice? Usually yes. Hiab container transport around Manchester is everyday work from our yard at Miles Platting, and the vehicles are here overnight, so a same-day or next-morning collection is often possible. Wagon and drag units  ·  Used cabin sales Lifting capacity ### Moving a container? Tell us roughly what size it is and where it has to go. We will confirm the vehicle and the price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Portable Cabin Transport & Relocation UK | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portable-cabin-transport (photograph: Portable cabin loaded on a Nortons hiab lorry ready for transport) Lifted, moved and set down by the same vehicle Site cabins, welfare units, anti-vandal units and modular buildings moved across the UK — and placed exactly where they have to go, not left at the gate. Get a Quote Email Us The difference that matters ### A cabin move is two lifts and a journey Anyone can carry a cabin. The job is getting it off one base and onto another — and that is what a crane on the lorry is for. Book a flatbed and you still need lifting at both ends, which means a crane hire at the collection point, a crane hire at the delivery point, and two sets of people standing around waiting for each other. Our crane travels with the unit. It lifts the cabin off its blocks, the cabin rides on the same vehicle, and the same crane sets it down and levels it at the far end. One booking, one visit, one invoice. It also means the unit only gets handled twice. Every extra lift is an extra chance to damage a corner, twist a frame or crack a window. (photograph: Refurbished site cabin slung and loaded on a Nortons hiab lorry) On site ### How a cabin move actually runs (photograph: Nortons hiab alongside two stacked portable cabins on site) #### Arrive and assess The driver / operator checks where the lorry can stand, what the ground is under the outriggers and what is overhead before anything is unstrapped. (photograph: Portable cabin being lifted from a Nortons lorry) #### Lift and swing The unit comes off the deck under remote control, with the driver / operator standing where they can see the landing point rather than the crane. (photograph: Nortons hiab lowering a steel unit over a fence onto its base) #### Land and level Set down on blocks or a prepared base, checked level, and released. A unit that is landed level does not need to be lifted again next week. What we move ### Units we handle every week The names differ by supplier and by trade. What decides the vehicle is the size, the weight and how far the crane has to reach to land it. #### Site cabins and offices Standard site accommodation from small stores up to 40ft by 10ft. The most common single item we carry and the one our wagon and drag units were bought for. #### Anti-vandal and secure units Steel-clad units with shuttered openings. Heavier than they look for their size, which is exactly why the radius question matters before the vehicle is allocated. #### Welfare and drying units Towable and static welfare, canteens and drying rooms. Often needed on site the same week, so they tend to move at short notice. #### Modular buildings and classrooms Multi-module buildings delivered section by section in the order the installers want them, rather than in the order they came off the yard. #### Jack-leg and open-plan units Units on jack legs need lifting off the legs cleanly and landing square. Straightforward with a lift plan, awkward without one. #### Stores, drum stores and kiosks Small, heavy and usually in the most awkward corner of the site. Frequently the reason a long reach vehicle is sent rather than the nearest one. Relocation ### Moving units that are already in service Most cabin work is not a first delivery. It is a unit coming off one site and going onto another, often the same day. (photograph: Portable cabin being relocated between sites by a Nortons hiab) #### Site to site Off the blocks at one compound, onto the base at the next. The unit is handled twice in total, which is as few times as it can be. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a cabin within a single site) #### Lift only, no journey Sometimes a unit only needs moving twenty metres — off a base being re-laid, or round to the other side of a compound. That is a lift, not a haulage job. (photograph: Nortons crew landing a full-size anti-vandal unit on site) #### Full-size anti-vandal units A 32ft by 10ft anti-vandal unit delivered and placed. Big, heavy and entirely routine for the right vehicle at the right radius. (photograph: Nortons hiab loading a welfare cabin onto its draw-bar trailer) Two units, one journey ### Why we run wagon and drag lorries A wagon and drag is a rigid eight-wheeler with a 20ft draw-bar trailer behind it and a 658 crane on the wagon. Both beds carry a unit, and the one crane loads and unloads both. For cabin work that halves the journeys on any multi-unit move. It also means the two halves can be split on site, so the wagon can go into a compound a full sixteen-metre outfit could never enter, drop its unit, and come back for the trailer. It is the single most useful type of lorry we own for cabin and modular work, which is why we run several of them. The wagon and drag units Buying rather than moving? ### Cabin sales are handled next door Nortons Hiab Services moves cabins. Our sister company holds the stock, refurbishes units and sells them, and it is the right place to start if you are buying rather than relocating. If you need both — a unit bought and delivered to site, placed and levelled — either company can set the whole thing up as one job. (photograph: Portable cabin loaded on a Nortons rigid, ready for the road) Used cabin sales  ·  Container transport Storage between moves Common questions ### Portable cabin transport, answered #### Can you move a portable cabin that is already in position? Yes. Relocation is most of what we do with cabins. The crane on the lorry lifts the unit off its existing base, it travels on the same vehicle, and the same crane sets it down on the new one. There is no separate crane to hire at either end and no waiting between the two halves of the job. #### What size cabins can you move? From small stores up to 40ft by 10ft anti-vandal units, and jack-leg and modular units of similar size. Weight matters more than length: the crane has to lift the unit at the radius where it has to land, so the distance from the lorry to the base is the number that decides which vehicle comes. #### Can you stack units on top of each other? Yes, and we do it regularly for site set-ups. Stacking needs the base unit to be level and properly founded first, and it needs the second unit landed square rather than dragged into place. It is a lift plan job, not a delivery job, and we price it as one. #### Do you sell portable cabins as well? Sales are handled by our sister company Nortons Cabins, which holds the stock and the refurbishment side. Nortons Hiab Services moves them. If you need both, we can arrange it as one job. #### How many cabins can you move in one journey? Two on a wagon and drag, since the wagon bed and the draw-bar trailer both carry a unit and the same crane serves both. On a straight artic it is one full-size unit, sometimes two smaller ones. On a multi-unit site set-up we usually run a shuttle rather than a convoy. #### What do you need to know before quoting a cabin move? Less than people expect. What the unit is, roughly, and where it has to end up. From there it is usually two or three questions about where a lorry can stand and what is between there and the cabin, and we will ask those ourselves. You do not need measurements or a weight to get a price. ### Tell us where it has to sit A line about the unit and where it is going is usually enough for a price. If a photograph would help we will ask for one. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Used Portable Cabins for Sale | Nortons Cabins Manchester URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/cabins-sales (photograph: A Nortons rigid craning a blue and white nine foot portable cabin off the bed in a residential street) Bought, refurbished, sold · Manchester We buy, refurbish and sell used site offices, canteens, welfare units and containers — and we deliver and install them. The stock list lives on our cabins site. See What’s in Stock Email Us Buying a cabin ### The stock list is on our cabins site Current units for sale — sizes, photographs and prices — are listed at nortonscabins.co.uk . That site is where the buying happens; this one is the haulage and lifting company that delivers what you buy. Browse cabins for sale → Site offices · Canteens · Welfare units · Toilet blocks · Anti-vandal units · Shipping containers What this company does ### We are the ones who put it where it goes Nortons Hiab Services delivers, lifts and installs the units. Our lorries carry their own cranes, so a cabin arrives and is set down on its bearers by the same vehicle — no forklift, no separate crane, no second visit. On arrival the team can carry out the full set-up: stacking one unit on another, linking runs together, and fitting staircases, ramps and skirting. We move units we sold, units you already own and units from anywhere else. If it needs lifting off a lorry, that is our side of the business — see container and cabin transport . (photograph: Portable cabins double stacked and linked on a prepared base, with the Nortons crane still slung above them) The other direction ### Selling cabins to us We buy used and new portable cabins and shipping containers — single units or a whole compound — depending on condition and location. (photograph: Two operatives on a ladder checking a run of grey portable cabins at the Nortons yard, with the lorry crane slung above) #### What to send us The condition inside and out, the external size, and the postcode the unit is standing on. Those three are usually enough for a figure. (photograph: A run of white portable cabins loaded onto a Nortons wagon and drag ready to leave) #### We collect it too If we buy it, we come and get it. Our own vehicle lifts it off its bearers and takes it away, so you are not arranging haulage separately. Common questions ### Portable cabins, answered #### Where do I see what is in stock? On nortonscabins.co.uk. That is our cabin sales site and it carries the current stock with photographs, sizes and prices. #### What sort of units do you sell? Used and refurbished site offices, canteens, welfare units, toilet blocks and anti-vandal units, along with shipping containers. Offices come with electric heating and lighting. #### Do you buy cabins as well? Yes. We buy used and new portable cabins and shipping containers, single units or whole batches, depending on condition and location. Send the sizes, the condition and the postcode they are standing on and we will make an offer. #### Can you refurbish our own units? Yes. We carry out full refurbishment and reconfiguration in our own workshops, including joinery, plumbing and electrical work, to whatever specification you need. #### Do you deliver and set up? That is the part this company does. Our hiabs deliver the unit and lift it into position, and our team handles the full set-up: stacking, linking, staircases, ramps and skirting. #### Do you have used site cabins for sale? Yes, and the stock list lives on our cabins site rather than here, because it changes constantly and a page of units that sold last month helps nobody. Used site cabins, site offices, canteens, drying rooms and welfare units all come through the yard. If you tell us the size and the sort of unit you are after we can tell you what is in stock or coming in. #### Can I buy a second hand site office rather than a new one? Usually the better buy, yes. A refurbished second hand site office costs a fraction of a new one and for most site accommodation the difference on site is cosmetic. What is worth checking on any used unit is the floor, the door frames and the state of the steelwork underneath - those are the things that are expensive to put right and easy not to look at. #### Do you deliver the cabins you sell? We do, and it is the reason people come to us rather than to a dealer with no lorries. The same vehicle that carries the unit lifts it into position with its own crane, so there is no crane to book separately and no forklift needed at your end. Delivery, siting and later relocation are all the same job for us. #### Will you buy a portable cabin from me? Often, yes. If you have a unit standing idle - a site office, a canteen, a welfare unit or an anti-vandal - send us the sizes, a couple of photographs and a postcode. We will tell you whether it is something we want and we collect it ourselves, which saves you arranging haulage for something you are trying to get rid of. Cabins for sale at nortonscabins.co.uk  ·  Cabin and container transport ### Buying, selling or just moving one? Stock is on nortonscabins.co.uk. For delivery, installation or a unit you want us to buy, email us and we will come back with a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Plant & Machinery Transport UK | Loaded by Crane | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/plant-machinery-transport (photograph: Yellow plant machine loaded on the bed of a Nortons hiab lorry) Lifted on, not driven on · Mainland UK The crane is on the lorry. A machine that will not start, has no operator with it or cannot climb a ramp still gets loaded — and set down exactly where it is needed at the other end. Get a Quote Email Us Why it matters ### Loading is where plant moves go wrong Most failed plant movements fail at the loading, not on the road. The machine will not start, the operator has gone home, the ramp angle grounds it out, or there is no hard standing to load from. A lorry with its own crane removes all four problems. The same applies at the delivery end. Rather than needing somewhere to unload and then driving the machine across the site, we can place it directly where it is going to work — inside a compound, behind a building, on the far side of a trench. Where a machine is too tall for a flatbed we put it on the low loader instead, and where it is over 2.9 metres wide the movement becomes an abnormal load and we handle the notices. (photograph: Nortons artic loaded with a machine ready to travel) What we move ### Plant, machinery and equipment (photograph: Telehandler inside a warehouse being prepared for transport by Nortons) #### Telehandlers and forklifts Moved between sites and into buildings, lifted in through openings where they cannot be driven. (photograph: Boom lift loaded on a Nortons lorry for transport) #### Access platforms and boom lifts Booms and scissor lifts collected from depots and set down inside the compound rather than at the gate. (photograph: Plant machine loaded on a Nortons trailer for a long distance move) #### Long-distance machine moves Norwich to Kilmarnock in one movement. At 44 tonnes gross the journey is worth doing once rather than twice. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a steel frame on a site in Wigan) #### Fabrications and frames Engineering equipment and steel fabrications that are neither standard plant nor ordinary freight. (photograph: Compressors loaded on a Nortons trailer for transport) #### Generators and compressors Skid-mounted units collected, carried and set down on their bearers ready to be connected. (photograph: Machine being positioned inside a building by Nortons) #### Machinery into finished buildings Factory plant taken in through openings and positioned on prepared bases inside live premises. Before you book ### The three figures we need Plant movement quotes go wrong on estimates. These three, taken from the machine plate rather than guessed, settle almost everything. #### Operating weight From the machine plate or the manufacturer’s data, including attachments and any ballast. This decides both the vehicle and whether the crane can lift it. #### Travelling dimensions Length, width and height as the machine will actually sit on the bed — boom lowered, bucket off, mirrors folded. Over 2.9 metres wide changes the paperwork. #### Access at both ends How the lorry gets in and where it can stand with its legs out. Gateway width, kerbs and anything overhead tell us more than a site plan does. Our biggest crane lifts over 8 tonnes and the vehicle carries up to 5.5 tonnes, and capacity falls the further out the crane works; the full charts for all five cranes are on the lifting capacity page . If a machine is outside the chart at the radius you need, we will tell you before the day rather than on it. Common questions ### Plant and machinery transport, answered #### What is the advantage over a normal plant lorry? A machine that will not start, has no operator on site, or simply cannot climb a ramp still gets loaded, because our crane picks it up. On a beavertail or a low loader without a crane, a machine that will not drive is a wasted journey. #### How heavy a machine can you carry? Weight and lifting are two separate questions. On weight, our artics and wagon and drags run at 44 tonnes gross, so the payload is generous. On lifting, our biggest crane lifts over 8 tonnes and the vehicle carries up to 5.5 tonnes, so tell us the machine weight and we will check it against the chart before committing. #### Do you move tracked machines? Yes. Tracked plant travels with the tracks cleaned and the machine chained to its own lashing points. For taller machines a low loader keeps the travelling height legal — see our low loader page. #### Can you collect from a hire depot? Yes, and it is a lot of what we do. Depot to site, site to site as a job phases, and back to the depot at the end. Tell us the collection reference and we will deal with the depot directly. #### What about access platforms and booms? Regular work for us. Boom lifts, scissor lifts and telehandlers move between sites constantly, and the lifting capability means they can be set down inside a compound rather than left at the gate. #### Do you do one-off machine moves for private customers? Yes, not just trade accounts. Tell us the make and model and where it has to go, and we will come back with a price. #### What does plant and machinery movement involve? Plant machinery transport means getting a machine from where it is to where it is needed without driving it there. We lift it onto the bed with the vehicle's own crane, secure it, move it and lift it off at the far end. For anything too tall or too heavy for a flatbed the low loader does the same job with a lower deck height. #### Do you offer plant transport services or plant hire? Transport only. We move plant, we do not hire it out. That is worth being clear about because the two get confused constantly: if you need a machine, you want a plant hire company; if you have a machine and it needs to be somewhere else, that is us. Low loader hire  ·  Abnormal loads Lifting capacity ### Make and model, and where it is going That is enough to start. We will confirm the vehicle, the loading method and the price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Abnormal Load Transport & Escorts UK | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/abnormal-loads (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry alongside large steel pressure vessels ready for an abnormal load movement) Movement orders arranged · Our own escorts Loads over 44 tonnes, over 2.9 metres wide or over 18.65 metres long, moved across mainland UK with the route studied, the notices given and our own escort vehicles in front. Get a Quote Email Us On the road ### What we move as abnormal loads (photograph: Large steel tank secured on a Nortons trailer for an abnormal load movement) #### Tanks and pressure vessels Cylindrical loads with awkward centres of gravity, cradled and chained rather than slung, and escorted where the width demands it. (photograph: Process vessel loaded on a Nortons trailer for transport) #### Process plant and vessels Silos, separators and process units taken from the fabricator to site in one movement. (photograph: Silo loaded on a Nortons low trailer for an abnormal load movement) #### Silos and storage units Tall, light and awkward — the loads where travelling height decides the route rather than the weight. (photograph: Large cable drums loaded on a Nortons hiab lorry) #### Oversized drums and reels Cable drums and reels that overhang the bed, strapped and marked and moved under notice. (photograph: Archimedes screw water turbine loaded on a Nortons hiab lorry) #### One-off shapes An Archimedes screw water turbine carried from New Mills to Bury. A load that is not a box, a cylinder or a machine still has a centre of gravity, a footprint and a route. (photograph: Tower crane lattice sections loaded on a Nortons trailer) #### Crane sections and jibs Tower crane lattice and jib sections on the extendable beds, delivered in the order the erection team wants them. The four thresholds ### Is your load actually abnormal? Exceed any one of these and the movement is an abnormal load. They are alternatives, not a checklist — you do not have to breach all four. The four thresholds that make a load abnormal in the United Kingdom | Measure | Threshold | Measured how | | Gross weight | over 44,000 kg | The combined weight of vehicle and load. | | Axle load | over 10,000 kg on a single non-driving axle, or 11,500 kg on a driving one | Weight through one axle, not the total. | | Width | over 2.9 m | Measured over the widest point of the load, not the vehicle. | | Rigid length | over 18.65 m | The rigid length of the vehicle and load together. | If you are close to a threshold, measure rather than estimate — particularly width, which is taken over the widest point of the load including any packaging, strapping or projecting fittings, not over the vehicle body. Width and length have their own pages. If your load is over 2.9 metres wide, see wide loads . If it is over 18.65 metres of rigid length, see long loads . Both come back here for the paperwork and the escorts. What we actually do ### The haulage is the easy part On an abnormal load the vehicle is rarely the constraint — the route, the notice periods and the escort availability are. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required, and we run our own escort vehicles rather than waiting for someone else’s to become free. We carry out a full route study, identify the bridges, roundabouts, street furniture and overhead constraints, give the statutory notices, and liaise with the police and highway authorities where the movement requires it. The other advantage is that our vehicles lift as well as carry. A crane lifting over 8 tonnes is on the lorry itself, so the load goes on at one end and off at the other without hiring a mobile crane twice. (photograph: Nortons escort vehicle used to accompany abnormal load movements) How a movement runs ### From dimensions to delivered #### 1. Dimensions and route Tell us what the load is and where it has to go. We check it against the thresholds and study the route for bridges, restrictions and street furniture. If we need the exact dimensions to finish the study, we will ask for them. #### 2. Notices and planning Statutory notice given where required, police and highway authorities liaised with, escorts allocated and a movement window agreed. You get a date, not a to-do list. #### 3. Lift, move, place Our crane loads it, our escorts run it, our crane sets it down. RAMS and a lift plan produced by our own NEBOSH qualified health and safety team where the job needs them. Common questions ### Abnormal load haulage, answered #### What counts as an abnormal load? A vehicle and load combination that exceeds any one of four thresholds: 44,000 kg gross weight, 10,000 kg on a single non-driving axle (11,500 kg on a driving axle), 2.9 metres wide, or 18.65 metres of rigid length. Exceeding one is enough — they are not cumulative. #### How is permission for a wide load arranged? Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required, so the notification side is in hand before the vehicle is booked. Getting that started early is usually the difference between a movement happening this week and happening next month. #### Do you provide escort vehicles? We run our own. It matters more than it sounds: waiting on a local police escort to become available can add hours to a movement or push it to another day. Running our own escorts means the timing is ours to plan. #### Do you deal with the police and the council? Where the movement requires it, yes. We carry out the route study, identify the constraints, give the statutory notice and liaise with the police and highway authorities along the route. You get told the date it can move, not a list of things to arrange. #### How far ahead do you need to know? The route study and the notice periods sit on the critical path, not the haulage. Statutory notice to the authorities is a minimum of two working days, and a police escort requested through a force is generally a fourteen day lead time — which is exactly why we run our own. Tell us the dimensions and the two postcodes as early as you can and we will tell you what the real lead time is for your movement. #### Can the load be lifted as well as carried? That is our main advantage over a general haulier. Our vehicles carry their own cranes, cranes lifting over 8 tonnes, so the same outfit that moves the load also lifts it on and off. No crane hire at either end. #### What do abnormal load transport companies actually have to arrange? Notice to the police and to every highway and bridge authority on the route, a route survey where the load justifies one, escort vehicles, and the movement order that allows the movement at all. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required, and we run our own escorts, which matters: an escort requested through a police force generally carries a fourteen-day lead time, and ours does not. #### Is abnormal load haulage something you do routinely or occasionally? Routinely. It is a normal week rather than a special project, which is the useful thing to know when you are choosing between abnormal load transport companies. The paperwork is the slow part, not the driving, so the earlier you tell us the sooner it moves. Wide loads  ·  Long loads Low loader hire RAMS and lift plans ### Moving something out of the ordinary? Tell us what it is and where it has to go. If we need the dimensions to answer you, we will ask. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Wide Load Transport UK | Over 2.9m Wide | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/wide-loads (photograph: Oversized steel tank loaded across a Nortons trailer as a wide load) Over 2.9 metres · Escorted by us Anything wider than 2.9 metres needs notice, marker boards and often an escort. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders as required and our escort vehicles are our own, so the timing does not depend on somebody else’s diary. Get a Quote Email Us On the road ### Wide loads we have moved (photograph: A very large steel drum loaded on a Nortons Volvo rigid with a wide load marker board fitted) #### Drums, reels and round loads Wider than the deck, round, and heavy off-centre. Cradled, chained down and run under notice with the marker board fitted. (photograph: A wide medical pool being lowered between two buildings into a garden by a Nortons hiab) #### A 14 foot wide pool in Wigan A medical pool delivered to a private property in Wigan and lowered between the buildings into the garden, because there was no way through at ground level. Reach is what makes a wide load deliverable when the access is not. (photograph: Nortons lorry carrying wide panel sections) #### Panels and glazed units Wide, flat and fragile. Loaded on frames, strapped rather than chained, and escorted where the width requires it. (photograph: Large green vessel loaded as a wide load on a Nortons trailer) #### Vessels and tanks Cylindrical loads that are wider than the trailer, cradled and marked and moved under notice. (photograph: Nortons wide load on the M74 in southern Scotland) #### The long runs Wide loads do not stop at the North West. Manchester to Scotland, under notice, with our own escort in front. (photograph: Nortons rigid hiab loaded with an oversized twenty by fourteen foot freezer container) #### Containers over the limit A twenty by fourteen foot freezer container, wider than the lane it travels in, moved under notice with an escort in front of it. What your width triggers ### What changes once you pass 2.9 metres Width does not just make a load abnormal; it decides how much warning has to be given and whether an escort runs with it. What happens to a road movement as the load gets wider | Width of load | What it means | In practice | | Up to 2.9 m | Ordinary haulage | No notice, no marker boards, no escort. It travels like any other load. | | Over 2.9 m | Abnormal load | Statutory notice before the movement — a minimum of two working days — and marker boards fitted. | | Wider still | Escort, and often a route study | Whether an escort is required, and how much of the route has to be agreed in advance, depends on the width, the roads and the force area. It is settled at planning stage, not by a rule of thumb. | | Police escort requested | Fourteen days’ notice | That is the notice period forces generally ask for. Using our own escort vehicles is what keeps a movement off that timetable. | Measure over the widest point of the load, including packaging, strapping and projecting fittings. We have deliberately not published a table of exact width bands against exact requirements: escort and attendant rules vary by load, by route and by police force area, and we would rather settle yours at planning stage than have you work from a generalisation. Width is one of four thresholds that make a load abnormal — weight, axle load and rigid length are the others, set out in full on the abnormal loads page . Why our own escorts matter ### The wait is usually the escort, not the lorry A wide load is rarely delayed by haulage capacity. It is delayed by waiting for an escort. We run our own escort vehicles, so a movement can be planned around your programme rather than around when someone else is free. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required. Where a route needs it we carry out a full study, give the statutory notice and liaise with the police and highway authorities along the way — bridges, roundabouts, pinch points, street furniture, overhead lines. And because the crane is on the lorry, the load comes off at the far end without a mobile crane being booked to meet it. (photograph: Wide load marker board fitted to the rear of a Nortons trailer) A wide one ### Fourteen feet across, and no way through the gate A panel this wide is not heavy. What makes it a job is that it is wider than anything it has to pass, so it has to be carried in level, at radius, from wherever the lorry can legally stand. That is the whole calculation on a wide load going into a domestic or a yard setting: not the weight, but the distance from the standing position to the landing point, and whether anything overhead sits in the arc of the boom. If you have something awkwardly wide to move, describe it to us in a sentence and say what is between the road and where it has to end up. We will tell you whether it reaches. (photograph: A Nortons hiab holding a large wrapped panel level in the air beside a stone outbuilding, carried in from the road) Common questions ### Wide load transport, answered #### What is classed as a wide load? Anything over 2.9 metres across its widest point. That is measured over the load itself, including packaging, strapping and any projecting fittings — not over the vehicle body. If you are close to the line, measure it rather than estimate it. #### Who provides the escort? We do, from our own escort vehicles. That is deliberate: waiting for a police or third-party escort to become available is what turns a one-day movement into a three-day one. Running our own means the movement window is ours to plan. #### Do you need to warn the police? Above 2.9 metres, yes — statutory notice is given before the load moves, a minimum of two working days ahead. Wider loads may also need parts of the route agreed in advance, and a requested police escort is generally a fourteen day lead time. We handle the notices and the liaison. You give us the dimensions; we give you a date. #### Can a wide load still be lifted on site? Yes, and it usually needs to be. Our vehicles carry their own cranes with up to 19.6 metres of outreach, so a wide unit can be set down well away from where the lorry is standing — which matters when the lorry itself needs three metres of clearance either side. #### What sort of things are over 2.9 metres? Modular buildings and site cabins, pools and tanks, process vessels, precast concrete sections, plant with the tracks or booms fitted, agricultural machinery, and glazed or panelled units. A standard 32 by 10 cabin is not wide; a double-width modular unit is. All four abnormal load thresholds  ·  Long loads ### Something wide to move? Tell us what it is and where it has to go. We will tell you what it triggers and when it can move. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Long Load Transport UK | Extendable Trailers | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/long-loads (photograph: Nortons articulated trailer loaded with a long sheeted load) Extendable to 45ft · Two-bed options Steel, beams, posts, panels and sections carried on trailers that extend to fit the load — and lifted on and off by the crane that came with them. Get a Quote Email Us On the road ### Long loads we carry (photograph: Railway sleeper posts loaded on a Nortons flatbed lorry) #### Posts, piles and sleepers Railway sleeper posts and piling delivered to Liverpool and to sites across the North West. (photograph: Timber packs loaded on a Nortons hiab lorry) #### Timber packs Full packs banded and sheeted, lifted off in one go rather than broken down at the kerb. (photograph: Nortons lorry loaded with long gate sections on a road) #### Gates and fencing runs Long, light and easily damaged. Loaded flat, strapped rather than chained, and delivered in the order they go up. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a long vessel onto a trailer) #### Single long items A vessel, a mast or a beam that has to travel as one piece, on an extendable bed drawn out to suit. (photograph: Nortons flatbed lorry loaded with banded scaffold boards) #### Scaffolding loads Boards, tube and fittings collected from Hartlepool and delivered to Warrington, loaded and unloaded by the crane on the lorry at both ends. (photograph: Row of garage vehicle lifts loaded on a Nortons extendable trailer) #### Vehicle lifts and long steel Garage vehicle lifts carried from Rochdale to Somerset in one movement, stood in a row along the bed and strapped. The trailers ### Our trailers, and what each is for The extendables are what make a long load straightforward rather than an exercise in overhang. Trailers come and go as the work changes, so treat this as the range we run. Nortons trailer fleet by type | Trailer | What it is for | | 3-axle semi trailer, 45ft extendable | The longest bed we have. Drawn out only as far as the load needs. | | 3-axle semi trailer, 39ft extendable | The middle extendable, and the one that covers most steel work. | | 3-axle semi trailer, 36ft extendable | Shorter extendable for loads that are long but not exceptional. | | 3-axle semi trailer, 45ft | Fixed 45ft beds for full-length loads that need no adjustment. | | 3-axle semi trailer, 45ft, Moffett | Carries a truck-mounted forklift as well as the load. | | 2-axle draw-bar trailer, 20ft | Behind the wagon and drag units, giving a second bed on the same journey. | A rigid length over 18.65 metres, vehicle and load measured together, makes a movement an abnormal load. All four thresholds are on the abnormal loads page . The other answer ### Two shorter beds beat one long overhang A long, light load rarely needs one enormous trailer. It needs two beds and one crane. Our wagon and drag lorries give exactly that: a rigid eight-wheeler with a 20 foot draw-bar trailer behind it, both loaded and unloaded by the crane on the wagon. Fencing, gates, posts, scaffold tube, timber and roof purlins — the long steel rails a building's roof sheeting fixes to — travel far better split across two beds than hanging off the back of one. And on site the two halves can be separated, so the wagon can go in alone where a 16 metre outfit could not. Where the load genuinely is one long piece — a beam, a mast, a tank — the extendable semi comes out instead. (photograph: Long fencing panels loaded flat on a Nortons hiab lorry) Common questions ### Long load transport, answered #### What counts as a long load? A rigid length over 18.65 metres — that is the vehicle and load measured together — makes the movement an abnormal load. Plenty of loads are awkwardly long without reaching that; they still need the right trailer, they just do not need the paperwork. #### What trailers do you have for it? Three extendable semi-trailers at 36, 39 and 45 feet, two fixed 45 foot semis and a 45 foot Moffett trailer. There are also eight 20 foot draw-bar trailers. The extendables are the ones that matter here: the bed is drawn out to suit the load rather than the load being made to fit the bed. #### Can you split a long load over two beds? Yes, and it is often the better answer. Our wagon and drag units give you a wagon bed and a 20 foot draw-bar trailer behind it, both served by the same crane. Long, light loads like fencing and gates travel much more comfortably split than overhanging. #### Do long loads need an escort? It depends on the length, the route and the roads. It is settled at planning stage rather than by a rule of thumb. Where an escort is needed we use our own vehicles, which keeps the movement off the fourteen day lead time a force escort usually carries. #### Can you load and unload the long load yourself? Yes. The crane is on the lorry. Steel, beams, posts and sections are lifted on at one end and off at the other by the same vehicle, with no crane hire and nobody waiting at either site. Abnormal loads and escorts  ·  Wide loads Wagon and drag units ### Something long to move? Tell us what it is and where it has to go. We will match the trailer and tell you whether the movement needs notice. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Steel Beam Transport & Lifting | Delivered and Placed URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/steel-beam-transport (photograph: Bundle of structural steel beams loaded on a Nortons hiab lorry) Delivered and lifted by the same vehicle The steel arrives on a lorry that can put it where it is going. Off the deck, over the wall and onto the padstones without a second crane on site. Get a Quote Email Us The saving ### Steel that lands where it is needed A beam delivered to the kerb still has to get into the building. That second movement is where the cost and the risk live. Because our crane travels on the same vehicle as the steel, the beam goes from the trailer to its final position in one movement. It is never set down in the road, never restacked, and never waiting for a crane that is booked for the following Tuesday. On house extensions and small commercial frames that usually removes a separate crane hire altogether. On a larger frame it means the tower crane is not tied up on deliveries when it should be erecting. Loading in erection sequence is free and saves the steel crew an afternoon. Tell us the order and we will load to it. (photograph: Nortons crane lifting a steel beam over the lorry cab) A job in four pictures ### Structural steel into a live building From the 2024 job book: beams delivered and set inside an existing structure, with the crane working through an opening rather than over open ground. (photograph: Steel beam slung and tagged ready to lift) #### Slung and tagged Beams rigged with the right slings and a tag line before anything leaves the deck. Steel is unforgiving about being swung. (photograph: Nortons crane lifting a steel beam inside a building) #### Working inside the structure The crane reaching in through an opening. This is where published capacity-at-radius stops being a marketing figure and starts being the plan. (photograph: Steel beam being landed onto padstones) #### Landed on the padstones Set down on prepared bearings, checked and released. Straight from the trailer to its final position, with no intermediate set-down. (photograph: Steel beam being lifted into a building frame by a Nortons hiab) Length and the law ### When a steel load becomes an abnormal load Beams get long before they get heavy. A rigid length over 18.65 metres — that is the vehicle and the load measured together, not the beam on its own — makes the movement an abnormal load and brings statutory notice with it, a minimum of two working days. Under that, an extendable trailer drawn out to suit the load handles it as ordinary haulage. Ours extend to 36, 39 and 45 feet, so a long beam does not automatically become a notified movement. Where a movement does need notice, or an escort, we handle both. Our own escort vehicles avoid the fourteen-day lead time a police escort requested through a force generally carries. Long loads and extendable trailers  ·  The four abnormal load thresholds Common questions ### Steel beam transport, answered #### Can you lift the beams into position as well as deliver them? That is the point of using us. The crane is on the lorry that brought the steel, so beams go from the deck to the padstones without touching the ground. On a domestic or small commercial job that often removes a separate crane hire entirely. #### How long a beam can you carry? Three extendable semi-trailers at 36, 39 and 45 feet, plus two fixed 45 foot beds. A rigid length over 18.65 metres — vehicle and load measured together — makes the movement an abnormal load, which needs a minimum of two working days statutory notice. #### How heavy a beam can you lift into place? It depends entirely on how far out it has to go. Our 858 rigid lifts over 8 tonnes and reaches 19.6 metres, and what it holds falls away as the boom extends. Give us the beam weight and the distance from where the lorry can stand to where it lands, and the answer is a lookup rather than a guess. #### Do you deliver in the order we are erecting? Yes, and it is worth asking for. Steel that arrives in erection sequence saves the crew from restacking a load on a site with nowhere to stack it. Tell us the sequence and we will load to it. #### Can you get into a domestic street or a back garden? Often. Beams for a house extension are a regular job — the lorry stands on the road and the crane places the beam where it is needed. The limiting factor is almost always the standing position rather than the crane. #### Do you handle the lift plan? Yes. We have our own appointed persons, and we can supply lift plans and RAMS, generic or job-specific. Check the weight against the radius  ·  Precast concrete ### Steel to move? Tell us what the load is and where it is going. You will get a firm answer, not an estimate. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Precast Concrete Transport & Placement | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/precast-concrete-transport (photograph: Precast concrete unit suspended from a Nortons hiab crane) Carried and placed by one vehicle Units, panels, bollards and street furniture delivered and set down where they belong — once, on prepared bedding, by the crane that brought them. Get a Quote Email Us A job in sequence ### Precast units off the trailer and into place From the 2024 job book. The same crane did every lift on this job, so the units were handled exactly twice: on at the works, off at the site. (photograph: Precast concrete units stacked on a Nortons trailer) #### Loaded and secured Units stacked and strapped on the deck with the load spread across the axles. Concrete rewards getting the weight distribution right first time. (photograph: Precast unit rigged with chains and shackles) #### Rigged for the lift Chains and shackles set to the unit's own lifting points, checked before the load takes any weight. (photograph: Precast concrete unit lifted off a Nortons trailer) #### Off the deck The unit taken up under remote control, with the driver / operator standing where they can see the landing point rather than the crane. (photograph: Precast unit being guided into its final position) #### Guided down Landed on prepared bedding, in the right orientation, by tag line rather than by hand. (photograph: Precast concrete unit landed on timber packing between starter bars) #### Down on its bearings Landed on timber packing between the starter bars and checked square before the chains come off. (photograph: Second precast unit being lifted on the same job) #### And the next one A repeat run of similar units is the best case for a hiab: one vehicle, one driver / operator, one set-up, and no crane standing idle between drops. Why it matters with concrete ### Handle it once Precast is heavy, brittle at the edges and expensive to replace. Every extra set-down between the factory and the final position is an extra chance to chip a corner. A flatbed delivery means the unit is craned off, stood somewhere, and craned again later. Our crane is on the lorry, so the unit comes off the deck and goes straight onto its bedding in one movement. It also means the unit is landed in the right orientation. Turning a precast unit on the ground is how they get damaged; turning it in the air, under control, is routine. Highways and public realm ### Bollards, kerbs and street furniture Concrete bollards and street furniture are a different job from a construction delivery: small, very heavy for their size, and placed on live streets where the footway usually has to stay open. The lift is easy. What takes the planning is the exclusion zone, the traffic management and the timing — and the fact that the drop point is often on the far side of a pavement full of people. Manchester City Council is among our clients and this kind of work is a regular part of the week. Who we work for (photograph: Concrete bollards being placed on a street by a Nortons hiab) More of the same job ### Bollard placement, step by step (photograph: Concrete bollard being lifted from a Nortons lorry) #### Off the deck Each bollard lifted individually rather than as a set. Slower on paper, and much faster in practice than repositioning a dropped one. (photograph: Concrete bollard being set down on its mark) #### Set on the mark Landed on the setting-out mark and released, with the driver / operator working from where they can see the base rather than the boom. Common questions ### Precast concrete transport, answered #### How heavy a precast unit can you place? Concrete gets heavy long before it gets big, so the radius decides everything. Our largest crane lifts over 8 tonnes and reaches 19.6 metres, and capacity falls the further out it works. Send the unit weight and the distance from the standing position to the bed, and we will tell you which vehicle it is — or tell you it needs a mobile crane. #### Can you set units straight off the lorry onto the bedding? Yes, and it is the whole reason to use a hiab for precast. A unit that is set down once, onto prepared bedding, in the right orientation, is a unit that has not been chipped by being handled twice. #### Do you carry lifting eyes, clutches and spreader gear? We carry standard chains, slings and shackles. Proprietary lifting clutches or sockets specific to a manufacturer's unit need to come with the unit or be confirmed at booking — that is a question worth settling at quote stage rather than on the day. #### Can you deliver into a live highway or footway job? Regularly. Bollards, kerbs and street furniture are usually placed from the carriageway with the footway kept open, which means traffic management and an exclusion zone matter as much as the lift itself. #### What about a whole load of units to one site? Wagon and drag units give two beds and one crane on the same journey, which suits a repeat run of similar units well. For a phased delivery we would usually shuttle rather than send everything at once, so units are not stacked on a site with nowhere to stack them. #### Is the ground under the outriggers a problem with heavy units? It is the thing to check first. The heavier the unit and the longer the radius, the more load goes through one leg. Tell us what the legs will be standing on when you book — made-up ground, a soft verge, or a drain or basement under the hardstanding all change where the vehicle can set up. Weight against radius  ·  Steel beams Plant and machinery ### Tell us what the units are What they are and where they have to be set. We will pick the vehicle and price the job. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Glamping Pod Delivery & Transport UK | Craned Into Position URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/glamping-pod-delivery (photograph: Glamping pod being craned over a fence by a Nortons hiab) Delivered, lifted in and set down level Glamping pods, camping pods and eco pods delivered and craned into position — lifted in over the boundary when there is no way through at ground level. Get a Quote Email Us The whole problem in one sentence ### The pod fits. The side gate does not. Almost every pod enquiry is the same shape: the unit is fine, the base is ready, and there is no way to get it from the road to the standing at ground level. That is exactly what a long-reach loader crane is for. The lorry stands on the road, the boom reaches in over the boundary, and the pod comes down onto the base. No dismantling, no track machine across the lawn, no taking a fence panel out and hoping. What decides whether it is possible is not the crane, it is the standing position: how close the lorry can get, and whether the stabiliser legs can go down there without sitting on a drain, a soft verge or a neighbour's driveway. The distance from where the lorry would park to the middle of the base usually answers it. How long reach works (photograph: Glamping pod being positioned on site by a Nortons hiab) How a delivery runs ### From the yard to the base (photograph: Two glamping pods loaded on a Nortons wagon and drag) #### Loaded at the works Pods loaded and strapped at the manufacturer. A wagon and drag can take two, since the wagon bed and the trailer both carry one and the same crane serves both. (photograph: Glamping pod strapped down for road transport) #### Secured for the road Strapped rather than chained, because the finish is the product. Corners protected before anything is tensioned. (photograph: Glamping pod being set down onto its prepared base) #### Landed on the base Set down on the prepared base, checked level and released. The base has to be ready and cured — a pod landed on a base that is not is a pod that gets lifted twice. (photograph: Eco pod being delivered to a campsite by Nortons) #### Eco pods on site Timber units delivered to holiday and campsite locations, often on ground that decides the standing position rather than the other way round. (photograph: Eco pod craned into position by a Nortons hiab) #### Craned into position The lift itself is usually the quickest part of the day. Getting the vehicle into the right place is what takes the planning. (photograph: Eco pod in its final position after delivery) #### Final position Landed square, levelled and released, ready for the fit-out crew to connect and finish. What we deliver ### Pods, rooms and cabins we carry Different names, one job: a finished building that has to arrive undamaged and land level on a base somebody else prepared. #### Glamping pods Camping pods and hobbit-style units for holiday parks and campsites, usually delivered several at a time to a phased site opening. #### Eco pods and shepherd huts Timber-clad units, often on skids or a steel sub-frame. Light for their size, which makes them easy to lift and easy to catch in a crosswind. #### Holiday parks and campsites Pods delivered onto pitches at parks and campsites, where the standing is often well back from anywhere a lorry can get to. The most common single reason we are asked for long reach. #### Treatment and studio rooms Fitted-out units carrying glazing and services. Handled once and landed level, because a twisted frame shows up in the doors. (photograph: Glamping pods waiting in the Nortons yard before delivery) For manufacturers ### Repeat delivery work Pod manufacturers tend to have the same problem every week: the unit is built, the customer is waiting, and nobody knows whether it can actually get onto the pitch. On repeat contract work the same small group of driver / operators handles your product, which means the second delivery of a familiar unit is always quicker than the first — and the access question gets answered by someone who has seen fifty of them. We also hold units at our seven-acre CCTV-monitored yard in Miles Platting between build and delivery, which takes finished stock off a factory floor that needs the space. Contract delivery work  ·  Storage before delivery Two more from the same job ### Close up (photograph: Close view of a glamping pod under a Nortons crane hook) #### Under the hook Slings set to the unit's own lifting points where it has them, and to a spreader where it does not. (photograph: Glamping pod being lowered onto prepared ground) #### Onto prepared ground The last few centimetres done slowly, by tag line, with the driver / operator looking at the base rather than the boom. On the way ### Getting there is half of it A glazed garden room is light for its size and completely unforgiving. It will not tolerate being nudged, twisted or set down on anything that is not flat, so most of the care goes in before the crane is ever used. It travels on the bed of the vehicle that lifts it, which means one loading and one unloading rather than a transfer in between. Every transfer is a chance to damage something that cannot be repaired on site. At the far end the questions are the ordinary ones: where can the lorry stand, what is between it and the base, and is the base actually level and cured. Tell us those and we will tell you whether it is a job for us. (photograph: A large glazed garden room loaded on the bed of a Nortons hiab lorry in a residential street, ready to travel) Common questions ### Glamping pod delivery, answered #### Can you crane a pod into a site with no access? That is the usual job. The lorry stands on the road or the driveway, the crane lifts the pod in over the fence or the boundary wall, and it lands on the prepared base. The limiting factor is almost never the crane — it is whether the lorry can stand close enough and get its stabiliser legs down safely. #### How do I know whether the spot is reachable? Tell us where the lorry would have to park, how far it is from there to the base, and what is in between — a fence line, a boundary wall, overhead cables, soft ground. With those and the pod's weight and size we can answer most enquiries without anyone travelling. If it is borderline, we come and look before you commit. #### How far can the crane reach from where the lorry stands? Our furthest-reaching crane has 19.6 metres of hydraulic outreach and 22.1 metres of lifting height. What it will lift at that distance is 2,900 kg — comfortably more than a glamping pod weighs, but it is the number to check rather than assume. All the charts are published. #### Do you deliver for pod manufacturers? Yes, both as one-off deliveries and on repeat contract work. Manufacturers tend to value the same driver / operators coming back, because the second visit to a similar product is always faster than the first. #### Can you deliver two pods at once? A wagon and drag gives two beds served by one crane, which suits a pair of pods and is how most of them travel. The larger lodge-sized pods go one to a vehicle, because width, not weight, is what runs out first. #### What about the base — do you set it on that? We land the unit on the base you have prepared, level it and release it. We do not lay bases. The base needs to be ready, level and cured before the delivery date; a pod landed on a base that is not ready has to be lifted twice. Long reach hiab hire  ·  Portable cabin transport ### Delivering or siting a pod? Tell us where it has to end up and what the site is like. We will tell you yes, no, or come and look. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Stillage Transport UK | Glass and Tyre Stillages | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/stillage-transport (photograph: Steel stillages loaded across the deck of a Nortons hiab lorry) Full ones off, empties back on Glass, tyre and component stillages delivered and collected by a lorry that can lift them at both ends — without a forklift waiting at either. Get a Quote Email Us What is in the frame ### Glass, tyres and components Glass stillages. Sheets carried upright in an A-frame or a box frame. They have to land dead level and release without twisting, which is exactly what a crane does well and a forklift on uneven ground does badly. Tyre stillages. Bulky rather than heavy, and awkward to handle by hand in any quantity. Usually a circuit job: full frames out, empty frames back, on a regular pattern. Component and casting stillages. Heavy for their footprint, and often going to sites with no mechanical handling at all. This is where a crane on the lorry stops being a convenience and starts being the only option. Storage between legs is available at our seven acres of CCTV-monitored yard in Miles Platting, which is what lets a run be scheduled around the receiving site rather than around the factory. Storage and distribution (photograph: Stillages being handled in the Nortons yard) Why a hiab ### Stillages are a two-ended problem A loaded stillage is heavy, top-heavy and the wrong shape for a forklift on anything other than flat, hard ground. It needs lifting at the despatch end and at the receiving end. Book a curtainsider and you need a forklift and an operator at both ends, available at the same time as the lorry. That is three diaries to line up for one delivery, and the lorry is the one that waits. Our crane is on the lorry, so the stillage comes off the deck and lands where it has to go. If the receiving end is a yard, a verge or a compound rather than a loading bay, that stops mattering. And the empties go back on the same visit, which is what turns a stillage run from a delivery into a circuit. The circuit ### A stillage run, start to finish From the 2024 job book: glass stillages out of storage, delivered, and the empty frames brought back on the same vehicle. (photograph: Steel stillages strapped down on a Nortons trailer) #### Loaded and strapped Frames set square on the deck and strapped, with the weight spread across the axles rather than concentrated over one. (photograph: Stillage being craned off a Nortons lorry) #### Craned off at the far end Off the deck by crane, so the receiving site does not need a forklift, a bay or a level apron. (photograph: Stillage being set down level on site) #### Landed level Set down flat and released. Glass stillages in particular have to land level and come off the hook without any twist. (photograph: Nortons lorry arriving on site with a stillage load) #### Arrival A stillage run is a timed job more often than a lifting one. Getting there in the window is most of the service. (photograph: Stillages being unloaded from a Nortons lorry) #### Unloading Frames taken off in the order the receiving end wants them, not the order they came off the yard. (photograph: Empty stillages loaded for the return journey) #### Empties back Empty frames loaded for the return leg. A run that goes out full and comes back empty is paying twice for one journey. Where the runs go Manchester is the depot and a good deal of stillage work is regional, but the runs go wherever the circuit does — England, Scotland and Wales. Something worth saying plainly: people looking for stillage haulage almost always search with a place name attached, and this site will not claim a stillage run to a town we cannot show one in. The places below have documented Nortons jobs behind them, photographed, though not all of them are stillage jobs. - Ripon and North Yorkshire — process plant and machinery - Blackpool and the Fylde coast — aviation and general lifting - Liverpool and Merseyside — arena, stadium and city-centre work - Birmingham and the West Midlands — site accommodation compounds - Everywhere else — England, Scotland and Wales, from one Manchester yard Common questions ### Stillage transport, answered #### What is a stillage, and why does it need a hiab? A stillage is a rigid steel frame that carries awkward goods upright and stackable — glass sheets, tyres, castings, components. They are too heavy to manhandle and the wrong shape for a forklift on rough ground, so a crane on the delivery lorry is usually the practical answer at both ends. #### Can you collect the empties on the same visit? Yes, and it is generally what makes the economics work. Full stillages off, empties on, one visit. A stillage run that only goes one way is paying for a return journey with nothing on it. #### Do you handle glass stillages? Yes. Glass stillages need landing dead level and released without any twist, which is a crane job rather than a forklift job. They also need somewhere flat to stand at the receiving end, which is worth checking before the lorry sets off. #### How many stillages fit on a load? It depends on the frame size and weight rather than the deck length. A wagon and drag gives two beds served by one crane, which suits a stillage run particularly well because the trailer can be dropped and collected on the return. #### Do you do regular stillage runs rather than one-offs? Most of this work is contract. A regular run with the same vehicle and the same driver / operator means the loading pattern, the site access and the empties collection all become routine instead of being explained every week. #### Where do you run stillages to? Manchester is the depot and much of the work is regional, but the runs go UK-wide across England, Scotland and Wales. Tell us the two ends of the circuit and we will tell you whether it fits the existing pattern or needs a vehicle of its own. Contract and regular runs  ·  Container transport ### How often, and where to? Tell us what the frames are and where they run between. Regular runs are quoted as a circuit rather than a job. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Statue and Sculpture Transport and Installation | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/statue-sculpture-transport (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a tall openwork metal sculpture onto its plinth against a clear blue sky) Public art · delivered and installed Somebody has spent months making it and there is only one of it. Our part is to get it there without a mark on it and set it down exactly where it belongs, first time. Get a Quote Email Us The short answer ### One vehicle, two lifts, no second attempt Nortons carries and installs statues, sculptures and public and private artwork on lorries that bring their own crane — loaded at the foundry, workshop or store, carried standing or laid down, and craned onto the plinth on arrival. Almost everything about a sculpture argues for doing it that way. The piece is handled twice instead of four times. Nobody has to find somewhere to put it down while a crane is set up. And the people who slung it in the morning are the people who land it in the afternoon, which matters when the load has a right way up and a wrong one. The weight is rarely the difficulty. Most pieces we move are well inside what any of our cranes will pick up. What decides the day is the shape, where the weight sits inside that shape, what the surface will tolerate being touched by, and how far the crane has to reach to put it where the drawing says. (photograph: A Nortons Scania hiab with a tall metal sculpture held on the crane hook behind the cab) 19.6m Maximum crane outreach Remote Driver / operator stands where he can see it Contract Lifts taken on in full Our own Fleet, not hired in On the deck ### Getting it there unmarked A sculpture is strapped to a framework rather than to itself. The base is boxed in with timber and steel so it cannot slide or tip, and the ratchets are taken down to that, not thrown over the artwork. Where webbing has to touch the piece it is soft-slung and padded, and where a straight pull would close a sling round something delicate a spreader beam goes on instead. Tall pieces travel upright wherever the height allows it, because standing a sculpture back up on site is a second lift and a second chance to get it wrong. When one has to travel laid down, it is cradled to the shape rather than laid on a flat deck. (photograph: A tall openwork metal sculpture standing upright on a Nortons flatbed, held by four orange ratchet straps) (photograph: Upright, boxed in at the base, four straps to the framework rather than to the piece) The detail that matters ### Where the straps actually go This is the part that decides whether a sculpture arrives in the state it left in. The steel sections chocked against the base take the load, the straps pull down onto those, and nothing tightens against the work itself. It takes longer to load than a container does, and it is the reason we would rather be told about a piece a week early than an hour early. Everything that touches it is worked out before the lorry leaves the yard. RAMS and lift plans  ·  Storage between fabrication and site (photograph: Close view of the base of a metal sculpture chocked with steel sections and held by orange ratchet straps on a lorry deck) On the job ### A cast sculpture onto a green Delivered on the rigid, slung from the crane and walked over a boundary wall onto prepared ground. Click any of them to open it full size — arrow keys or a swipe move through the set. (photograph: A large white cast sculpture standing on the deck of a Nortons rigid parked on a green) (photograph: A Nortons rigid with its stabiliser legs down on grass beside the white cast sculpture on its deck) (photograph: The white cast sculpture slung from the crane above the rear of a Nortons lorry deck) (photograph: The white cast sculpture suspended on the crane away from the lorry with trees behind it) (photograph: The white cast sculpture carried on the crane over a boundary wall towards its position) (photograph: A Nortons Scania hiab standing on the grass with its crane boom extended out across the green) Before you book ### What we need to know - What it is made of and how it is finished. Painted, polished, patinated, cast, welded plate — it changes what may touch it. - Where the lifting points are, if it has any. If the fabricator has built eyes into it, that decides the rig. If not, we work out how to sling it without them. - Which way up it travels, and whether it can lie down. Some pieces cannot, and it is much better to know that before the lorry arrives. - Where the vehicle can stand, and how far that is from the base. The distance from the centre of the crane to where it lands is the number that chooses the lorry. - What the base is and how much tolerance it has. Dowels, a bolted plate and a bed of grout are all different lifts. - Who else is on site, and who the public are. Barriers, pedestrian routes, a parking suspension or a road closure where it is needed. Truck mounted crane hire  ·  When the reach is the problem  ·  Hiab and driver hire  ·  Wide loads Common questions ### Moving artwork, answered #### Do you move statues and sculptures? Regularly, and we install them as well as carry them. A sculpture is a one-off that somebody has spent months making, so it is treated as a lift to be planned rather than a load to be shifted. The vehicle brings its own crane, which means the piece is only handled twice: once onto the deck and once onto its base. #### What makes a sculpture different from any other load? Three things. It is irreplaceable, so there is no version of the day where you have another go. It is usually an awkward shape with the weight nowhere near the middle, so where the slings go matters more than what it weighs. And the finish is part of the work — a scuff on a painted or polished surface is damage in a way that a scuff on a steel beam is not. #### How is a piece protected on the vehicle? Soft slings and padding wherever webbing touches the piece, a spreader beam where a straight pull would squeeze it, timber and steel chocking built up round the base so it cannot move on the deck, and ratchet straps taken to that framework rather than over the artwork. Everything that touches it is chosen before the vehicle leaves the yard. #### Can you install it as well as deliver it? Yes, and that is usually the point of using a hiab. The lorry arrives with the piece on it, sets its legs, lifts it off its own bed and lands it on the plinth. There is no second vehicle to book and nothing standing about on hire. Where the client wants us to take responsibility for the lift itself we do it as a contract lift, with our own plan and our own appointed person. #### What about installing in a public place? Most of this work is in one — a town centre, a retail park, a park or a green. That makes pedestrian management, barriers and sometimes a road closure or a parking suspension part of the job rather than an afterthought. Tell us where it is going and we will tell you what the site needs and who has to be asked. #### How far can the crane reach? Up to 19.6 metres on our largest rigid, measured from the centre of the crane rather than from the back of the lorry. Reach matters more than weight on this work: a sculpture is often going into the middle of a paved area or a lawn that the vehicle cannot follow it onto. Tell us the distance from where the lorry can stand to where the piece has to land and we will tell you which vehicle gets there. #### Can you store a piece before it is installed? Yes. Fabrication finishes and site readiness rarely line up, and we have secure yard and covered storage in Manchester for exactly that gap. It is a great deal cheaper than a wasted delivery and a second collection. More of this work: the 2017 portfolio  ·  the 2019 portfolio  ·  everything else ### Tell us about the piece What it is and where it has to end up. We will tell you how it should be rigged and what the site needs. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Event Haulage | Festivals, Stadiums and Markets | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/events (photograph: Two Nortons lorries loaded with site cabins standing beside the big tent at the Glastonbury festival site) Since 2007 · Festivals, stadiums, arenas, markets The heavy end of building an event. Chalets, kiosks, cabins, containers, barriers and pods delivered and craned into position — often overnight, usually somewhere a lorry was never meant to go. Get a Quote Email Us What we actually do ### We are the lifting, not the organising Nortons delivers and places the heavy components an event is assembled from. Cabins, containers, food kiosks, staging elements, crowd barriers, welfare units and glamping pods — on the deck to site, craned into position, and taken away again at the end. Event organisers work with us because the awkward part is almost never the journey. It is the last twenty yards: over a fence, across grass, into a bowl, down a street that has bollards in it, at four in the morning, with a deadline that does not move because the gates open at ten. A truck-mounted crane suits that better than anything else. It arrives with the load already on it, sets its legs, lifts, places and goes. There is no second vehicle to co-ordinate and nothing standing on hire waiting for a delivery that is stuck in traffic. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a container unit with a staircase onto the trailer at a festival site) Three we can date ### Jobs on the record (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a Christmas market chalet in front of Manchester Town Hall) 5 November 2017 #### Start of the Manchester Christmas Markets Nortons delivering the first two units of the build — the Bavarian beer bars — on the day the markets started going in. From there the council’s Speciality Markets team set up dozens of wooden chalets across several city centre locations on our just-in-time delivery service. The markets host traders from across Europe and draw hundreds of thousands of visitors. At the end of December we do the whole operation in reverse and give the streets back. (photograph: A Nortons tractor unit and flat trailer standing on the forecourt at Old Trafford below the Manchester United sign) June 2016 #### Old Trafford, the television control centre Nortons were asked to move the club’s television control centre to immediately outside the ground so that all the necessary cabling and communication could be set up. Our driver arrived early in the morning and the job was done before the thousands of daily visitors reached the ground. (photograph: A red Liverpool Football Club coffee bar container lifted off the trailer on a Nortons Scania hiab at Anfield) 27 May 2016 #### Site setup at Liverpool Football Club Working at the new LFC. Nortons craning units into position at Liverpool Football Club during the stadium works — this one a coffee bar container coming off the deck and over the hoarding line. One of many across the job; there is a fuller account of the Anfield site setup on its own page. The Anfield site setup in full  ·  Glastonbury  ·  Manchester City Academy Somerset, every summer ### Glastonbury The best known festival in the country, and one of the longest standing runs on our books. Nortons hauls site accommodation to the Glastonbury festival site and back again — welfare units, offices, production cabins and containers, loaded in Manchester and craned off in a Somerset field. The two hundred miles down are the straightforward part. What decides a festival job is the last few hundred metres, where the road stops being a road: soft ground, temporary trackway, a queue of other vehicles doing exactly the same thing, and a build programme where arriving a day late can mean not getting in at all. Coming back out after the event is usually harder than going in. The ground has had a fortnight and several thousand vehicle movements, and everybody wants to leave at once. (photograph: A Nortons Scania hiab with site cabins on the deck standing on grass at the festival site) (photograph: A Nortons wagon and drag loaded with cabins standing beside the large tent at the festival site) (photograph: A Nortons Scania standing on temporary trackway laid across the grass at the festival site) The whole Glastonbury run, in photographs The kinds of event ### Where the fleet has worked (photograph: Nortons vehicle with container kiosks outside the Etihad Stadium in Manchester) #### Stadiums Food kiosks and container units delivered and placed at the Etihad, and site accommodation at Anfield. Vehicles work to the venue’s access rules and the crane does the reaching. (photograph: Container unit opened out on grass at a festival site with a Nortons hiab alongside) #### Festivals Container bars, welfare units and installations placed onto grass at festival sites, including the Brighton Festival build. Ground conditions decide the day, not the load. (photograph: Nortons Scania hiab carrying a wooden glamping pod with a wide load board fitted) #### Glamping pods A pod is a wide load on the road and a crane job on arrival, usually onto rough or sloping ground. Our transport team arranges the movement orders the wide ones need. On the job ### Event work, photographed Click any of them to open it full size. Arrow keys or a swipe move through the set; Escape or the cross closes it. (photograph: Nortons lorry parked in front of Manchester Town Hall during the Christmas markets build) (photograph: Nortons hiab with a red container on the deck outside the stand at Anfield) (photograph: Nortons articulated hiab with a red container unit at the Liverpool Football Club site) (photograph: Red container unit lifted by a Nortons crane with a worker watching from the ground) (photograph: Two workers guiding a red container unit as a Nortons crane brings it upright) (photograph: Blue container kiosk loaded on the deck of a Nortons eight wheeler) (photograph: Nortons articulated lorry inside an arena bowl during a load-in) (photograph: Two wooden glamping pods set down in a field after delivery) Planning one ### What decides whether it works - What the units are, how big and how heavy — each one, not an average - Where the vehicle can stand, and what it is standing on - How far the crane has to reach, and over what - What is overhead: cables, canopies, lighting rigs, trees - The build and break-down windows, and whether either is overnight - Who else is on site at the same time, and who holds the permit system Ground conditions stop more event jobs than anything else. A loaded eight wheeler needs firm footing for its legs and firm ground to stand on, and a field in February is not the same field as a field in July. Talk it through Common questions ### Event haulage, answered #### What sort of event work do you do? Delivering and placing the heavy, awkward things an event is built out of — cabins, containers, kiosks, staging elements, barriers, welfare units and glamping pods. We are the haulage and lifting end of it. We are not event organisers and we do not pretend to be. #### Can you work overnight? Yes, and on city centre work it is usually the only way. The Manchester Christmas Markets build is done while the city is asleep because the chalets go into streets that are full of people by nine in the morning. Overnight and early morning working is normal for us rather than exceptional. #### Can you get into a stadium or an arena? We have done both. The vehicle goes where the venue allows it and the crane does the rest. Access, floor loadings and head height are the questions that decide it, and they are worth settling weeks in advance rather than on the morning. #### How much notice do you need for a festival build? As much as you can give us, because the constraint is rarely the vehicle. It is the site — when the ground is fit to drive on, when your access track exists, when the units are ready and what else is moving at the same time. Tell us the build programme and we will fit around it. #### Do you take things away again at the end? Yes, and it is worth booking both ends at the same time. Break-down is usually more compressed than build-up and the traffic is worse, so it is the half people underestimate. #### What about ground conditions on a field? This is the thing that stops event work more than anything else. A loaded eight wheeler needs somewhere firm to put its legs down and somewhere firm to stand while it does. Tell us honestly what the ground is like and whether there is trackway, and we will tell you whether it will work. #### Do you do glamping pods? Regularly. A pod is a wide load on the road and a crane job at the other end, usually onto rough or sloping ground, which is exactly what a truck-mounted crane is for. Some are wide enough to need a movement order, which our transport team arranges. Related: portable cabin transport  ·  container transport  ·  glamping pods  ·  wide loads ### Tell us about the build What is going in and where it has to end up. We will tell you what it needs and whether it has to be done at night. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Contract Haulage & Hiab Contracts | Nortons Manchester URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/contract-haulage (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry working on a Manchester city centre contract) Trade accounts · Public and private sector An agreed rate, a vehicle you can rely on being there, and no requoting every load. 19 years of moving materials for construction, engineering and hire companies. Talk to Us Email Us Our own Fleet, not hired in 19.6m Maximum reach 2007 Established 7 acres Manchester storage Why contract rather than ad hoc ### The vehicle is there because it is yours that week On a live site the problem is rarely the price of a load; it is whether a lorry turns up when the programme says it should. A contract fixes the rate, fixes the vehicle type and gives you a booking route that does not start from scratch every time. We run a fleet of hiab lorries, wagons and trailers, all our own rather than hired in, and we invest in new trucks continually. That is what makes committing a lorry to a contract possible. The 32 tonne and 44 tonne wagons are Euro VI, so clean air zone compliance is not something you have to check before each city centre delivery. (photograph: Several Nortons hiab lorries working together on one site) Just in time ### The service that came out of small sites Major developments with hundreds of workers on a footprint the size of a car park have become normal across the North West. Storing the materials they need is the part nobody has room for. #### 1. It arrives at our yard Deliveries come to our Manchester depot rather than to your compound. Seven acres, monitored around the clock and secured with CCTV. #### 2. It waits there, not on site Temporary or long term, so the site is not paying for space it does not have or losing a working area to a stack of materials. #### 3. It arrives when it is needed Called off on demand. Our fleet takes it out of storage, delivers it and positions it — the crane is on the lorry, so it goes where it is going to be used. More on storage and distribution Who we do it for ### The kind of work that runs on contract (photograph: Nortons lorry loaded with palletised construction blocks) #### Construction materials Blocks, kerbs, precast and site materials delivered to the working face rather than to the gate. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a fabricated section on a Manchester job) #### Engineering and fabrication Steel and fabrications from the workshop to the site, lifted into position on arrival. (photograph: Nortons trailer carrying a large process vessel) #### Process and utilities Vessels, plant and equipment for utility and infrastructure clients, with RAMS and lift plans as standard. The companies we work for For your tender pack ### What we can evidence - FORS Bronze accredited — assessed against the FORS standard for lawfulness, safety, efficiency and environmental protection - Drivers / operators ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified — most of the team, with continuous skills training - NEBOSH qualified health and safety officer and our own appointed persons - RAMS and lift plans submitted before the work where required - Rail Track PTS held by several of our driver / operators; LINK UP members for safety critical sites - Euro VI across the 32 and 44 tonne wagons, so clean air zone compliant nationwide - Nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads and our own escort vehicles If your pre-qualification questionnaire wants something not on this list, ask — it is quicker than guessing what we hold. Common questions ### Contract haulage, answered #### What does a haulage contract with you actually look like? Usually an agreed rate, an agreed vehicle type and a booking route that does not involve requoting every load. Some clients book by the day for a fixed period, some call vehicles off as a site programme needs them. We will fit whichever suits how your job runs. #### Can we open a credit account? Yes, for regular customers and subject to credit checks. Ask us for the trade account application and we will send it over. #### Do you work for public sector clients? Yes. Public and private sector both, including local authority, utility and infrastructure work. We are FORS Bronze accredited and LINK UP members for safety critical rail sites, which is generally what a tender is asking about. #### What is the "just in time" service? It came out of working on city centre sites with almost no storage. Materials sit in our Manchester yard rather than on your compound, and we deliver and position them on the day they are needed. It stops a small site being blocked by its own deliveries. #### Will we get the same drivers? As far as we can manage it, yes. Our staff retention is high and clients on ongoing contracts tend to see the same faces, which matters when someone needs to know the site rather than just the postcode. #### Do you take on haulage contracts? Yes. Ongoing haulage contracts are a large part of what we do, alongside one-off lifts. A contract with us usually means an agreed rate, a named vehicle type and a way of calling the work off that suits your programme rather than ours - weekly, by the load, or on demand from stock we hold in our yard. #### How do you get haulage contracts in the UK as a supplier? If you are asking as a customer looking for a haulier, the honest version is that most haulage contracts UK wide start with one job that went well. Ours nearly all did. Send us a single movement, watch how it is handled, and talk about a contract afterwards. Anybody who wants a contract signed before they have carried anything for you is asking you to take the risk. #### Is a haulage contract cheaper than booking job by job? Usually, because it lets us plan. A contract that gives us notice of the pattern of work lets vehicles be loaded both ways and lets your loads pair with return journeys, and that is where the saving comes from. We publish no rates because every contract is priced on its own shape. Accreditations  ·  Health and safety Storage and distribution ### Tell us how the programme runs A line about the work and how often it happens is enough to start. We will come back with a rate and a way of booking that fits it. Get a Quote Email Us --- # UK Nationwide Hiab Delivery | England Scotland Wales URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/uk-nationwide-delivery (photograph: Nortons tractor unit on a long-distance run away from its Manchester base) England · Scotland · Wales Manchester is roughly two hours from most of the country. That is why so many of our jobs are one vehicle, one driver and one day — even when they end up in Scotland. Get a Quote Email Us Why the base matters ### Central, and on the motorway network Our depot is in Miles Platting, minutes from Manchester city centre and from the M60, M62 and M6. From there the M6 runs north to Scotland and south to Birmingham and beyond, and the M62 runs east to Yorkshire and Hull. In practice that means a Manchester to Glasgow or Manchester to Bristol job is a day, not two, and the vehicle that lifts the load at your end is the same one that collected it at the other. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required, so a movement crossing several police force areas is planned and notified as one job. Where an escort is required we use our own vehicles rather than waiting for a force escort to be allocated. (photograph: Nortons artic loaded with plant heading north on the M6 near Gretna) Where we go ### Actual runs, not a coverage map These are photographs of our vehicles on the road, taken on jobs. It seems a more honest way of showing coverage than colouring in a map. (photograph: Nortons artic carrying a container on the M5 at Strensham) #### M5, Strensham — the South West Down the M5 towards Bristol, Somerset and the far South West. (photograph: Nortons rigid hiab on the M62 in Yorkshire) #### M62 — Yorkshire and the East Straight across the Pennines to Leeds, Bradford, York and Hull. (photograph: Nortons flatbed on the A1(M) at Bramham) #### A1(M), Bramham — the North East The A1 corridor north to Newcastle and Durham. Mainland Great Britain. England, Scotland and Wales, from one yard in Manchester. If a movement falls outside that we will tell you at the enquiry rather than after you have planned around it. Six jobs, six directions ### What “nationwide” looks like on the ground Anybody can put a map of the UK on a page. These are six jobs in six different parts of the country, each with the photographs it came from. Only one of them is anywhere near Manchester and none of them needed a subcontractor. (photograph: A timber glamping pod loaded on a Nortons trailer for delivery to Bicester) #### Bicester, Oxfordshire A glamping pod run down to Oxfordshire, then craned off the bed and set down on its position in a field. Pods are light and wide, which makes the access the whole job rather than the weight. (photograph: A Nortons lorry working alongside road barriers on a bridge repair at Scarborough) #### Scarborough, North Yorkshire Working a bridge repair on the North Yorkshire coast, alongside a live carriageway with the barrier line set out. Coastal jobs are a long way from anywhere and there is rarely a second vehicle to call on. (photograph: The 855 hiab lifting a fourteen foot wide medical pool at a property in Wigan) #### Wigan, Greater Manchester A fourteen-foot-wide medical pool delivered to a private property in Wigan and lifted into position with the 855. This is the reach job we get asked about more than any other, and the answer is always the same: tell us how far it has to travel from where the lorry can stand. (photograph: A plant machine loaded on a Nortons trailer for the Norwich to Kilmarnock movement) #### Norwich to Kilmarnock A plant machine collected in Norfolk and delivered to Ayrshire — about as far apart as two mainland UK points get. Long movements like this are where one owned vehicle beats a chain of subcontractors. (photograph: A Nortons hiab installing a tall public gateway column at Barnsley) #### Barnsley, South Yorkshire Installing a large public gateway sculpture at Barnsley — two tall columns held on the crane while the crew set them plumb and fixed them down. Not a load so much as a positioning job. (photograph: A Nortons hiab setting out green and white welfare cabins at a compound at Caernarfon) #### Caernarfon, Gwynedd A welfare compound built out across a yard in North Wales, started in the week before Christmas and finished in the January. Cabin after cabin off the bed and set in line, in the dark and the wet. The travelling is done once; the setting out is what takes the days. The other frame from each of the same six jobs. (photograph: A timber glamping pod craned into position in a field at Bicester in Oxfordshire) (photograph: Road barriers and a Nortons vehicle set up at the Scarborough bridge repair job) (photograph: Plant trailers loaded on a Nortons vehicle for a movement in the Wigan area) (photograph: A Nortons trailer loaded for a long-distance plant movement from Norwich) (photograph: Nortons crew fixing down a public gateway column installed by hiab at Barnsley) (photograph: The finished run of green and white welfare cabins across the compound at Caernarfon) None of these six places has a page of its own on this site, and that is deliberate. A town gets a page here when there is enough documented work behind it to be worth reading — Liverpool, Blackpool, Birmingham, Derby and Ripon clear that bar. One good job does not, and a page claiming coverage we cannot show is worth less than no page at all. Everywhere else we work  ·  The full portfolio  ·  When the load is too wide for the lane Worth asking about ### Backloads A vehicle running home empty is a wasted half of a journey for us and a cheap movement for you. If your load is going roughly the direction one of ours is already coming back, the rate reflects that. Tell us the two postcodes and a date range rather than a fixed date — flexibility is what makes a backload possible. Ask about a backload (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry at Gailey on the M6 in Staffordshire) Common questions ### Nationwide delivery, answered #### How far do you actually go? Mainland England, Scotland and Wales. Manchester sits within about two hours of most of the country north of Birmingham and south of Glasgow, which is why so much of our work is single-day and single-vehicle. #### Is a job at the other end of the country worth quoting? Nearly always, yes. Distance is real, but on a hiab quote it is rarely the biggest number - crane size, radius, access and time on site all move the figure more. A job in Cornwall or Aberdeen that pairs with a return load can price better than a local one that does not, so it is worth asking rather than assuming. #### Is a long-distance job more expensive per mile? Usually less, not more, because the fixed costs of the day are spread over more miles. What makes a long job expensive is a wasted one — a vehicle that gets there and cannot load. That is why we ask about the access at both ends before committing. #### Do you run backloads? Yes. If our vehicle is coming back empty from your part of the country, a backload rate is worth asking about. Tell us the route and the date and we will check what is already running. #### Who handles the abnormal load paperwork on a long route? We do. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required, so a movement crossing several force areas is planned and notified as one job. Where a route study or statutory notice is needed we deal with it. Abnormal loads and escorts  ·  Contract haulage The fleet ### Tell us where it is going A line about the load and where it is going is enough to price a run. We will confirm the vehicle at the same time. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Manchester Storage & Distribution | 7 Acres | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/manchester-storage (photograph: Glass stillages loaded on a Nortons lorry ready to leave the Manchester depot) Seven acres · Miles Platting, Manchester Keep the materials off your site and in our yard, then have them delivered and positioned on the day the programme needs them. Ask About Storage Email Us 7 acres Open storage 24/7 Monitored, CCTV secured M60 Minutes from the network On demand Delivered and positioned The problem it solves ### Big projects, small footprints Manchester sites keep getting bigger while the compounds around them keep getting smaller. A development with hundreds of workers on a plot the size of a car park cannot store what it needs, and every delivery that arrives early takes up space the job needs to work in. We built the storage and distribution service with construction clients to solve exactly that. Materials come to our yard instead of your compound, sit there for as long as they need to, and are delivered when the programme calls for them. Because the vehicles are ours, the material is loaded, delivered and placed by one company — and placed properly, since the crane is on the lorry. (photograph: Materials loaded at the Nortons Manchester storage depot) How it runs ### In, held, out #### 1. Delivered to us UK or international consignments come to the Manchester depot. We book them in and unload with our own cranes, so no forklift or third party is involved. #### 2. Held securely Seven acres, monitored around the clock and secured with CCTV. Temporary between phases or long term as standing stock — whichever the job needs. #### 3. Called off to site You tell us when. Our fleet takes it out of storage, delivers it and lifts it into position, and comes back for the next batch. This is open, secured yard storage rather than a warehouse. If your goods need to be under cover or climate controlled we will say so rather than take the space. The yard ### Seven acres off Hulme Hall Lane Open, secured yard storage in Miles Platting, three miles from Manchester city centre and minutes from the M60, M62 and M6. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorries parked in the Manchester storage yard at dusk with containers and the city skyline behind) (photograph: Forklifts, containers and stored materials in the Nortons yard in Miles Platting at the end of the day) (photograph: A portable cabin loaded onto a Nortons hiab lorry at the Manchester yard, ready to be called off to site) #### Everything is loaded by our own crane Nothing here waits on a third party with a forklift. Consignments are booked in, unloaded by the crane on the lorry that brought them, and put where they can be got at again. When the call comes, the same fleet takes them out. The yard runs on the same hours as the office — Monday to Friday 06:00 to 18:00, and Saturday 07:00 to 12:30. Call-offs are planned in advance rather than turned round the same hour, so tell us the date and we will have it loaded. Where the depot is  ·  Cabin transport What we hold ### Materials that go out on demand (photograph: Glass stillages being delivered to a construction site by Nortons) #### Glass and glazing stillages Stillages held at the depot and delivered to a local construction site in the order the glazing programme needs them. (photograph: Fencing and site materials loaded at the Nortons depot) #### Fencing, hoarding and site set-up The kit that arrives first and leaves last, kept out of the way in between. (photograph: Palletised site materials being delivered from Nortons storage) #### Palletised and site materials Blocks, kerbs, packs and pallets, called off in batches rather than dumped in one delivery. Common questions ### Storage and distribution, answered #### Where is the yard? Norton Street, off Hulme Hall Lane in Miles Platting — minutes from Manchester city centre and from the M60, M62 and M6. Seven acres, monitored around the clock and secured with CCTV. #### What can you store? Anything that lives outdoors and that our cranes can handle: containers, cabins, steel, precast, plant, stillages, palletised materials and site equipment. If it needs to be under cover or climate controlled, we are not the right yard. #### Is it short term or long term? Both. Some clients store for a fortnight between site phases; others keep stock with us permanently and call it off as jobs come up. #### Can goods be delivered straight to you? Yes, and that is usually the point. Have your UK or international deliveries come to our depot rather than to a site with nowhere to put them, and we move them out as you need them. #### How quickly can you get something to site? It depends on the day and the vehicle, but the material is already in Manchester and already ours to load, which removes most of the delay. Clients on an ongoing arrangement get a call-off routine rather than a fresh booking each time. #### Do you unload and position it as well? Yes. It goes out on a hiab, so it is placed where it is going to be used rather than left at the gate. That is the whole reason the storage and the haulage sit in the same company. Contract haulage  ·  Container transport Find the depot ### What needs storing, and for how long? Tell us roughly what it is and how long it needs to stay. We will tell you whether the yard suits it. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Back Loads and Return Journeys | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/backloads (photograph: A Nortons rigid with its crane lifting a green kiosk unit beside a lorry with an empty bed) Return journeys · Mainland UK Space on a lorry that is already coming back to Manchester, on a vehicle that carries its own crane at both ends. Get a Quote Email Us What it is ### Space on a lorry that is already going your way A backload is space on a lorry that has finished a job away from home and is coming back to Manchester empty. The journey is already happening and already paid for, so the load is priced on the difference between running empty and running loaded — which is a much smaller number than a dedicated trip. Every load we deliver ends with a lorry somewhere it does not live. A fleet of wagons working across mainland UK produces a great deal of empty running, and none of it earns anything for anybody. The trade is simple and it is worth stating plainly: you give up certainty of date. A dedicated lorry goes when you say. A backload goes when one of ours is finishing near you and heading in the right direction. If your load has to be somewhere by Friday, this is not the way to move it, and we will tell you so. How it works ### Backload or dedicated journey |   | Back load | Dedicated journey | | What you are buying | Space on a journey that is already happening | The whole movement, out and back | | Date | When a vehicle is passing | The day you choose | | Cost | Substantially lower | Full movement | | Best for | Loads with flexible timing | Site deliveries and fixed programmes | | Crane at each end | On the vehicle either way | On the vehicle either way | | Notice needed | The more warning the better the chance | A few days is usually enough | The crane row matters more than it looks. Most return-load brokerage is on curtainsiders and flats with no lifting equipment, so you need a forklift at both ends or the saving evaporates. Our hiab lorries carry their own crane, so a backload to a farm, a yard or a site with nothing on it is still a straightforward job. What travels well ### Loads that suit a return journey - Containers and portable cabins. The most common by a distance, and the crane makes them easy at both ends. - Plant and machinery. Particularly items that cannot be driven and would otherwise need a machine at each end. - Steelwork, fabrications and structures. Where the delivery date has some give in it. - Packaged goods and palletised material going somewhere a pallet network will not sensibly reach. - Anything being collected rather than delivered. A collection on the way home is the purest form of this. And what does not: anything on a fixed programme, anything with a penalty attached to the date, and anything a site is standing waiting for. #### Where our vehicles come back from The regular runs are the M6 corridor to the West Midlands and the South West, the M1 and A1 to Yorkshire, the North East and London, and the M74 into Scotland. Anywhere we work, we come back through — and the whole of mainland UK is worked. Where the lorries actually go (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane unloading panels on a waterfront beside a large observation wheel) The archive ### Every return load we have carried since 2015 331 return loads, twelve years, reproduced exactly as they were posted at the time. Date and journey, nothing reworded. Each year has its own page, and each one explains the service in its own words. - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Getting on the list ### How to be told when one is passing #### Tell us what and where What the load is, roughly what it weighs, the collection postcode and the delivery postcode. #### Tell us how flexible the date is This is the part that decides everything. “Any time in the next month” gets a very different answer from “the week of the 12th”. #### We come back when something fits Sometimes the same day. Sometimes a fortnight. If nothing is going to fit we will say so rather than leave you waiting. Send us a load Email the traffic office More on how backloads work  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  UK nationwide delivery Common questions ### Back loads and return journeys #### What is a backload? It is the space on a lorry that has finished a job away from home and is returning to its depot. The journey is happening anyway, so carrying something on it costs a great deal less than sending a vehicle out specifically. The trade-off is that you take the date the lorry is going rather than the date you would choose. #### How much cheaper is a return load? Enough to be worth waiting for, on most routes. We do not publish a figure because it depends entirely on where the vehicle already is, how far your load takes it off that route and what else is on the deck. Send us the details and we will price the actual movement. #### How much notice do I need to give? The opposite of the usual answer — the more flexible your dates, the better a backload works. Tell us what you have and where it is going and we will offer it when something is passing. If it has to move by a particular day, a dedicated journey is the honest recommendation. #### What can travel as a backload? Containers, portable cabins, plant, packaged goods, steelwork, pallets and most things that will sit on a flat bed. Because every one of our vehicles carries its own crane, a backload does not require you to have a forklift or a crane at either end, which is usually what rules the idea out on a general haulage lorry. #### Where do your lorries come back from? Everywhere in mainland UK. The regular runs are the M6 corridor to the West Midlands and the South West, the M1 and A1 to Yorkshire, the North East and London, and the M74 into Scotland. Anywhere our vehicles work, they come back through. #### Do you carry backloads for other hauliers? Yes, and a good proportion of the work is for other transport companies who need a crane at one end and do not have one. It is a straightforward arrangement and we are used to it. #### What are UK backloads? A backload is space on a lorry that is already making a journey and would otherwise run empty. Back loads UK wide, UK backloads and haulage backloads all mean the same thing: you pay for a seat on a trip that is happening anyway rather than for a lorry dedicated to your load, and in exchange you give up certainty about the exact day. #### What makes your back loads different from a load-matching board? Every vehicle carries its own crane. Most UK backloads are moved by flatbeds, so both ends of the journey need a forklift or a telehandler to get the load on and off. Ours lift it themselves, which is why our back loads work for things a normal backload cannot take. ### Something to move, and time to wait Tell us what it is, where it is going and how flexible the date is. If a lorry is passing, you will get the cheapest space on the road. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2026 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2026 The archive These are the 2 return loads we advertised during 2026, as they were written at the time. Each one was a lorry finishing a job away from home with an empty bed and a journey to make anyway. Nothing here has been reworded. The current year, and it fills up as it goes. Anything advertised is added here, and anything offered directly to somebody on the list never appears at all. (photograph: The boom of a Nortons lorry crane seen from below against the sky as it takes the weight) (photograph: Whatever is on the deck, the crane comes with the lorry) In short ### The trade you are making A back load is space on a vehicle that has finished away from home and is returning to Manchester. The lorry is coming back whatever happens. Putting something on it costs a great deal less than sending one out. In exchange you give up the date. That is the entire bargain and everything else follows from it: the price is low because the journey is not yours, and the timing is not yours for the same reason. Every vehicle carries a crane, which is what makes a return load practical rather than theoretical. Most cheap return-load work needs a forklift at both ends. Ours needs a driver and somewhere firm to stand. How back loads work 1 January 2026 to 11 January 2026 ### 2 return journeys, as posted - 11 January 2026 Are you looking for Hiab or Artic Flatbed hire heading North West to Manchester 1 January 2026 REGISTER FOR OUR RETURN MAILING LIST Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from all 331 loads in the archive rather than from 2026 alone, because 2026 has too few entries to summarise on its own. These are the places that actually appear in a decade of postings. - London - Glasgow - Manchester - Edinburgh - Birmingham - Oxford - Bristol - Cardiff - Southampton - Dumfries - Inverness - Scotland The regular runs behind that list are the M6 corridor to the West Midlands and the South West, the M1 and A1 to Yorkshire, the North East and London, and the M74 into Scotland. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### Tell us what you have and how flexible the date is The load, where it is going and how much give there is in the timing. We will come back when something of ours is passing, and we will say so if nothing is going to. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2025 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2025 The archive No return loads were posted for 2025. Loads were advertised by email and by telephone that year rather than on the website, so there is no list to reproduce — and nothing has been invented to fill the gap. The service did not stop and has not stopped. What follows is how a backload works, where our lorries genuinely come home from, and how to be told when one is passing you. The dated archive for the years that were posted is on the hub . (photograph: Heavy steel pipework and flanged sections loaded on a Nortons flatbed) (photograph: Nothing here needs a forklift at either end) In short ### It comes down to the date A back load is space on a lorry coming home, and the only real question is whether you can wait for one. If you can, it is the cheapest way there is to move something. If you cannot, it is the wrong service and we will tell you so in the first phone call. The journey is already committed. Our vehicle has done a job away from the North West and has to get back to Manchester, so what you pay for is carrying rather than travelling. There is no way to have that price and also choose the day. What does not depend on the date is the lifting. Every lorry carries its own crane, so wherever your load starts and wherever it finishes, we bring what we need to pick it up and set it down. How back loads work Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from all 331 loads in the archive rather than from 2025 alone, because 2025 has too few entries to summarise on its own. These are the places that actually appear in a decade of postings. - London - Glasgow - Manchester - Edinburgh - Birmingham - Oxford - Bristol - Cardiff - Southampton - Dumfries - Inverness - Scotland Those are the ends of the same four runs the vehicles have always worked: the M6 south, the M1 and A1 east and to London, the M62 across, and the M74 into Scotland. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### How flexible is your date? That is the question that decides everything. Tell us what you have, where it is going and how much give there is, and we will tell you whether waiting is worth it. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2024 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2024 The archive These are the 7 return loads we advertised during 2024, as they were written at the time. Each one was a lorry finishing a job away from home with an empty bed and a journey to make anyway. Nothing here has been reworded. What is worth noticing in this year is the spread. Single items, part loads and full decks all appear, because a return load is defined by the journey rather than by the size of the thing on it. (photograph: Galvanised stillage racks strapped along the deck of a Nortons flatbed) (photograph: Steelwork and stillages travel well on a return leg) In short ### What you are actually buying You are buying capacity, not a journey. The journey exists already: a vehicle of ours has finished a job away from home and has to get back to Manchester. What is for sale is the room on it and the driver’s time to handle your load. Priced that way it comes out well below a dedicated movement, and both sides do better out of it — you get the delivery done, we get paid for a leg that would otherwise have earned nothing. The cost to you is that the lorry sets the date. Every vehicle brings its own lifting equipment, so nothing has to be arranged at either end. That is worth as much as the price on a lot of jobs, and it is the reason people come back. How back loads work 15 January 2024 to 13 May 2024 ### 7 return journeys, as posted - 13 May 2024 Wagon & drag Hiab tipping in Glasgow tomorrow afternoon looking for a load back south 26 March 2024 We have a wagon & drag hiab in Edinburgh tomorrow morning looking for a load south - 26 February 2024 We have a rigid Hiab and an artic flat available in Blyth around lunch time today looking for loads heading south 24 January 2024 We have a rigid Hiab available in London this morning look for a load heading back north - 22 January 2024 We have a wagon & drag and an artic Hiab available this afternoon in Bedford 17 January 2024 We have the following Rigid Hiabs looking for back loads: Rigid Hiab clearing Dungeness, Kent this morning looking for load back north. Rigid Hiab clearing Cleethorpes this morning looking for load back toward Manchester - 15 January 2024 Nortons have a Wagon & Drag Hiab tipping in Portsmouth mid-afternoon today, looking for a load back towards Manchester & North West Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from the 7 loads recorded in 2024 — not from a marketing map. These are the places that actually appear in them. - Manchester - Glasgow - Edinburgh - London - Kent - Portsmouth The four runs behind them are unchanged: the M6 to the West Midlands and the South West, the M1 and A1 to Yorkshire, the North East and London, and the M74 north. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### Ask what the space would cost Tell us what you have and where it is going. We will come back with a price for the actual movement. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2023 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2023 The archive These are the 5 return loads we advertised during 2023, as they were written at the time. Each one was a lorry finishing a job away from home with an empty bed and a journey to make anyway. Nothing here has been reworded. This is a good year to read if you have never used a return load before. The entries are detailed enough to show what actually suits one, and what plainly does not. (photograph: A yellow lorry loader crane being lifted onto a Nortons flatbed beside a site cabin) (photograph: Machinery loaded on the way through) In short ### Back load or dedicated lorry A dedicated lorry is sent out for your load. A back load is your load put on a lorry that is already coming back. That single difference is where the whole saving comes from and where the whole compromise sits. On a dedicated job everything is arranged around your delivery: the vehicle, the day, the time of arrival. On a return load the vehicle has already done its work, and yours goes on as it heads home. It suits anybody who can wait until we are passing, and it suits nobody who cannot. The one thing that does not change between the two is the crane. Every vehicle carries one, so the loading and unloading is ours to solve on a return load exactly as it is on a dedicated one. How back loads work 1 January 2023 to 4 May 2023 ### 5 return journeys, as posted - 4 May 2023 Wagon & drag Hiab tipping in Paisley this morning looking for a delivery back south. 7 February 2023 Wagon & drag Hiab leaving London now heading north towards Manchester - 12 January 2023 Are you looking for Hiabs or Artic Flatbed hire heading to Manchester Check our deliveries going towards Manchester 1 January 2023 REGISTER FOR OUR MAILING LIST Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from all 331 loads in the archive rather than from 2023 alone, because 2023 has too few entries to summarise on its own. These are the places that actually appear in a decade of postings. - London - Glasgow - Manchester - Edinburgh - Birmingham - Oxford - Bristol - Cardiff - Southampton - Dumfries - Inverness - Scotland The routes underneath are the usual four: the M6 corridor to the Midlands and the South West, the M1 and A1 to Yorkshire, the North East and London, and the M74 into Scotland. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### Not sure which one you need? Tell us what you have, where it is going and the deadline. If a return load will not make your date we will say so straight away rather than let you wait for one. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2022 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2022 The archive These are the 12 return loads we advertised during 2022, as they were written at the time. Each one was a lorry finishing a job away from home with an empty bed and a journey to make anyway. Nothing here has been reworded. Read down the dates and you can see the shape of a working week — a run out, a day or two away, and a vehicle coming back through somewhere it can be useful. (photograph: A large steel tank strapped to a Nortons drawbar trailer on a street) (photograph: One heavy item, one journey, and a great deal of empty deck) In short ### Cheaper than a dedicated lorry, and here is why A back load is freight moved on a return journey rather than on a journey laid on for it. The lorry has taken its own cargo out, it is empty, and it is heading for the North West. Anything it carries on the way is carried on a trip that was going to happen anyway. A dedicated journey is priced on the whole movement, out and back. A return load is priced on the difference between running empty and running loaded, and that is a much smaller sum. The only thing you hand over in exchange is the date. And because our lorries carry their own cranes, you are not paying for a forklift or a mobile crane at either end. That is often where the saving on cheap haulage quietly disappears. How back loads work 14 February 2022 to 30 November 2022 ### 12 return journeys, as posted - 30 November 2022 Hiabs looking for loads North West. Rigid in central London from mid-morning. Artic in Dartford around lunch time today. 2 November 2022 Rigid available in Peterhead later today looking for a journey south. - 12 October 2022 Hiabs available tomorrow morning driving North West. Artic Hiab in Bristol. Wagon & Drag Hiab in Gloucester. 4 October 2022 Hiab in Scotland looking for deliveries going south. Tuesday morning Wagon & Drag in Fort William. Tuesday afternoon Wagon & Drag Inverness. - 3 October 2022 Hiab in Scotland looking for backloads south. Monday afternoon/Tuesday morning Rigid Hiab in Perth. Tuesday morning Wagon & Drag Hiab in Fort William. Tuesday afternoon Wagon & Drag Hiab Inverness. 15 March 2022 Rigid and a Wagon & Drag tipping in Cornwall this morning looking for loads back north - 10 March 2022 Rigid and an Artic free in Cardiff this afternoon / tomorrow morning travelling back to Manchester. 16 February 2022 Artic and a rigid in south Wales looking for a job north today. - Wagon & drag tipping in Southampton this afternoon/tomorrow morning returning north. Wagon & drag tipping in Southampton this afternoon/tomorrow morning going north. 16 February 2022 We have a wagon & drag tipping in Southampton this afternoon/tomorrow morning looking for a load back north. - 14 February 2022 Various Hiabs in Pembroke returning North tomorrow. Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from the 12 loads recorded in 2022 — not from a marketing map. These are the places that actually appear in them. - Southampton - Fort William - Inverness - Scotland - Dartford - London - Bristol - Gloucester - Cardiff - Manchester - Wales They are the ends of the same four runs the fleet has always worked: the M6 south, the M1 and A1 east and to London, the M62 across, and the M74 into Scotland. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### Compare it against a dedicated journey Tell us what you have and where it is going and we will price both, so you can see the gap and decide whether the wait is worth it. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2021 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2021 The archive These are the 3 return loads we advertised during 2021, as they were written at the time. Each one was a lorry finishing a job away from home with an empty bed and a journey to make anyway. Nothing here has been reworded. Every line below started life as a note from the traffic office saying a vehicle was going to be empty. That is all a back load listing ever is, and it is the reason the wording is as plain as it is. (photograph: A Nortons rigid loaded with wrapped packs and ladder sections, strapped down) (photograph: Strapped down for the run back through) In short ### How an empty lorry gets advertised A back load starts when a job finishes. A driver clears his delivery, the office knows where he is and when he will be moving, and the space on the way home goes on a list rather than going to waste. Whoever takes it gets a much lower price than a dedicated journey, because the journey has already been paid for by the job that created it. In return they take the vehicle’s timetable rather than their own, and that is not negotiable — the lorry is coming home whatever happens. Ours are hiabs and artic flatbeds, which means the crane travels with the load. A back load into somewhere with no plant on site is a normal day rather than a problem to solve. How back loads work 20 January 2021 to 22 April 2021 ### 3 return journeys, as posted - 22 April 2021 Available this morning: Rigid with draw bar trailer in Lincoln Rigid Hiab in Derby Rigid in Peterborough 9 March 2021 Rigid tipping in Dundee this morning looking for a delivery back south. - 20 January 2021 I have a wagon & drag tipping in Sterling tomorrow morning so looking for a journey back down. Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from the 3 loads recorded in 2021 — not from a marketing map. These are the places that actually appear in them. - Derby - Lincoln - Peterborough - Dundee The listings come from four regular runs: the M6 to the West Midlands and the South West, the M1 and A1 to Yorkshire, the North East and London, and the M74 to Scotland. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### Get told when one is going your way Tell us what you have and where it is going and we will keep it in front of the traffic office. When something is passing with room on it, you hear about it. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2020 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2020 The archive These are the 6 return loads we advertised during 2020, as they were written at the time. Each one was a lorry finishing a job away from home with an empty bed and a journey to make anyway. Nothing here has been reworded. The names on this list are a fair sample of who actually uses return loads: other hauliers, plant and cabin firms, contractors clearing a site, and a fair number of private customers with one large awkward thing. (photograph: A timber pod with arched windows strapped down on a Nortons flatbed) (photograph: Long, light and awkward — and it still has to get home) In short ### Who back loads are for A back load is space on a vehicle returning to Manchester, sold to whoever can use it. That is most often another transport company who needs a crane at one end and has not got one, and it is nearly as often somebody moving a single item that no pallet network will touch. It works when the date has some give in it and it fails when it has not. A return load goes when one of our vehicles is finishing near you and pointing the right way. If yours has to be there on a stated day, ask for a dedicated journey instead — it is a different price and it is the right answer. What you get either way is a lorry with its own crane. No forklift at your end, none at theirs, and nothing standing on hire waiting for a delivery. How back loads work 13 January 2020 to 25 November 2020 ### 6 return journeys, as posted - 25 November 2020 We have a rigid Hiab tipping Dumfries this morning looking for a delivery back south 28 September 2020 We are looking for a journey from Glasgow on Tuesday morning Hiab Wagon & Drag, Artic or rigid. - 3 August 2020 Wagon & drag Hiab tipping in Huntingdon tomorrow morning looking for a delivery back towards Manchester. 24 February 2020 Nortons have one artic Hiab and 1 artic flat tipping in West Horndon, Essex this afternoon looking for loads back north. - 20 January 2020 Wagon & drag/Hiab available in Livingston from tomorrow lunch time. 13 January 2020 Artic Hiab available in Glasgow from 1pm today. Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from the 6 loads recorded in 2020 — not from a marketing map. These are the places that actually appear in them. - Glasgow - Dumfries - Huntingdon - Manchester - Essex - Livingston Behind the list are the same four corridors: the M6 to the Midlands and the West Country, the M1 and A1 to Yorkshire, the North East and London, and the M74 into Scotland. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### Whether you are a haulier or moving one item Tell us what it is, where it has to go and how firm the date is. The answer is the same either way, and you will get it quickly. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2019 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2019 The archive These are the 17 return loads we advertised during 2019, as they were written at the time. Each one was a lorry finishing a job away from home with an empty bed and a journey to make anyway. Nothing here has been reworded. Not every return is completely empty. A good many of the entries below went alongside something else that was already strapped down, which is why the sizes vary as much as they do. (photograph: A Nortons trailer loaded with a row of dark stacked units outside a warehouse) (photograph: A full deck one way is only half the journey) In short ### Why a return leg costs less A back load is carried on a vehicle that is coming back either empty or only part loaded. The fuel, the driver’s day and the wear on the lorry are already committed to that journey, so the only new cost is handling what you want moving. That is why the figure comes out where it does, and it is also why we cannot quote one in advance. It depends where the vehicle already is, how far your load pulls it off that line and what else is on the bed beside it. The lifting is not a separate arrangement. The crane is bolted to the lorry, so a load coming off a yard with nothing in it and going onto a site with nothing in it is still one booking and one vehicle. How back loads work 28 January 2019 to 18 November 2019 ### 17 return journeys, as posted - 18 November 2019 Artic Hiab available in Bristol this afternoon. 3 September 2019 We have a Wagon & Drag in the Edinburgh area available to do local work today. - 2 September 2019 We have a Wagon & Drag looking for work in the Edinburgh/Glasgow area tomorrow. 21 August 2019 We have an artic Hiab tipping in Bridgewater this afternoon looking for a load coming North. - 20 August 2019 We have a BACK LOAD: wagon & drag clear in Monmouth first thing tomorrow morning heading back to Manchester. 19 August 2019 We have a wagon & drag tipping in Dartford this afternoon heading back to Manchester. - 7 August 2019 Rigid Hiab tipping in Penzance looking for load back North. 27 June 2019 Artic Hiab available tomorrow morning in Ross on Wye looking for load back north. - 20 June 2019 Wagon & drag Hiab available in Glastonbury mid-morning today. 30 May 2019 2 45ft flats tipped in Glastonbury looking for job heading North now. - 23 May 2019 Artic available in Southampton tomorrow morning looking for load back to Manchester area. 30 January 2019 Wagon & Drag Hiab in Glasgow available today. - Rigid Hiab in Dumfries available this morning. Artic Hiab in London available tomorrow morning. 30 January 2019 Wagon & Drag Hiab & 45ft flat in Chesterfield available tomorrow morning. - Rigid in Caernarfon available this afternoon. 28 January 2019 Artic Hiab available in Stirling this afternoon. Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from the 17 loads recorded in 2019 — not from a marketing map. These are the places that actually appear in them. - Manchester - Edinburgh - Glasgow - Glastonbury - Bristol - Dartford - Southampton - Dumfries - London - Stirling Those places are the ends of the four runs that fill the diary: the M6 south, the M1 and A1 east, the M62 across the Pennines and the M74 into Scotland. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### Ask what a return leg would cost Tell us what you have and where it is going. We will price the actual movement rather than quote off a rate card that has never seen your job. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2018 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2018 The archive These are the 18 return loads we advertised during 2018, as they were written at the time. Each one was a lorry finishing a job away from home with an empty bed and a journey to make anyway. Nothing here has been reworded. Half of every haulage job earns nothing. The lorry goes out loaded and comes back empty, and the second half of that is paid for out of the first. This list is what we managed to do about it in 2018. (photograph: A Nortons Volvo with a white unit on the bed, standing in a fenced compound) (photograph: Delivered, and empty from here on) In short ### The half of the journey nobody pays for A back load is a load carried on the unpaid half of a journey. The vehicle is going home regardless; a load on it turns dead mileage into work, which is why it can be priced so much lower than a trip laid on for you alone. It saves you a second haulier and it saves us an empty motorway, and both of those are real. What it does not do is let you pick the day. That is the trade, it is the only trade, and everything else about a return load follows from it. Because every vehicle carries a crane, the load does not have to be somewhere with lifting equipment. Yard, field, verge, farm track — the lorry brings what it needs to pick the load up and put it down again. How back loads work 23 January 2018 to 4 December 2018 ### 18 return journeys, as posted - 4 December 2018 Artic Hiab and Artic flatbed tipping in Bridgwater this afternoon. 2 December 2018 Wagon & Drag in Glasgow this afternoon. - Rigid Hiab in Leicester this afternoon. Rigid Hiab in Gateshead tomorrow morning. 8 November 2018 Artic tipping in Swindon this afternoon driving back north for this afternoon or tomorrow morning. - 18 June 2018 Artic Hiab available for hire in Chichester this afternoon. 18 April 2018 Rigid free in Edinburgh this afternoon / tomorrow morning looking for load to come south. - 23 March 2018 Wagon drag available in Bellshill on Monday morning. 19 March 2018 Rigid Hiab clear in South Shields tomorrow morning. - 15 March 2018 Artic Hiab with step frame trailer available in Bideford this morning. 12 March 2018 Hiabs & Artic flats for hire available in Newton Abbott tomorrow morning. - 28 February 2018 Rigid & a wagon & drag just leaving Oxford heading north. 20 February 2018 Have a wagon & drag free in Oxford this after or ‪tomorrow morning. - 8 February 2018 Artic Hiab going from Manchester to north London on Monday or Tuesday next week, looking for load going down. 6 February 2018 Looking for load going from Manchester to London for tomorrow. - 30 January 2018 Rigid free in Barnsley this morning. Wagon & drag for hire heading north from Portsmouth. 23 January 2018 Artic in Kilmarnock free this afternoon looking to come south. Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from the 18 loads recorded in 2018 — not from a marketing map. These are the places that actually appear in them. - Oxford - London - Manchester - Glasgow - Swindon - Chichester - Edinburgh - Bellshill - Portsmouth - Kilmarnock The pattern is the same one the fleet still works to: the M6 to the West Midlands and the South West, the M1 and A1 to Yorkshire, the North East and London, and the M74 north. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### Put something on an empty deck Tell us what you have, where it is going and how flexible you can be. We will tell you honestly how often we pass and how long a wait it is likely to be. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2017 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2017 The archive These are the 45 return loads we advertised during 2017, as they were written at the time. Each one was a lorry finishing a job away from home with an empty bed and a journey to make anyway. Nothing here has been reworded. Everything here was collected on the way past. None of these journeys was made for the load on it — the vehicle was already pointed at Manchester when the job came in. (photograph: Two Nortons lorries standing on a yard with a dark unit on the deck between them) (photograph: Two vehicles, one load, and a yard to get back to) In short ### Collected on the way home A back load is a collection made by a lorry that is already on its way back. The vehicle has done what it went out to do, the deck is clear, and it has several hundred miles to cover before it is any use to anybody again. Filling that deck costs a fraction of sending a lorry out on purpose, and that is the whole of the saving. What it costs you instead is control of the date. A return load moves when a vehicle of ours is finishing near you and heading the right way, which might be tomorrow and might be a fortnight. The crane is on the vehicle, so the collection does not depend on you having anything to lift with. That is the difference between a back load with us and a back load on a general haulage lorry, and it is usually the thing that makes the idea workable at all. How back loads work 25 January 2017 to 6 December 2017 ### 45 return journeys, as posted - 6 December 2017 Artic tipping available in Chelmsford tomorrow morning. 29 November 2017 Low loader tipping in Rochester this morning, looking for load back north towards Manchester. - 28 November 2017 Rigid tipping in Tottenham this morning. 21 November 2017 Various Hiabs tipping in Cardiff tomorrow morning (wagon & drag, artic & Rigid) available to go anywhere. - 18 September 2017 Wagon & drag / Hiab available in Cambridge this afternoon. Artic Hiab available in Harpenden tomorrow morning. Rigid Hiab, Artic Hiab & 45ft artic flatbed available for hire in Oxford tomorrow morning. - 18 September 2017 45ft flat in Hassocks tomorrow morning. 13 September 2017 Rigid Hiab free in Ipswich just leaving Ipswich heading North West to Manchester. - 12 September 2017 Wagon & Drag Hiab available in Nottingham and Birmingham this morning if any good. Artic Hiab free in Derby tomorrow morning going North West. 7 August 2017 Wagon & Drag Hiab free in Canterbury this afternoon. - Artic Hiab for hire in Falkirk tomorrow morning. 24 July 2017 Rigid Hiabs available in Birmingham, Southampton & Workington. 4 July 2017 Wagon & drag free in Glasgow this afternoon / tomorrow morning. - 14 June 2017 Artic Hiab plus artic free in the Ascot/Windsor area this afternoon. 8 June 2017 2 wagon & drags free in Fort Augustus, Scotland on Tuesday 13th June. - 5 June 2017 Wagon & drag free in Bristol this afternoon. Wagon & drag free in Rochester this afternoon. 2 45ft flats free in Cambridge. - 23 May 2017 Artic plus artic flatbed for hire available this afternoon in Bristol. Wagon & drag available this afternoon/tomorrow morning in Tunbridge. Wagon & drag available this afternoon in Basingstoke. - 22 May 2017 Wagon & drag and artic Hiab free in Glastonbury this afternoon. Wagon & drag free in Glasgow area tomorrow morning. Wagon & drag free in Brighton area tomorrow morning. - 18 May 2017 Wagon & drag free in Cardiff this morning. 15 May 2017 Wagon & drag free in Hereford this afternoon. - 9 May 2017 Artic available in Portsmouth this afternoon looking for a load heading north going to Manchester 3 April 2017 Artic available this afternoon in Bristol / Avonmouth. - 28 March 2017 Artic Hiab available in Erith this afternoon. 27 March 2017 Rigid available in Birmingham 8/9am tomorrow morning. - 22 March 2017 Rigid available in Dumfries this afternoon. Rigid in Dumfries this afternoon. 21 March 2017 Rigid Hiab available this afternoon in Swansea going North West. - 13 March 2017 Rigid available this afternoon in Dundee. 10 March 2017 Rigid available Monday afternoon in Dundee. - 20 February 2017 Rigid free in London this afternoon. 17 February 2017 Rigid available Monday morning in London. - 8 February 2017 Artic going from Manchester to north London on Monday or Tuesday next week, looking for load going down. 7 February 2017 Low loader free in Newport this afternoon, heading North. - 6 February 2017 Wagon & drag and a rigid free in Newport this afternoon. 2 February 2017 Wagon & drag free in Ipswich this morning. - 31 January 2017 Rigid Hiab Hire available in Peterborough this morning going towards Manchester 25 January 2017 Wagon & Drag available in London approximately 11am today. Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from the 45 loads recorded in 2017 — not from a marketing map. These are the places that actually appear in them. - Manchester - London - Birmingham - Bristol - Rochester - Cardiff - Cambridge - Ipswich - Glasgow - Dumfries - Dundee - Newport They are the by-product of four regular runs — the M6 corridor south, the M1 and A1 east and down to London, the M62 across, and the M74 into Scotland. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### Something waiting to be collected? Tell us what it is and where it has to go. If a vehicle is passing you on its way back we will put the two together. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2016 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2016 The archive These are the 119 return loads we advertised during 2016, as they were written at the time. Each one was a lorry finishing a job away from home with an empty bed and a journey to make anyway. Nothing here has been reworded. A lorry is rarely full on the way home and it is almost never full in both directions. The entries below are what went on decks that would otherwise have carried air back up the motorway. (photograph: A Nortons flatbed trailer loaded with strapped and wrapped packs of bricks) (photograph: Palletised material is the most common thing on a return journey) In short ### Space on a lorry that is already going A back load is freight put on a vehicle that is already making the journey. Our wagons come north out of jobs all over the country, and a deck with room on it earns nothing at all between the delivery point and the yard gate. Because the journey is happening anyway, the price is built on what it costs to carry rather than what it costs to travel. The catch is the timetable, and it is worth being blunt about it: you take the day the lorry is going. If your delivery has a date written into a contract, book a dedicated vehicle and we will tell you so. Every one of our vehicles carries its own crane, which quietly removes the problem that kills most cheap haulage. There is no forklift to arrange at either end and no waiting for somebody else’s machine to be free. How back loads work 4 January 2016 to 8 December 2016 ### 119 return journeys, as posted - 8 December 2016 Rigid Hiab free in Bristol this morning. 1 December 2016 Rigid free in Glasgow tomorrow looking for a load south going to Manchester. - 29 November 2016 Wagon & drag in Birmingham. 28 November 2016 Wagon & drag in Plymouth this afternoon / tomorrow. - 24 November 2016 Artic free in Bristol this morning. 23 November 2016 Rigid and 45ft Artic flatbeds heading north from Cardiff this morning. - Rigid plus wagon & drag in Warwick later this morning. Low loader heading north from Walthamstow, London this afternoon/tomorrow morning. 22 November 2016 2 artic available in London now. - 21 November 2016 Wagon & drag free in Glasgow this afternoon. Rigid Hiab free in Lincoln later this afternoon or first thing tomorrow morning. 17 November 2016 Rigid free in the Birmingham area now. - 15 November 2016 2 rigid Hiabs free in London this morning, looking for loads north. 14 November 2016 Artic Hiab available this afternoon in Dumfries. - Rigid free in Basildon tomorrow morning. 9 November 2016 Rigid Hiab and an artic Hiab available in Glasgow on Thursday morning Looking for loads back south. 31 October 2016 2 rigid Hiabs for hire in Winchester this afternoon. - 1 artic & 1 45ft flat free in Hereford tomorrow morning. 11 October 2016 Low loader available in Edinburgh this afternoon, please let me know if you have a load to come south. 5 September 2016 Artic Hiab available Tuesday afternoon / Wednesday morning in Inverness. - 23 August 2016 Wagon & drag available in the Stirling, Edinburgh, Glasgow area tomorrow afternoon. 18 August 2016 Rigid Hiab in Spalding this afternoon. - 16 August 2016 45ft flat with Moffett available in Peterborough first thing tomorrow morning. Wagon & drag free in Fife late morning on Thursday. Wagon & drag free in Birmingham tomorrow pm. - 10 August 2016 Rigid in Inverness available. 2 rigid Hiabs in Kings Lynn available this afternoon. Wagon & drag in Chelmsford available this afternoon. - 9 August 2016 45ft flat available in Shrewsbury this morning . Rigid available in Inverness tomorrow midday. Wagon & drag available in Maidstone tomorrow morning. - 9 August 2016 Rigid wagon available in Liverpool now. 4 August 2016 45ft flat heading north from Swindon now. - 3 August 2016 Artic Hiab free in St Austell mid morning today heading back towards Manchester. Wagon & drag, 45ft flat & an artic available in Abergavenny mid afternoon today. 29 July 2016 Artic in North London tomorrow morning. - 19 July 2016 Rigid and a 45ft flat in Bridgend tomorrow pm. 15 July 2016 8 wheeler hiab for hire in Dundee on Mon 18th July afternoon / Tue 19th morning. - 9 June 2016 Rigid in Glasgow this afternoon / tomorrow. 8 June 2016 Rigid for hire in Glasgow tomorrow morning. - 24 May 2016 Wagon & drag in Middlesex around lunch time today. Artic flatbed with moffet free in Tunbridge mid afternoon today. Wagon & drag free in Glasgow tomorrow morning. - 18 May 2016 4 X 45ft flat trucks in Carnforth tomorrow. 11 May 2016 1 Artic and 45ft flatbeds available in Bellshill this afternoon. - 5 May 2016 Artic and a wagon & drag available in Aberdeen Friday late morning. 27 April 2016 Rigid to hire in Wisbech now. - Rigid free in Dunstable tomorrow morning. 14 April 2016 Wagon & Drag heading north from Southampton on Thursday morning 45ft flat free in St Neots this afternoon. - 13 April 2016 2 45ft flats free in St Neots this afternoon. Artic in Chelmsford this afternoon. Wagon & Drag in Stanstead tomorrow. - 13 April 2016 Wagon & Drag in Chichester this afternoon. Low loader free in Dunbar tomorrow. Rigid for hire in Fife this afternoon. - 11 April 2016 Low loader and a step frame free in Birmingham tomorrow morning. 2 rigid Hiabs free in Middlesex tomorrow Rigid Hiab and a wagon & drag free in Basingstoke tomorrow morning. - 11 April 2016 Rigid Hiab free in Newton Aycliffe tomorrow afternoon. Artic Hiab free in Dumfries tomorrow morning. 7 April 2016 45ft flatbed available in Birmingham this morning. - 6 April 2016 Wagon & drag & 45ft flat in Bristol tomorrow morning. 4 April 2016 Artic truck in Harrogate now. - 29 March 2016 Artic wagon in Kilmarnock today. 24 March 2016 Artic and hiab in Glasgow on Tuesday 29th March - Artic wagon in Kilmarnock on Tuesday 29th March. 18 March 2016 2 rigid Hiabs tipping in Hounslow on Tuesday morning looking for loads back north. 17 March 2016 3 45ft flatbeds for hire in Hounslow London late morning today. - 16 March 2016 Rigid in London E14 this afternoon. Rigid in Eastleigh this afternoon. Wagon & Drag in Lewisham this afternoon. - 7 March 2016 Rigid in Bournemouth this afternoon. 29 February 2016 Various Hiabs and flats available in Coventry tomorrow going North West. - 25 February 2016 Rigid available in Birmingham. Rigid Hiab in Newport. Wagon & drag in Kilmarnock. - 24 February 2016 Rigid Hiabs, Wagon & Drag Hiabs and 45ft flats free in Croydon throughout today & tomorrow. Wagon & drag available in Kilmarnock Friday. Artic hiab in Middlesbrough tomorrow. - 24 February 2016 Wagon & Drag Hiabs and 45ft flatbeds free in Croydon throughout today & tomorrow. 23 February 2016 Artic Hiab in Cardiff this morning. - 18 February 2016 Rigid in Birmingham 8 am tomorrow. Rigid in Braintree Essex now. Artic Hiab & 45ft Flat free in Bournemouth tomorrow morning at 9am looking for loads north. - 18 February 2016 Various flats free in Birmingham this afternoon. 12 February 2016 6 wheeler hiab free in Great Yarmouth Monday 15th Feb. - 10 February 2016 Wagon & drag free in Gloucester around lunch time today. 8 wheeler hiab in Falkirk in the next half hour. 9 February 2016 Rigid hiab in Falkirk this afternoon. - 4 February 2016 Rigid in Barrow this afternoon. Artic in Cardiff now. 3 February 2016 Rigid in Nottingham now. - Rigid in Southampton now. 2 February 2016 Rigid in Bournemouth tomorrow morning. 1 February 2016 Rigid hiab free in Worcester this afternoon. - Artic in North London this afternoon. 26 January 2016 Hiab for hire in Morpeth this morning Rigid Hiab to hire in Glasgow now. - 25 January 2016 Artic Hiab available in Watford now. We have a wagon & drag & 3 45ft flats free in Cambridge available this afternoon. 22 January 2016 We have Wagon & Drag Hiab in Kent early pm. - We have Rigid Hiab available in London today. 21 January 2016 We have 45ft flat in Derby tomorrow. We have Wagon & drag in Kent tomorrow morning. - We have Rigid available in Eirth this afternoon. 20 January 2016 1 45ft flat tipping in London today. 19 January 2016 We have rigid Hiabs & 1 45ft flat tipping in London tomorrow morning. - We have an Artic Hiab and wagon & drag Hiab free in Bridgend around lunch time today. 14 January 2016 We have an artic hiab and 45ft flat free in the Newport area now. 13 January 2016 We have Artic Hiab available in Pontypool tomorrow afternoon. - We have an Artic available in Dagenham tomorrow Morning. We have 45ft flat available in Selby this afternoon. 13 January 2016 We have an Artic available in Bridgend this morning. - 11 January 2016 We have a rigid available in Bonneybridge Scotland this afternoon / tomorrow morning. 8 January 2016 We have an Artic available can heading south from Aberdeen first thing Monday Morning. - 7 January 2016 We have a wagon & drag and a 45ft flat tipping in London E14 this morning. 4 January 2016 We have Artic available in Barking later this afternoon or first thing tomorrow morning. - We have 1 Wagon & Drag / Hiab free in Bath this morning. Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from the 119 loads recorded in 2016 — not from a marketing map. These are the places that actually appear in them. - London - Glasgow - Birmingham - Kilmarnock - Bristol - Cardiff - Inverness - Bridgend - Bournemouth - Manchester - Dumfries - Edinburgh The runs that produce those places have not changed: the M6 to the Midlands and the South West, the M1 and A1 to Yorkshire, the North East and London, and the M74 into Scotland. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### Room on a deck is worth asking about Tell us what you have and how flexible the date is. The wider that window, the better the answer you will get back. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Back Loads 2015 | Return Journeys Carried | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/back-loads2015 The archive These are the 97 return loads we advertised during 2015, as they were written at the time. Each one was a lorry finishing a job away from home with an empty bed and a journey to make anyway. Nothing here has been reworded. This is the first year we wrote the return journeys down. Everything on the list started and finished at the same place — a yard in Manchester — and the entries are the shortest in the archive because nobody was writing them for a website. (photograph: A Nortons lorry easing along a narrow cobbled lane between stone walls) (photograph: The last few hundred metres are usually the part that decides the job) In short ### What a back load is A back load is the space on a lorry that has finished a job somewhere else and is coming back to Manchester with nothing on it. Everything we deliver ends with a vehicle standing a long way from home, and the drive back happens whether or not anything is on the bed. That is the whole idea. You are not buying a journey, you are buying the difference between an empty deck and a loaded one, which is a far smaller number. What you give up is the choice of day: the lorry goes when the job it was really sent out on is finished, not when it would suit you. The part that separates ours from most return-load work is that the crane comes with the lorry . Return loads are usually offered on flats and curtainsiders with no lifting gear, so you need a forklift standing at both ends. Ours can put a load down in a farm gateway with nothing there but the driver. How back loads work 12 May 2015 to 17 December 2015 ### 97 return journeys, as posted - 17 December 2015 Rigid Wagon & drag , 45ft Flat All available in Exeter now heading north west. 45ft flatbed available in Greenwich this morning, looking for a load north west. 14 December 2015 Wagon & drag and a 45ft flat in London first thing tomorrow morning. - 8 December 2015 Wagon & drag and 45ft flat available in Sutton London tomorrow morning. Wagon & drag to hire in Newcastle tomorrow morning. 30 November 2015 45ft flatbed to hire in south London this afternoon / first thing tomorrow morning. - 26 November 2015 Wagon & drag / Hiab and a 45ft flatbed available in Basildon this afternoon. 24 November 2015 45ft Flatbed available in London first thing tomorrow morning. - Artic available in Cardiff this afternoon. Wagon & drag available in Great Yarmouth this afternoon. 23 November 2015 Rigid available in Bath this afternoon. - 19 November 2015 Artic Hiab available in Caerphilly this afternoon / tomorrow morning. 45ft flatbed free in Coleshill Warwickshire now. 13 November 2015 8 wheeler rigid in Edinburgh now. - 11 November 2015 Artic in Reading this afternoon. 10 November 2015 Artic Hiab & 3 45ft flat tipping in Watford tomorrow morning & Wagon & Drag Hiab in Chigwell London. - 6 November 2015 Wagon & Drag tipping in Glasgow 7am Monday morning. 2 November 2015 Rigid in Durham now travelling south first thing tomorrow morning. . - 29 October 2015 Artic Hiab heading south from Glasgow available tomorrow morning. 3 45ft flatbed loads from Manchester / Liverpool area down to Midlands tomorrow. 24 October 2015 8 wagons rigid Hiabs & Artics tipping in Croydon Surrey Monday & 4 wagons same site Tuesday. - 21 October 2015 Rigid Hiab in Portsmouth this afternoon looking for a load North. Artic/Hiab tipping in London SE18 this evening, look for load North for tomorrow morning. Wagon & Drag / Hiab tipping north of Inverness Scotland today looking for a load south. - 20 October 2015 2 45ft flat available in Inverness Scotland heading south. Rigid to hire in Cardiff this morning. 16 October 2015 7 wagons flatbeds & Hiabs returning from John OGroats Scotland Tuesday Wednesday looking loads going South. - 15 October 2015 Rigid available in Birmingham and an Artic in Oxford. 14 October 2015 Wagon & Drag/Hiab free in Bournemouth tomorrow morning. - 13 October 2015 45ft flat free in Glasgow this afternoon. Artic Hiab & 45ft flat free in London now. 12 October 2015 Looking for a load to or from Bournemouth from Manchester - 9 October 2015 We are looking for a load to or from Bournemouth from North West England. 7 October 2015 Looking for a load back from the Bournemouth area if anyone has anything. - Artic & 45ft flat free in Kings Lynn this afternoon. Artic and Wagon & Drag Hiab free in London this afternoon. 7 October 2015 Rigid Hiab and 45ft flat free in London now heading North West. - 6 October 2015 Rigid tipping in Plymouth this afternoon. 2 October 2015 Artic 45ft flatbed free in Dumfries this morning. - 29 September 2015 Rigid and a 45ft flat to hire in Farnham Surrey. Rigid available in Exeter this afternoon. 24 September 2015 Rigid Hiab free in London this afternoon. - 17 September 2015 Wagon & drag free in London tomorrow morning. Artic in Slough this afternoon. 10 September 2015 Wagon & Drag available in Southend-on-sea this afternoon. - 10 August 2015 Rigid free in Dumfries this afternoon. Artic Hiab free in London around 12 noon today. 23 July 2015 Rigid for hire and 2 45ft flat free in Farnham this afternoon. - Wagon & drag in Swindon this afternoon. 20 July 2015 Rigid available in London this afternoon. Wagon & Drag in Oxford. - 16 July 2015 Wagon & drag and a 45ft flat in Penrith 12 noon today. 15 July 2015 Rigid in Glasgow this afternoon / tomorrow morning. - 13 July 2015 8 wheeler hiab for hire in Edinburgh first thing tomorrow morning. 8 wheeler hiab to rent in Glasgow this afternoon . 7 July 2015 Wagon & drag / Hiab available in Edinburgh 8 am tomorrow morning . - Rigid Hiab available in Cambridge this afternoon. Rigid, 1 Artic and 5 45ft flatbeds coming free at Brize Norton this morning. 7 July 2015 Rigid heading south from Carlise. - 6 July 2015 Rigid for hire in Edinburgh approximately 4- 5pm today 45ft flatbeds & artic Hiab for hire at BrizeNorton Oxfordshire tomorrow 45ft flats & artic to rent at BrizeNorton Oxfordshire tomorrow. - 6 July 2015 Rigid Hiab free in Edinburgh approximately 5pm today. 1 July 2015 Rigid and a 54ft flat free in Bicester approximately 11am today - Rigid and a 54ft flat free in Bicester approximately 11am today. Artic heading from Middlesbrough back to Manchester 1 July 2015 45ft Flatbed in Southampton approximately 11am today Wednesday 1st July. - 29 June 2015 2 45ft free in Shrewsbury approximately 3pm. 25 June 2015 Wagon & Drag in Teeside today 4 / 5pm today. - Low Loader free in Carlisle approximately 9am today Rigid Hiab free in Edinburgh 4pm today 25 June 2015 Wagon & drag in Birmingham 4pm today. - Rigid Hiab free in Edinburgh 4pm today. Rigid available in Worksop this morning today. 25 June 2015 Low Loader free in Carlisle approximately 9am today. - 24 June 2015 2 Rigid Hiabs and 1 45ft flatbed for hire in Glasgow Wagon & drag and 45ft flat in Exeter today. Wagon & drag in Maidstone approximately lunch time. - 24 June 2015 Artics & Hiabs available in the Oxford area today. 2 Rigid Hiabs and 1 45ft flat in Glasgow approximately lunch time. 16 June 2015 8 wheeler hiab available in Edinburgh this afternoon. - Wagon & drag in Somerset. 11 June 2015 Wagon & drag / Hiab free in Maidstone this afternoon looking for a job heading north. 9 June 2015 Rigid Hiab clear in Gt Yarmouth this afternoon and 1 an artic Hiab in Croydon. - Wagon & drag and 45ft flat free in Newcastle. 5 June 2015 Wagon & drag head north from London. 2 June 2015 Wagon & drag and a 45ft flat coming free in Oxford today. - Rigid Hiab free in Banbury. 45ft flatbed available in Grantham at the moment or first thing tomorrow morning. 28 May 2015 Rigid free in Glasgow later this afternoon. - 26 May 2015 Rigid free in Glasgow first thing tomorrow morning. 22 May 2015 45ft flatbed and a rigid Hiab on route back to Manchester from Aberdeen this morning. - 20 May 2015 Artic Hiab with step frame free in Avonmouth. 19 May 2015 2 rigid free in Glasgow & Edinburgh this morning. - 18 May 2015 Rigid tipping in Edinburgh tomorrow morning looking for a load back south. 14 May 2015 Artic and a 45ft flat this morning in Beccles, Norfolk and also a rigid Hiab free in London. - 12 May 2015 2 Hiabs clear in Bathgate. Routes ### Where the lorries come home from Counted from the 97 loads recorded in 2015 — not from a marketing map. These are the places that actually appear in them. - London - Edinburgh - Glasgow - Oxford - Manchester - Bournemouth - Exeter - Scotland - Newcastle - Cardiff - Bath - Croydon Behind those place names are the same four runs we still do: the M6 south to the Midlands and the West Country, the M1 and A1 to Yorkshire, the North East and London, and the M74 up into Scotland. Where the lorries actually go has the fuller picture. The whole archive ### Every year we have posted - 2026 (2) - 2025 (0) - 2024 (7) - 2023 (5) - 2022 (12) - 2021 (3) - 2020 (6) - 2019 (17) - 2018 (18) - 2017 (45) - 2016 (119) - 2015 (97) Back to the hub  ·  Regular and contract work  ·  Hiab hire ### Tell us what you have and roughly where it is going The load, where it starts, where it finishes and how much give there is in the date. If one of ours is coming back that way we will say so, and if nothing is we will say that too. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Areas Covered | UK-Wide Hiab Hire from Manchester URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/areas-covered (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry at Cranage services on the M6) England · Scotland · Wales One yard in Manchester and a fleet of hiab lorries that go wherever the work is. Here is what national coverage actually looks like, with the photographs to go with it. Get a Quote Email Us On the network ### Where the vehicles actually are Named places on the trunk network, plus Cranage at the top of this page. Not a coverage map — a record of the runs. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry at Todhills services on the M6 near Carlisle) #### M6, Todhills Carlisle, ten miles from the Scottish border. The northern end of a normal English run. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry at Coatsgate on the M74 in southern Scotland) #### M74, Coatsgate Beattock summit, southern Scotland. Scottish work runs up the M6 and over the border on the M74. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry at Killington Lake services on the M6 in Cumbria) #### M6, Killington Lake Cumbria, on the climb over Shap. The stretch every northbound job crosses. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry on the M6 at Gailey in Staffordshire) #### M6, Gailey Staffordshire, south of Stafford. The middle of every run between Manchester and the south. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry at Bramham on the A1(M) in West Yorkshire) #### A1(M), Bramham West Yorkshire. The eastern route out, for North Yorkshire, Teesside and the north east. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry at Brockhall on the M1 in Northamptonshire) #### M1, Brockhall Northamptonshire. The Midlands and London corridor. (photograph: Nortons Scania hiab lorry on the M40 in Warwickshire) #### M40, Warwickshire The other southern route, for Oxfordshire, the Thames Valley and the south east. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry at Strensham services on the M5 in Worcestershire) #### M5, Strensham Worcestershire, south of Birmingham. The gateway to the south west and to south Wales. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry on the M50 heading towards Wales) #### M50 The Ross Spur into Herefordshire and on towards south and mid Wales. Where we run from ### One depot, not twenty Nortons Hiab Services operates from a single seven-acre yard at Miles Platting in Manchester. Every vehicle starts and finishes there. The towns and counties further down have a page each because we have carried out jobs in them. Those jobs are in our portfolio, photographed on the day, and that is why those are the places showcased here. If your town is not among them, it does not mean we do not go there. The pictures above are Nortons vehicles at named service areas from the Scottish border to the West Country, taken on ordinary working days. Town pages ### Places with a documented job behind them Every one of these has photographs of our vehicles working there. #### Hiab hire in Liverpool Merseyside — Arena deliveries at the Liverpool waterfront, stadium and construction lifts across the city, and city-centre structural deliveries. #### Hiab hire in Birmingham West Midlands — Site accommodation compounds delivered and set out for a national contractor in Birmingham, plus residential and city lifts. #### Hiab hire in Blackpool Lancashire — Helicopter airframe lifted and loaded for road transport at Blackpool Airport, plus general delivery work across the Fylde. #### Hiab hire in Derby Derbyshire — Site accommodation and welfare compound delivered and positioned for a flood alleviation scheme in Derby. #### Hiab hire in Ripon North Yorkshire — Process plant and industrial machinery delivered into works in the Ripon area. #### Hiab hire in Lancashire Lancashire — Accommodation cabins delivered to Hesketh Bank for seasonal pickers to live in, a cement conveyor loaded at Burscough, and a cabin craned into a football ground at Accrington. #### Hiab hire in Bolton Greater Manchester — A forty foot by twelve foot office with a kitchen and toilet delivered to a scaffolding contractor in Bolton, set down in the yard and then stacked over a container. #### Hiab hire in Blackburn Lancashire — Stillage racks loaded and strapped, steel alongside a stone built unit, process vessels on the bed and a wagon working a cobbled lane. Material into working buildings, which is most of what we carry in east Lancashire. #### Hiab hire in Preston Lancashire — Wrapped panels slung and strapped, a long unit off a distribution yard, and containers set onto a compound. Light for their size, easy to damage and slow to secure. #### Hiab hire in Stockport Greater Manchester — A refurbished cabin set-up delivered to Romiley Board Mill and lifted in from the yard, on ground with a fall across it and a mill wall on two sides. #### Hiab hire in Warrington Cheshire — A scaffolding load collected at Hartlepool and delivered into Warrington, loaded out of the yard at first light. #### Hiab hire in Wigan Greater Manchester — A 14ft wide medical pool on the road to Wigan, rigged on the bed, and lifted in through the gap between two houses on a new build, plus modular units set into a compound. #### Hiab hire in Cheshire Cheshire — A kiosk unit craned onto its base at Winsford, brick pallets into a street at Ellesmere Port, a load of electrical panels running down the M6 from Ellesmere Port to London, and a commercial truck wash lifted at Lymm. All photographed on the job. #### Hiab hire in Trafford Greater Manchester — Modular units craned into position at the cricket ground at Old Trafford in 2016. The ground is in Trafford, which is why the photographs are on this page. Manchester and the North West are worked from the yard every day and now have pillar pages of their own: Hiab hire in Manchester  ·  Hiab hire across the North West What makes distance workable ### Three things that decide a long-distance job Backloads. A vehicle running home empty costs the same as one running home loaded. Where a return load exists we use it, and that is what makes a job three hundred miles away price sensibly. Our own escorts. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required, and our escort vehicles are our own, so an abnormal movement is not waiting on a force escort with a fourteen-day lead time. Statutory notice is a minimum of two working days. Euro VI throughout. The 32-tonne and 44-tonne wagons we run are Euro VI, so clean air zones in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Sheffield, Portsmouth, Bradford, Tyneside, Greater Manchester and Scotland's low emission zones are simply not a conversation. UK nationwide delivery  ·  Abnormal loads and escorts Common questions ### Coverage, answered #### How far do you travel? England, Scotland and Wales - mainland Great Britain. Manchester is the only depot, so everything runs out from Miles Platting — the M6 north to Carlisle and the M74 into Scotland, the M6 and M5 south into the Midlands and the West Country, and the M62 and A1(M) east across the Pennines. #### Do you have depots around the country? No. One yard, seven acres, at Miles Platting in Manchester. #### Is a long-distance job more expensive? Less than people expect. Distance is real but it is rarely the biggest number on a hiab quote — crane size, radius, access and time on site all move it more. A distant job that pairs with a return load can price better than a local one that does not. #### Can you run abnormal loads across the country? Yes. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required and we run our own escort vehicles, which matters because a police escort requested through a force generally carries a fourteen-day lead time. Statutory notice for an abnormal movement is a minimum of two working days. #### Why do you not have a page for every town? Every town and county page here is written around what the work in that place is actually like - the access, the ground, the roads in - and where we have photographs of jobs there, they are on the page. If your town is not listed it does not mean we do not go there. #### Which parts of the UK do you actually reach in a day? Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and most of Yorkshire are comfortably a same-day round trip from Miles Platting. The Midlands, the North East and North Wales are usually a day out. Scotland, the West Country and the South East are planned as overnight or two-day jobs, and often price better than people expect because they pair with a return load. Where we are  ·  The yard at Miles Platting ### Wherever it is going Tell us what needs lifting or transporting and where it has to end up. Distance is rarely the thing that decides the price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Manchester | Operated Crane Lorry from Our Yard URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/manchester-hiab-hire (photograph: Nortons Volvo hiab lifting a large clad panel on a Manchester site) Miles Platting · M40 8HD The yard is in Manchester. Seven acres at Miles Platting, hiab lorries that start and finish here every day, and cranes that reach 19.6 metres. Not an office with a Manchester phone number. Get a Quote Email Us Around the city ### Jobs we can show you Every photograph below is a Nortons vehicle on a Manchester job. None of them is a stock picture and none of them appears anywhere else on this site. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a panel up the face of River Street Tower in Manchester) #### River Street, city centre Cladding and glazing panels craned up the face of a city-centre tower, with the boom working between two buildings. (photograph: Nortons artic and trailer working on a Manchester city-centre street) #### A city-centre carriageway Vehicle stood on the carriageway with the footway coned and kept open. Most city-centre work is decided by where the lorry can legally stand. (photograph: Nortons hiab with outriggers set on a Manchester city-centre footway) #### Outriggers on a city footway Legs down on spreader pads outside a city-centre block. Ground bearing pressure is the question nobody asks until it is a problem. (photograph: Nortons lorry with a Merry Christmas Manchester banner at the Christmas markets) #### The Christmas markets Chalets and units into Albert Square and the streets around the Town Hall, and back out again in January. A tight, timed, public-space job. (photograph: Nortons hiab installing a modular unit at Circle Square in Manchester) #### Circle Square A modular unit lifted into place on the Circle Square development beside the university campus. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry making a delivery on the Manchester university campus) #### University campus Deliveries onto a live campus, where the access route matters as much as the lift. (photograph: Nortons hiab stacking site cabins at the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground) #### Emirates Old Trafford Site accommodation stacked and positioned at the cricket ground. Cabins are the load we move more of than any other. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry delivering structural steelwork at Manchester Airport) #### Manchester Airport Structural steelwork delivered and set down inside the airport boundary, on a site with its own access rules. (photograph: Nortons artic delivering a modular classroom building to a Manchester school) #### A Manchester school Modular classrooms delivered and craned into a school yard in the holidays, escort vehicle in attendance. (photograph: Nortons hiab holding a lighting rig for a film unit in Manchester) #### A film unit base A lighting rig held on the crane for a night shoot. Not everything a hiab lifts is construction. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting cladding panels onto a Manchester city-centre building) #### A city-centre facade Panels going up the outside of a building already occupied, which is the version that needs planning rather than muscle. (photograph: Nortons flatbed loaded with steel and timber for a Manchester delivery run) #### A local delivery run Steel and timber loaded for a run round the city. Half the Manchester work is this, not the photogenic version. Stadiums and academies ### The venue jobs Manchester has more large venues per square mile than anywhere outside London, and every one of them has a build programme running behind the fixtures. These photographs were held back until we had permission to publish them. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry arriving loaded at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester) #### Old Trafford Arriving at the ground with the load already on the bed. Stadium work runs to the venue’s clock, not ours, and the slot you are given is the slot you get. (photograph: A Nortons hiab with the boom extended lifting a cabin at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester) #### On the crane at the Etihad The boom out and the load away from the vehicle. Ground conditions around a stadium run from block paving to loose stone, so the outriggers go on pads whether anybody asks or not. (photograph: A Nortons hiab working on the concourse at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester) #### The Etihad concourse Working on the concourse at the Etihad Stadium, inside the perimeter and around permanent street furniture. (photograph: A Nortons hiab loaded with a prefabricated catering kiosk on the concourse at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester) #### A catering kiosk on the hook Prefabricated catering kiosks lifted into position around a stadium concourse. They are light, tall and entirely glass on one side, so they go slowly. (photograph: A loaded Nortons hiab lorry on the approach road to the Manchester City football academy site) #### The academy site Loaded and on the approach to the football academy site. Deliveries there go to a fixed gate at a fixed time and the vehicle waits its turn like everybody else. (photograph: A Nortons flatbed loaded with timber for delivery to the Manchester City football academy site) #### Timber onto the academy site Timber and materials run in on the flatbed and craned off. From where the lorry stands you often cannot see the ground the load is going onto, which is what the banksman is for. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a unit at a cricket ground in Manchester) #### The cricket ground Lifting at the cricket ground on the other side of the city. Sports venues all have the same shape of problem: a fixed perimeter, a live surface nobody may drive on, and a date that cannot move. The Anfield site setup  ·  More stadium work, 2023  ·  The full portfolio The short answer ### A Manchester haulier, not a haulier with a Manchester page Nortons Hiab Services has operated from Norton Street, Miles Platting since 2007. Seven acres of secure, CCTV-monitored yard, our lorries and our trailers, all our own, all kept here. That distinction matters more than it sounds. Search for a crane lorry in Manchester and most of what comes back is a national booking desk, a broker, or a company two hundred miles away with a page about Manchester. When the job runs late or the access turns out to be worse than the photograph showed, none of them has a spare vehicle two miles away. We do. The vehicle that comes to your job left Miles Platting that morning and is going back there that night, and the person who answers the phone can see the yard. 7 Acres at Miles Platting Our own Fleet, not hired in 19.6m Maximum crane outreach 2007 Established here Greater Manchester ### Where a Manchester booking actually goes Ten boroughs, one yard. These are the places a vehicle reaches inside the working day without any of the cost of a long empty run. - Manchester city centre - Salford - Trafford - Stockport - Tameside - Oldham - Rochdale - Bury - Bolton - Wigan - Ashton-under-Lyne - Altrincham - Sale - Eccles - Middleton - Denton - Droylsden - Prestwich - Swinton - Urmston - Cheadle - Wythenshawe Beyond that the vehicles run nationally, and the price stops being about distance and starts being about the crane and the access. Across the North West  ·  The rest of the country What turns up ### The vehicle, and why it is the right one For a tight city-centre lift — an 8-wheel rear-steer rigid at 32 tonnes with an 858 or 855 crane. It gets down streets an artic cannot, and the 858 still lifts over 8 tonnes and reaches 19.6 metres. For a long or heavy load — a 44-tonne artic with a 658 or 622 crane and an extendable trailer, or one of the wagon and drag lorries when the load has to come off in two places. For a small delivery — the 7.5-tonne flatbed. Not everything needs a 32-tonne vehicle outside it, and sending one when it is not needed is how a quote gets silly. (photograph: Nortons 858 hiab loaded with steel stillages outside a Manchester unit) - Every crane figure on this site comes off the manufacturer’s data sheet, and the sheets are published in full - Drivers / operators ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified — most of the team, and it is the lorry loader qualification, not just plant in general - Cranes worked by remote control, so the driver / operator stands where he can see the load - Several driver / operators hold Rail Track PTS; we are LINK Up members - Nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads, and our own escort vehicles - Euro VI on the 32 and 44 tonne wagons — the standard clean air zones are written around Capacity at radius, in full  ·  The fleet Before you book ### Four things that decide a Manchester job #### Where the lorry stands Not where the load is going — where the vehicle can legally and safely sit while it lifts. In the city centre this is usually the whole job. #### What it reaches over A wall, a roof, a live carriageway or a neighbour’s garden. Radius is what sets the crane, and capacity falls away fast as the boom goes out. #### What the ground takes Outrigger pads spread the load; the ground has to accept it. Basements, service covers and fresh tarmac all change the answer. #### Who else needs telling Council, building management, a permit or a closure. We will tell you which applies rather than find out on the day. Telling us where the lorry would have to stand answers most of it. Send the details with your enquiry Also in Manchester ### The rest of what runs out of Miles Platting - Storage & distribution at the yard - Portable cabin transport - Container transport - Plant & machinery - Abnormal loads - Clean air zones - Hiab & driver hire - Long reach work Common questions ### Manchester hiab hire, answered #### Where in Manchester are you based? Norton Street, off Hulme Hall Lane, Miles Platting, M40 8HD. Seven acres, CCTV monitored, about two miles from Manchester city centre and five minutes from the M60 at Ashton. It is our own yard, not a serviced address, and every vehicle we run starts and finishes its day there. #### How quickly can you get to a job in Manchester? Faster than anyone running in from another city. Because the vehicles are already here, a Manchester job does not carry the dead running that a job in Birmingham or Leeds does. For anything urgent, email is quicker than a form — tell us the postcode and what has to be lifted and we will tell you what we have free. #### Can you work in Manchester city centre? Regularly. Rooftop strip-outs on Deansgate, cladding panels on the towers around River Street, the Christmas markets outside the Town Hall, Circle Square, the university campus. City centre work usually turns on three things: where the vehicle can legally stand, how far the crane has to reach, and what the ground under the outriggers will take. Tell us the street and we will tell you before anyone turns up. #### Do I need a permit or a road closure? Sometimes. If the vehicle has to stand on the carriageway or the footway, or if the boom will swing over the public highway, the city council will normally want notice and may want a permit or a temporary closure. We will tell you which applies from the photograph and the postcode, and we work to whatever the council issues. What we will not do is turn up and hope. #### Is your fleet clean air zone compliant? Yes. The 32-tonne and 44-tonne wagons we run are Euro VI, so Greater Manchester and every other UK clean air zone is a non-issue. We invest in new lorries continually, specifically so that our customers never get a charge passed on. #### Do you only work in Manchester? No. Manchester is where the yard is, not where the work stops. We run across England, Scotland and Wales from this one site, with nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads and our own escort vehicles. #### What does a Manchester hiab job cost? It depends on the crane, the radius, the access and how long the vehicle is on site — not on a rate card. We would rather quote your actual job than publish a figure that turns out to be wrong for it. #### Do you do Manchester hiab transport as well as lifting? Yes, and most jobs are both. Manchester hiab transport means the lorry carries your load across the city and then lifts it into position at the other end, rather than dropping it at the kerb for somebody else to move. That is the whole point of a hiab: one vehicle, one driver / operator, no second machine to book. #### Where can I hire crane trucks in Manchester? Here. If you are looking for crane trucks Manchester side, ours are kept at our own yard at Miles Platting, M40, a few minutes from the city centre and straight onto the M60. They are Euro VI, so the Greater Manchester clean air zone costs you nothing on the quote. #### Are you actually based in Manchester? Yes. Search hiab Manchester and you will get plenty of results; of the haulage companies Manchester throws up, we are one of the few whose yard is genuinely in the city: Norton Street, off Hulme Hall Lane, Miles Platting. Not an accommodation address and not a page written for a town we visit occasionally. The vehicles are parked here overnight, which is why a Manchester booking can often be with you the same morning. Find the yard  ·  What moves the price ### A Manchester job, from a Manchester yard Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a straight answer about which vehicle fits. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire North West | Crane Lorry Hire, Manchester Yard URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/north-west-hiab-hire (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid with a hiab crane loaded with flexible ducting and flanged pipework at Birkenhead) Greater Manchester · Lancashire · Merseyside · Cheshire · Cumbria One yard, our own lorries and the whole region inside a working day. Cranes to 19.6 metres, our own escorts, and Euro VI on the 32 and 44 tonne wagons. Get a Quote Email Us Named North West jobs ### Photographs, not a coverage map Six jobs we can put a place to. Liverpool and Blackpool have pages of their own, and their photographs are not repeated here. (photograph: Nortons lorry loaded with a sheeted fourteen foot wide unit at Wigan) #### Wigan — a fourteen foot wide load A sheeted unit fourteen feet wide, loaded and escorted. Anything over 2.9 metres is an abnormal load and needs statutory notice. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a wide unit between two buildings on a Wigan street) #### Wigan — the lift itself The same job going in, craned between two buildings on a residential street with no room either side. (photograph: Nortons hiab set up in a narrow space beside a house at Wigan) #### Wigan — setting up The crane set up in the only space available. Where the lorry stands decides more about a job than the weight does. (photograph: Nortons flatbed loaded with plant machinery in Lancashire) #### Lancashire — plant on a flatbed Plant loaded and strapped for a Lancashire move. Machinery is a different discipline from a straight lift. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a steel frame inside a Lancashire site compound) #### A Lancashire compound A steel frame lifted inside a fenced compound where nothing could be brought in from outside the line. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a forklift truck onto a flatbed at Risley) #### Risley — loading a forklift A counterbalance forklift lifted onto the deck. Plant on and off a trailer is a lift, not a drive-on. (photograph: A forklift being positioned on a Nortons flatbed at Risley) #### Risley — on the deck The machine landed and being positioned on the bed before strapping. (photograph: Nortons hiab loading a second machine at Risley) #### Risley — second machine Two machines and a set of steel cages loaded in one visit rather than two. (photograph: Nortons trailer loaded with steel stillage cages at Risley) #### Risley — loaded and sheeted Steel stillage cages loaded on the trailer and ready to run. Stillage work is steady North West traffic. (photograph: Nortons hiab delivering a plant unit at Winsford in Cheshire) #### Winsford, Cheshire A plant unit delivered into Cheshire, about forty minutes down the M6 from the yard. (photograph: Nortons artic loaded with an access platform on the run into Manchester) #### Into Manchester from the north east An access platform brought back from Durham on the artic. The North West is where our loads land as often as where they start. The short answer ### The whole region, worked from one yard Every vehicle runs out of Norton Street, Miles Platting, Manchester. From there the M60, M62, M6 and M61 put Liverpool, Preston, Chester, Blackpool and Bolton inside an hour, and Carlisle inside three. The North West is unusually well suited to being worked from a single base. It is compact, it is well connected, and the motorway box around Manchester means a vehicle is rarely more than a few junctions from the next job. That is why we have never opened a second depot, and why we would be suspicious of anyone claiming one in every town. What you get instead is the same fleet, the same driver / operators and the same yard, whether the job is in Ancoats or in Kendal. 5 Counties, one depot Our own Fleet, not hired in Euro VI Our 32t and 44t wagons 19.6m Maximum crane outreach The region ### Where a North West booking goes Greater Manchester. The home patch, and the reason there is a page of its own. Ten boroughs from Wigan to Rochdale, all inside the M60 ring or a junction off it. Lancashire. Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Chorley, Lancaster and the coast. Straight up the M61 and M6, and the county carries more search demand than anywhere in the region outside Manchester itself. Merseyside. Liverpool, the Wirral, St Helens, Southport. Half an hour on the M62. Cheshire. Warrington, Chester, Crewe, Northwich, Winsford, Macclesfield. The M6 corridor south, and the county where a lot of the plant and modular work sits. Cumbria. Kendal, Penrith, Carlisle, Barrow and the Lakes. The long one, and the one where the route needs checking before anything is promised. Pages with photographs behind them. - Manchester — the yard, and twelve city jobs - Liverpool — Arena deliveries at the Liverpool waterfront, stadium and construction lifts across the city, and city-centre structural deliveries. - Blackpool — Helicopter airframe lifted and loaded for road transport at Blackpool Airport, plus general delivery work across the Fylde. - The Miles Platting yard — seven acres, CCTV, storage and distribution Everywhere else in the region we cover from the same yard on the same terms — we just have not published a page pretending to local presence we do not have. How far the vehicles actually go Why one depot works here ### Three things that make a regional job price sensibly #### Backloads A vehicle running home empty costs what a loaded one costs. Where a return load exists we use it, and a job at the far end of the region prices better for it. #### Our own notices and escorts Nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads and our own escort vehicles, so an abnormal movement is not waiting on a fourteen day force escort lead time. #### Euro VI throughout Greater Manchester, Sheffield, Bradford, Tyneside and the Scottish zones are all irrelevant to a fleet that is already compliant. Nothing gets passed on. Our clean air zone position  ·  Abnormal loads and escorts Common questions ### North West hiab hire, answered #### Which counties does the North West cover for you? Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and Cumbria. In practice that runs from the Cheshire plain up to Carlisle, and from the Pennines across to the coast. Everything is worked from the one yard at Miles Platting in Manchester. #### Do you charge more for a job outside Manchester? Distance is real, but it is rarely the biggest number on a hiab quote. Crane size, radius, access and time on site all move a price more than mileage does across a region this size. A job in Preston or Chester prices much like a job in Manchester; what changes it is what has to be lifted and what is in the way. #### Can you do same day in the North West? Often, if a vehicle is free. Email beats a form for anything urgent — send the postcode and what has to be lifted and you will get a straight answer about what is available rather than a callback. #### Do you work in Cumbria and the Lakes? Yes, and up the M6 into Scotland beyond it. Cumbria means narrow roads, weight-restricted bridges and a long run home, so route and timing get planned properly rather than assumed. There are photographs of our vehicles at Killington Lake and Todhills on the areas covered page. #### Are your vehicles compliant with the Greater Manchester clean air arrangements? The 32-tonne and 44-tonne wagons we run are Euro VI, so no UK clean air zone or low emission zone is a problem for us or for you. That is a deliberate and continuing investment in new lorries, not a coincidence. #### Can you handle a wide or abnormal load in the region? Yes. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required and we run our own escort vehicles, which matters because a police escort requested through a force generally carries a fourteen-day lead time. Statutory notice for an abnormal movement is a minimum of two working days. #### Why are there only a few named North West jobs on this page? Because we only publish photographs of work we can actually show. There are thousands of North West jobs behind us and a small number of them were photographed. We would rather show you six real ones than write a paragraph about a town we cannot evidence. #### Are you a North West hiab company or a national one? Both, and in that order. The yard is in Manchester, the vehicles start and finish here every day, and North West hiab work is the bulk of what we do. North West hiabs are not a marketing region for us, they are the drive to work. Hiabs North West is simply what we do most days, and hiab North West work is the bulk of the diary. We then run the same fleet nationwide, which is why a Cumbria or a Cornwall job gets quoted from the same yard. #### Which parts of the North West do the hiabs cover? Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and Cumbria, plus the Yorkshire side of the Pennines on the M62. Hiab hire North West from Miles Platting reaches Preston, Bolton, Blackburn, Wigan, Warrington, Stockport, Chester and Liverpool comfortably inside a working day, usually with time on site at both ends. #### Can you get a hiab out at short notice in the North West? Often the same day and very often the next morning, which is not something most haulage companies North West wide can offer on a lifting job. There is no minimum booking notice. The work that genuinely needs planning is anything requiring a lift plan, a road closure or an abnormal load notification, and we will tell you straight away if your job is one of those. Hiab and driver hire  ·  What moves the price ### Anywhere in the North West Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. If a vehicle is free you will know today. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Liverpool | Crane & Driver / Operator | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-liverpool (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry loaded with truss sections on an arena floor in Liverpool) Merseyside · Worked from Manchester Liverpool is one of the cities we work in most often outside Greater Manchester, and it is almost all restricted-access work: arena floors, stadium concourses and city-centre streets where the lorry has one place to stand and no second chance at it. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Liverpool, not from a stock library Arena deliveries at the Liverpool waterfront, stadium and construction lifts across the city, and city-centre structural deliveries. (photograph: Nortons hiab working outside the Liverpool waterfront arena) #### Working at the waterfront arena (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting panels outside an arena building in Liverpool) #### Panel delivery at the arena (photograph: Nortons hiab with the crane boom fully extended and the hook lowered to a container at the Anfield stadium site in Liverpool) #### Boom out at the Anfield site (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry loaded with a large steel truss in Liverpool) #### Steel truss loaded in Liverpool (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a steel unit at a Liverpool stadium site) #### Unit lifted at a stadium site (photograph: Nortons hiab holding a container clear in the air at Anfield while a banksman steadies it on a tag line) #### Steadied on the tag line The work ### What we do in Liverpool The M62 puts our Miles Platting yard within an hour of the city centre, so a Liverpool job does not need an overnight or a subcontractor. It is a normal day out and back, which is why we quote it as regional work rather than as a distance job. The work splits three ways. Event and arena deliveries, where the vehicle goes onto the floor itself and the timing is set by the venue rather than by us. Construction and stadium work, where units and materials go over hoardings into sites with no crane of their own. And straightforward city-centre deliveries, where the whole job is finding somewhere legal to put the outriggers. All three are radius problems rather than weight problems. Tell us how far it is from where the lorry can stand to where the load lands and we will tell you whether it reaches before anybody travels. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Liverpool - Hiab and driver hire - Long reach hiab hire - Container transport - Portable cabin transport Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Liverpool asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Liverpool Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Merseyside on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company (photograph: Nortons operatives securing a lifted unit on a Liverpool site) Common questions ### Hiab hire in Liverpool, answered #### Do you actually cover Liverpool? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. Arena deliveries at the Liverpool waterfront, stadium and construction lifts across the city, and city-centre structural deliveries. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Liverpool is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Liverpool? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Birmingham | Site Cabin & Crane Lorry Hire URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-birmingham (photograph: Nortons hiab arriving at a Birmingham site with cabins to place) West Midlands · Worked from Manchester Most of our Birmingham work is site set-up: cabin compounds delivered, positioned and levelled on ground that is usually still being formed when we arrive. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Birmingham, not from a stock library Site accommodation compounds delivered and set out for a national contractor in Birmingham, plus residential and city lifts. (photograph: Site cabin being unloaded from a Nortons trailer in Birmingham) #### Cabin coming off the trailer (photograph: Nortons crane placing a site cabin on a Birmingham compound) #### Placing a unit on the compound (photograph: Site cabins set out in position on a Birmingham compound) #### Compound set out and levelled (photograph: Nortons crew alongside the company van on a Birmingham contractor site) #### The crew on site in Birmingham (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a bulk bag at a property in Birmingham) #### Residential lift in Birmingham The work ### What we do in Birmingham A cabin compound is a sequence, not a delivery. Units have to land in the right order, square to each other and level, on ground that has often just been laid. Get the order wrong and the last unit cannot reach its position without moving the first three. That is why we deliver compounds in the sequence the site wants rather than the sequence they came off the yard, and why the driver / operator checks the ground under the outriggers before anything is unstrapped. On fresh sub-base that check is the whole job. Compound work in Birmingham is usually planned as a phased delivery over consecutive days rather than as a convoy, which also means the site is never holding more units than it has room for. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Birmingham - Portable cabin transport - Hiab and driver hire - Long reach hiab hire - UK nationwide delivery Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Birmingham asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Birmingham Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in West Midlands on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company (photograph: Nortons hiab boom extended over a Birmingham street) Common questions ### Hiab hire in Birmingham, answered #### Do you actually cover Birmingham? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. Site accommodation compounds delivered and set out for a national contractor in Birmingham, plus residential and city lifts. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Birmingham is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Birmingham? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Blackpool & the Fylde | Nortons Hiab Services URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-blackpool (photograph: Nortons hiab positioned alongside a helicopter at Blackpool Airport) Lancashire · Worked from Manchester Blackpool covers the Fylde coast, and the job we are asked about most is the one nobody expects a lorry-mounted crane to do: lifting an aircraft. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Blackpool, not from a stock library Helicopter airframe lifted and loaded for road transport at Blackpool Airport, plus general delivery work across the Fylde. (photograph: Helicopter airframe rigged for lifting beside a Nortons hiab) #### Airframe rigged for the lift (photograph: Nortons vehicles positioned to load an aircraft onto a trailer) #### Vehicles set for the load (photograph: Operative securing a helicopter airframe under a Nortons crane) #### Securing the airframe The work ### What we do in Blackpool A helicopter airframe is light for its size and almost entirely fragile. There is very little of it you can put a sling around, the centre of gravity is not where it looks, and the rotor head sits exactly where a crane hook wants to be. It is a rigging problem rather than a lifting one. Airside work brings its own constraints on top: escorted access, a permit regime, and a movement window that is not negotiable. The lift itself takes minutes; the planning around it takes days, and that is the right way round. The rest of the Fylde work is ordinary — cabins, containers, plant and materials into coastal sites where the wind is a real planning factor rather than a footnote. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Blackpool - Abnormal loads - Plant and machinery transport - Hiab and driver hire - UK nationwide delivery Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Blackpool asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Blackpool Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Lancashire on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company (photograph: Helicopter loaded and ready to move on a Nortons vehicle) Common questions ### Hiab hire in Blackpool, answered #### Do you actually cover Blackpool? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. Helicopter airframe lifted and loaded for road transport at Blackpool Airport, plus general delivery work across the Fylde. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Blackpool is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Blackpool? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Derby | Site Cabin Delivery & Crane Lorry URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-derby (photograph: Nortons support van and crew at a Derby site compound) Derbyshire · Worked from Manchester Derby work has mostly been site accommodation: welfare and office compounds delivered and set out for a flood alleviation scheme, on a hard-surfaced compound with everything arriving in sequence. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Derby, not from a stock library Site accommodation and welfare compound delivered and positioned for a flood alleviation scheme in Derby. (photograph: Site cabin being positioned on a Derby compound by a Nortons hiab) #### Positioning a unit (photograph: Site accommodation units set out on a Derby compound) #### Units set out in sequence (photograph: Operatives working alongside placed cabins on a Derby site) #### Checking placement The work ### What we do in Derby A scheme compound has a different rhythm from a construction site. It goes up quickly, it is used hard for months, and every unit in it has to be placed in a way that still works once the next four arrive. Delivering the units in the order the site manager wants is most of the value. Because our crane travels on the lorry, each unit came off its trailer and went straight to its final position. Nothing was double-handled, nothing was stood in the compound waiting to be moved again, and no separate crane was on hire while the vehicles ran back and forth. Derby sits comfortably within a day from Manchester, so East Midlands compound work runs as a phased delivery rather than a convoy. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Derby - Portable cabin transport - Contract haulage - Hiab and driver hire - UK nationwide delivery Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Derby asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Derby Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Derbyshire on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company (photograph: Nortons tractor unit alongside a completed cabin compound in Derby) Common questions ### Hiab hire in Derby, answered #### Do you actually cover Derby? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. Site accommodation and welfare compound delivered and positioned for a flood alleviation scheme in Derby. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Derby is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Derby? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Ripon & North Yorkshire | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-ripon (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry loaded with process plant equipment near Ripon) North Yorkshire · Worked from Manchester Ripon and the wider North Yorkshire work is industrial: process plant and machinery delivered to works and yards where there is no crane and no forklift big enough. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Ripon, not from a stock library Process plant and industrial machinery delivered into works in the Ripon area. (photograph: Industrial machinery loaded on a Nortons flatbed near Ripon) #### Machinery on the deck The work ### What we do in Ripon Process equipment is the classic case for a lorry-mounted crane. It is heavy, it is tall, it has a high centre of gravity, and it usually has to go into a specific spot inside a working plant rather than onto an open apron. Delivering it on a flatbed means hiring a crane to meet the lorry, which means two diaries, two set-ups and a lorry sitting waiting. Our crane arrives with the machine on the back and sets it down where it is going. North Yorkshire is a comfortable day from Manchester across the A1(M) and the A61, and it is a corridor we run regularly rather than occasionally. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Ripon - Plant and machinery transport - Stillage transport - Contract haulage - UK nationwide delivery Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Ripon asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Ripon Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in North Yorkshire on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company Common questions ### Hiab hire in Ripon, answered #### Do you actually cover Ripon? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. Process plant and industrial machinery delivered into works in the Ripon area. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Ripon is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Ripon? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Lancashire | Crane & Driver / Operator | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-lancashire (photograph: A row of blue and white accommodation cabins delivered by Nortons on hard standing at Hesketh Bank in west Lancashire) Lancashire · Worked from Manchester Lancashire is a day trip rather than a distance job. The M61 and the M65 put Preston, Chorley, Blackburn and Burnley inside an hour of the yard, which is why hiab hire in Lancashire prices as regional work here rather than as long-distance haulage. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Lancashire, not from a stock library Accommodation cabins delivered to Hesketh Bank for seasonal pickers to live in, a cement conveyor loaded at Burscough, and a cabin craned into a football ground at Accrington. (photograph: Two Nortons crane lorries standing alongside a line of delivered accommodation cabins at Hesketh Bank) #### Two wagons on the one job (photograph: A Nortons eight-wheel rigid loaded with a sheeted cement conveyor outside an industrial unit at Burscough in Lancashire) #### A conveyor loaded at Burscough (photograph: A Nortons artic carrying a site cabin along the back of a football ground at Accrington in east Lancashire) #### A cabin brought in at Accrington (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry lifting a site cabin off the deck at Accrington while a banksman stands clear) #### Lifting it off the deck The work ### What we do in Lancashire The county splits into three kinds of work for us. There are the towns along the M65 corridor, where most of what we carry is construction material and site accommodation into yards that were laid out long before anything the size of a modern rigid had to get into them. There is the coastal strip, where the work is more often event and holiday-park related and the ground is softer than it looks. And there is the rural east, where the constraint is almost never weight and almost always the width of the lane and the state of the verge. Because we run out and back in a day, a Lancashire booking does not carry an overnight in the price, and there is no subcontractor between you and the vehicle. The lorry that quotes the job is the lorry that turns up. What we would want to know is the same as anywhere: what the thing is, where it is going, and what stands between the road and the landing point. If you are not sure whether the lorry will get in, send a photograph from where it would have to stop. That answers the question faster than any measurement. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Lancashire - Hiab and driver hire - Portable cabin transport - Container transport - Plant and machinery transport Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Lancashire asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Lancashire Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Lancashire on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company (photograph: A site cabin set down on hard standing at Accrington with the Nortons lorry alongside it) Common questions ### Hiab hire in Lancashire, answered #### Do you actually cover Lancashire? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. Accommodation cabins delivered to Hesketh Bank for seasonal pickers to live in, a cement conveyor loaded at Burscough, and a cabin craned into a football ground at Accrington. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Lancashire is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Lancashire? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Bolton | Crane Lorry & Driver / Operator | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-bolton (photograph: A two storey site office set up over a shipping container in Bolton with an access stair to the upper floor) Greater Manchester · Worked from Manchester Bolton is about half an hour up the M61 from our yard, which makes it one of the towns where a same-day hiab is genuinely realistic rather than something a haulier says on a website. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Bolton, not from a stock library A forty foot by twelve foot office with a kitchen and toilet delivered to a scaffolding contractor in Bolton, set down in the yard and then stacked over a container. (photograph: A long site office delivered by Nortons standing behind a green palisade fence on an industrial estate in Bolton) #### The office in place in Bolton (photograph: A site office set down at the gate of a yard in Bolton with the crane boom still behind it) #### Through the gate first time The work ### What we do in Bolton Most of what we do in Bolton is construction and industrial: steel and material deliveries onto sites around the town centre and Middlebrook, site accommodation into compounds, and plant moved between depots. A fair amount of it is on older industrial estates where the units were built for a rigid and not for an artic, so the useful question at the enquiry is usually about the gate rather than the load. The other thing worth knowing is the ground. A lot of Bolton sits on made ground and old workings, and a stabiliser leg concentrates a great deal of force into a very small square. If the standing position is anything other than sound tarmac or concrete, tell us and we will bring the pads to suit it. Being close helps in a way that is easy to underestimate: if a job overruns or a delivery slips, a vehicle half an hour away can be re-planned. One three hours away cannot. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Bolton - Hiab and driver hire - Portable cabin transport - Plant and machinery transport - Container transport Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Bolton asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Bolton Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Greater Manchester on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company (photograph: A single office unit standing on the hard standing inside a gated yard in Bolton) Common questions ### Hiab hire in Bolton, answered #### Do you actually cover Bolton? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. A forty foot by twelve foot office with a kitchen and toilet delivered to a scaffolding contractor in Bolton, set down in the yard and then stacked over a container. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Bolton is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Bolton? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Blackburn | Operated Crane Lorry | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-blackburn (photograph: A Nortons eight-wheel rigid loaded with tall galvanised stillage racks, strapped and ready to leave an industrial unit) Lancashire · Worked from Manchester Blackburn is straight up the M66 and across the M65, and the work there is mostly industrial: material into mill sites and modern units, cabins into compounds, and machinery moved between the two. Get a Quote Email Us The work ### What we do in Blackburn East Lancashire has a particular kind of access problem. A great many of the working buildings are converted mills, which means solid ground and generous headroom inside, and a yard entrance designed for a horse and cart. We have taken more than one load off at the gate and carried it in on the crane because the vehicle simply was not going through, and that is a plan rather than a problem when it is known in advance. The other recurring job is site accommodation. Compounds want their units in the right order and square to each other, and getting that wrong means the last cabin cannot reach its position without the first three being moved again. We deliver in the sequence the site wants rather than the sequence the units came off the yard. A Blackburn job runs out and back in a day. Tell us the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable rather than take the booking and work it out afterwards. Our own work ### Our vehicles, our jobs — but not photographed in Blackburn Every photograph on this site is our own, of our own vehicles, on a job we actually did. These show the kind of work described above. We have not labelled them as Blackburn jobs, because we cannot show you a dated record for that — and a photograph captioned with a place it was not taken is worth less than no caption at all. (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry loaded with galvanised racking alongside a modern industrial unit) #### Racking loaded at the unit (photograph: Galvanised stillage racks strapped down on the bed of a Nortons rigid in a works yard) #### Strapped down before it moves (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry working its way up a narrow cobbled lane between stone walls) #### A cobbled lane and no room either side (photograph: A Nortons rigid loaded with red painted steel sections standing alongside a long stone built industrial building) #### Steel alongside the building What gets booked here ### Services we run into Blackburn - Portable cabin transport - Plant and machinery transport - Steel beam transport - Hiab and driver hire Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Blackburn asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Blackburn Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Lancashire on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry loaded with stainless steel process vessels) Common questions ### Hiab hire in Blackburn, answered #### Do you actually cover Blackburn? Yes. The photographs on this page are our own, of our own vehicles on real jobs, but we have not labelled them as taken in Blackburn because we cannot show you a dated record for that. They show the kind of work described above. Stillage racks loaded and strapped, steel alongside a stone built unit, process vessels on the bed and a wagon working a cobbled lane. Material into working buildings, which is most of what we carry in east Lancashire. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Blackburn is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Blackburn? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Preston | Crane Lorry & Driver / Operator | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-preston (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry loaded with shrink-wrapped panels held in green slings on the bed at an industrial unit) Lancashire · Worked from Manchester Preston sits where the M6, the M61 and the M55 meet, which makes it one of the easiest places in the North West for us to reach and one of the busiest for the kind of work a hiab is actually for. Get a Quote Email Us The work ### What we do in Preston The mix around Preston is broad: distribution and logistics units off the motorway junctions, university and city-centre work where the whole job is finding somewhere legal to put the outriggers, and a good deal of residential and rural work out towards the Fylde where the load has to go over a boundary because there is no other way in. That last kind is worth a sentence. Getting something into a back garden or a side yard is normal work for us rather than an unusual request - the crane picks it off the bed at the road, lifts it clear of the wall or the fence, and lowers it in. What decides whether it works is not the weight but how far out the landing point is from where the lorry can legally stand. Preston is comfortably a day out and back, so it prices as regional work. If the job is out towards the coast the roads add time rather than difficulty, and it is still one vehicle, one driver / operator and one visit. Our own work ### Our vehicles, our jobs — but not photographed in Preston Every photograph on this site is our own, of our own vehicles, on a job we actually did. These show the kind of work described above. We have not labelled them as Preston jobs, because we cannot show you a dated record for that — and a photograph captioned with a place it was not taken is worth less than no caption at all. (photograph: Shrink-wrapped panels strapped down under orange webbing on the bed of a Nortons crane lorry) #### Panels strapped down for the road (photograph: A long refurbished cabin loaded on a Nortons crane lorry outside a distribution unit) #### A long unit off a distribution yard What gets booked here ### Services we run into Preston - Hiab and driver hire - Long reach hiab hire - Portable cabin transport - Container transport Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Preston asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Preston Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Lancashire on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company (photograph: Two Nortons crane lorries working green containers on a hard standing compound) Common questions ### Hiab hire in Preston, answered #### Do you actually cover Preston? Yes. The photographs on this page are our own, of our own vehicles on real jobs, but we have not labelled them as taken in Preston because we cannot show you a dated record for that. They show the kind of work described above. Wrapped panels slung and strapped, a long unit off a distribution yard, and containers set onto a compound. Light for their size, easy to damage and slow to secure. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Preston is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Preston? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Stockport | Crane & Driver / Operator | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-stockport (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry holding a refurbished site cabin on four slings in the yard at Romiley Board Mill in Stockport) Greater Manchester · Worked from Manchester Stockport is twenty minutes round the M60 from the yard, and a good deal of the work there is defined by the fact that the town is built on a hill and around a viaduct. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Stockport, not from a stock library A refurbished cabin set-up delivered to Romiley Board Mill and lifted in from the yard, on ground with a fall across it and a mill wall on two sides. (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry working in front of the multi storey brick mill building at Romiley in Stockport) #### Working in front of the mill (photograph: A refurbished cabin lifted off the bed of a Nortons lorry in a sloping yard at Romiley) #### Lifted off in a sloping yard (photograph: A refurbished cabin swung in over the stabiliser legs of a Nortons crane lorry at Romiley) #### Swung in over the legs (photograph: A refurbished cabin lowered onto its position beside a mill building at Romiley in Stockport) #### Lowered onto its position The work ### What we do in Stockport Gradient matters more in Stockport than almost anywhere else we work regularly. A lorry has to stand level to lift, and a street that looks perfectly ordinary can be too steep to set the legs on safely. Where that is the case the answer is usually to stand at the flat end and reach further, which is a planning question rather than an obstacle - but it is one worth settling before the vehicle sets off rather than when it arrives. The rest is a familiar mix. Town-centre and Merseyway-area deliveries where the loading window is set by somebody else. Redrock and the newer developments, where units and materials go into sites with no crane of their own. And a steady run of domestic and small-commercial work in the residential areas out towards Bramhall and Cheadle: garden rooms, hot tubs, sheds, steel for extensions. Being twenty minutes away means a Stockport job rarely needs a whole day booked out, which usually shows up in the price. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Stockport - Hiab and driver hire - Long reach hiab hire - Garden room and pod delivery - Container transport Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Stockport asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Stockport Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Greater Manchester on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company (photograph: The empty bed of a Nortons crane lorry with the delivered cabins standing behind it at Romiley) Common questions ### Hiab hire in Stockport, answered #### Do you actually cover Stockport? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. A refurbished cabin set-up delivered to Romiley Board Mill and lifted in from the yard, on ground with a fall across it and a mill wall on two sides. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Stockport is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Stockport? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Warrington | Operated Crane Lorry | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-warrington (photograph: A Nortons lorry loaded with scaffolding and timber, craned off on a delivery into Warrington) Cheshire · Worked from Manchester Warrington is forty minutes down the M62 and it is distribution country: big units, wide yards and loads that are usually straightforward to lift and awkward to book a slot for. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Warrington, not from a stock library A scaffolding load collected at Hartlepool and delivered into Warrington, loaded out of the yard at first light. (photograph: A Nortons tractor unit and trailer loaded with scaffold boards and timber at first light) #### Loaded and away at first light (photograph: A Nortons trailer loaded with scaffolding beside a forklift and site cabins in a distribution yard) #### Loaded out in the yard The work ### What we do in Warrington Most Warrington work is easier on the crane than it is on the diary. The sites have room, the ground is generally sound and the access is designed for lorries. What tends to decide the day is the delivery window, the gatehouse and whether the yard is running a booking system, so the useful thing to tell us at the enquiry is when you can receive it rather than how heavy it is. Alongside that there is a steady amount of work around Birchwood and Risley - plant and machinery between depots, containers and site accommodation onto compounds, and material into the industrial estates. Anything going into the older parts of the town centre is a different job entirely, and worth flagging as such. Warrington is close enough to the M6 that a job there often pairs with something further north or south on the same day, which is where a return-load saving can come from. It is worth asking if your date has any flexibility in it. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Warrington - Container transport - Plant and machinery transport - Portable cabin transport - Contract haulage Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Warrington asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Warrington Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Cheshire on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company Common questions ### Hiab hire in Warrington, answered #### Do you actually cover Warrington? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. A scaffolding load collected at Hartlepool and delivered into Warrington, loaded out of the yard at first light. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Warrington is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Warrington? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Wigan | Crane Lorry & Driver / Operator | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-wigan (photograph: A Nortons 855 hiab holding a 14ft wide medical pool level and clear in the air on a new build at Wigan) Greater Manchester · Worked from Manchester Wigan is half an hour along the M61 and the work there leans industrial: plant moved between yards, material onto sites, and units into compounds on ground that is frequently softer than it looks. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Wigan, not from a stock library A 14ft wide medical pool on the road to Wigan, rigged on the bed, and lifted in through the gap between two houses on a new build, plus modular units set into a compound. (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry carrying a 14ft wide medical pool as a wide load on the road into Wigan) #### A 14ft wide load on the way to Wigan (photograph: The 14ft wide medical pool sheeted and strapped on the bed of a Nortons crane lorry standing at the new build at Wigan) #### The pool on the bed at Wigan (photograph: A Nortons driver / operator alongside the crane lorry with the medical pool rigged on four slings ready to lift at Wigan) #### Rigged and ready to lift (photograph: A Nortons 855 hiab lifting a 14ft wide medical pool through the gap between two new build houses at Wigan) #### In between the houses at Wigan The work ### What we do in Wigan Ground conditions come up more often around Wigan than in most places we work, and for a good reason - a lot of the flat, open, apparently ideal standing positions are on reclaimed land. An 855 on full stabiliser span puts around 220 kN through a single leg, which on soft cohesive ground needs a spreader pad over two metres square. We carry pads and we plan for it; what we cannot plan for is not being told the yard was a colliery. Plant movement is the other steady thread. Machines get lifted onto the bed rather than driven on, which means no ramps, no tracking damage to somebody else's yard, and a machine that arrives clean. For anything too tall for a flatbed the low loader does the same job with a lower deck. Most of the photographs on this page are from one job. A 14ft wide medical pool went to a private property on a new build at Wigan, travelling as a wide load and then placed over 17 metres from where the vehicle stood, in through the gap between two houses, because there was no way round the back. The 855 was worked by David Connor and the customer's fitters took it from there. Because Wigan is close, a job there can often be fitted around another one on the same day, and that generally shows up in the quote rather than in the small print. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Wigan - Plant and machinery transport - Low loader hire - Container transport - Hiab and driver hire Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Wigan asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Wigan Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Greater Manchester on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry working modular units into place on a fenced compound at Wigan) Common questions ### Hiab hire in Wigan, answered #### Do you actually cover Wigan? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. A 14ft wide medical pool on the road to Wigan, rigged on the bed, and lifted in through the gap between two houses on a new build, plus modular units set into a compound. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Wigan is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Wigan? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Cheshire | Operated Crane Lorry Hire | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-cheshire (photograph: A Nortons crane lowering a dark green kiosk unit onto its concrete base at Winsford in Cheshire, with two banksmen guiding it in) Cheshire · Worked from Manchester Cheshire is the county where the access question matters most. A great deal of what we lift there has to go somewhere a lorry cannot follow it, over a wall, a hedge or a gravelled drive that will not take a stabiliser leg. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Cheshire, not from a stock library A kiosk unit craned onto its base at Winsford, brick pallets into a street at Ellesmere Port, a load of electrical panels running down the M6 from Ellesmere Port to London, and a commercial truck wash lifted at Lymm. All photographed on the job. (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry holding a dark green kiosk unit on yellow slings beside its prepared base at Winsford) #### On the slings at Winsford (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry loaded with pallets of bricks on a residential street at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire) #### Brick pallets at Ellesmere Port (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry carrying wrapped electrical panels southbound on the M6 at Lymm in Cheshire, on the way from Ellesmere Port to London) #### Electrical panels on the M6 at Lymm The work ### What we do in Cheshire The rural and residential work is the distinctive part. Garden rooms and pods lifted in over a boundary. Hot tubs and spa units into gardens with one gate and a hedge. Sheds, cabins, steelwork for extensions, and the occasional piece of statuary. In nearly every case the constraint is reach rather than weight, because the vehicle has to stand on the lane and place the load somewhere behind a house or a wall. That is exactly the job a lorry loader is for and exactly the job a flatbed cannot do, because a flatbed leaves you needing lifting gear at the far end. It is also why we ask what is between the road and the landing point before we ask what the item weighs. The commercial side is more conventional: Crewe, Northwich, Winsford and the Chester corridor, with industrial and construction deliveries much like anywhere else. All of it is inside a comfortable day from Miles Platting. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Cheshire - Long reach hiab hire - Garden room and pod delivery - Hiab and driver hire - Plant and machinery transport Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Cheshire asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Cheshire Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Cheshire on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry lifting a commercial truck wash gantry clear of the ground at Lymm in Cheshire) Common questions ### Hiab hire in Cheshire, answered #### Do you actually cover Cheshire? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. A kiosk unit craned onto its base at Winsford, brick pallets into a street at Ellesmere Port, a load of electrical panels running down the M6 from Ellesmere Port to London, and a commercial truck wash lifted at Lymm. All photographed on the job. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Cheshire is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Cheshire? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Hire Trafford | Crane Lorry & Driver / Operator | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/hiab-hire-trafford (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting large grey modular units into position in a car park at the cricket ground in Trafford, with two banksmen guiding them) Greater Manchester · Worked from Manchester Trafford is close enough to the yard to be a half-day job and varied enough that no two bookings look alike: Trafford Park one morning, a garden in Hale the same afternoon. Get a Quote Email Us The evidence ### Photographs from Trafford, not from a stock library Modular units craned into position at the cricket ground at Old Trafford in 2016. The ground is in Trafford, which is why the photographs are on this page. (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry taking a grey modular unit off a stack in a car park at the cricket ground in Trafford) #### Off the stack, one at a time (photograph: A Nortons crane lorry with its boom out among stacked modular units at the cricket ground in Trafford) #### Boom out among the stacks The work ### What we do in Trafford Trafford Park is the industrial half, and it behaves like a large distribution estate: sound ground, room to stand, and a delivery window that somebody else has set. The awkwardness there is scheduling rather than lifting, so the more notice we have of the slot the better the day runs. The residential half - Sale, Altrincham, Hale, Urmston, Stretford - is the opposite. Narrow roads, parked cars on both sides, mature trees over the carriageway and gardens that have to be reached over a wall or a fence. That is reach work, and the thing that decides it is how far the landing point is from the nearest place a lorry can legally and safely stand. The whole borough sits inside the Greater Manchester clean air zone. The 32 and 44 tonne wagons we run are Euro VI, which is the standard the zone is written around, so there is no reason for a vehicle to be turned away at the boundary. What gets booked here ### Services we run into Trafford - Hiab and driver hire - Long reach hiab hire - Container transport - Clean air zone compliance Everything else in the fleet is available here too — the list above is simply what Trafford asks for most. All services From the yard ### What we bring into Trafford Our own lorries, our own driver / operators, our own escort vehicles and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads — which is what actually gets a lift done in Greater Manchester on the day you need it. How our coverage works  ·  About the company Common questions ### Hiab hire in Trafford, answered #### Do you actually cover Trafford? Yes, and the photographs on this page are from jobs we have done there rather than stock images. Modular units craned into position at the cricket ground at Old Trafford in 2016. The ground is in Trafford, which is why the photographs are on this page. Where we can show the work, we show it. #### How quickly can you get there? It depends on the day and what is already committed, but the area is regular rather than exceptional for us. There is no minimum booking notice. Email with the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is achievable, rather than take the booking and work it out later. #### What does a job like that cost? It is priced by the job, not by the mile. Vehicle size, how far out the load has to be placed, the access and the time on site move the number far more than the distance does. Everything that changes a hiab price is set out on the cost page, and you do not need to know any of those figures to ask us for one. #### Where do you run from? Our yard is at Miles Platting in Manchester - one site, our own vehicles and our own ALLMI trained driver / operators, rather than work farmed out to a local sub-contractor we have never met. Trafford is regular running for us, and jobs are priced by the job rather than by the mile, so the distance from the yard is not a line on your quote. What a job costs  ·  Everywhere else we work ### A job in Trafford? Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. You will get a real answer, including if the answer is that it needs a mobile crane. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Portfolio | Real Hiab Jobs, Dated and Photographed | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portfolio-works (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry at work lifting a load on site) Dated · photographed · ours Documented jobs across the years, each one with the photograph it came from. Not a gallery of stock pictures — a record of what a fleet of lorries working out of one Manchester yard actually did. Get a Quote Start with 2025 The short answer ### Anybody can say they do this. These are the jobs. Every photograph on these pages is a Nortons vehicle on a real job, dated to the year it happened, and captioned with what it was. The work runs from one-off deliveries for private customers — a fridge that would not go through a door, a glamping pod into a back field — through to ongoing contracts for main contractors and the public sector. It is the same fleet, the same driver / operators and the same yard behind all of it. What the portfolio is really for is answering one question before you ring: have they done anything like mine? Look for the access rather than the load. A cabin over a hedge into a garden and a plant unit over a hoarding into a site are the same problem. 2017 Earliest year on record 2026 Most recent Our own Fleet, not hired in Every job Photographed on the day Year by year ### Pick a year Newest first. Each page carries its own photographs and its own captions. (photograph: A row of EV rapid charging units installed at a charging hub by a Nortons hiab) #### 2026 The Olympic Park, Aberdeenshire and an EV charging hub 18 jobs from 2026 (photograph: The Nortons fleet lined up at the Miles Platting yard in Manchester) #### 2025 Festivals, arenas and a lot of motorway 31 jobs from 2025 (photograph: A refurbished portable cabin set up on site after delivery by Nortons) #### 2024 The 858 arrives, and Hinkley Point 31 jobs from 2024 (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry photographed on the road by another driver) #### 2023 Stadium work in Manchester 15 jobs from 2023 (photograph: Glamping pods loaded on a Nortons trailer for delivery) #### 2022 Pods, cabins and Manchester Airport 12 jobs from 2022 (photograph: A modular classroom building being craned into place at a Manchester school) #### 2021 A film set, a school and a travelling theatre 11 jobs from 2021 (photograph: A portable cabin sold and delivered by Nortons, set down on site) #### 2020 The odd ones: a turbine, a lifeboat station, a fridge 43 jobs from 2020 (photograph: A Nortons rigid and drawbar trailer carrying two timber glamping pods on the road) #### 2019 Glamping pods, tanks and an Archimedes screw 32 jobs from 2019 (photograph: A Nortons rigid with its boom extended setting a cabin down on open moorland) #### 2018 Airport steelwork, city streets and stadium units 18 jobs from 2018 (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a large black tank onto a low loader) #### 2017 Circle Square, a sculpture and the Christmas markets 17 jobs from 2017 Worth a page of their own ### Three jobs we get asked about Each of these has a page to itself, with the photographs from the day. (photograph: A Nortons hiab holding a red site unit on the slings above the trailer at Anfield) #### Anfield Site setup at Liverpool Football Club during the stadium works — units craned over the hoarding line into a live construction site inside a working stadium. The Anfield job (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit standing on the renovated terraced street at Canada Street, Manchester) #### DIY SOS, Canada Street Sixty-two houses across two streets, a veterans’ support centre, and a yard round the corner from ours. Transport and storage given, not invoiced. The Canada Street build (photograph: A Nortons MAN loaded with site cabins travelling on the A39 towards the Glastonbury festival site) #### Glastonbury Ten years of hauling cabins and site accommodation down the A39 for the festival, and back up again afterwards through a field that used to be a road. The festival run Common questions ### Before you get in touch #### Are these your own photographs? All of them. Every vehicle in every picture is one of ours, on a real job, photographed by somebody who was there. There is not a single stock image anywhere on this site, which is deliberate — anybody can buy a picture of a crane lorry. #### How far back does the portfolio go? To 2017, and every year since has a page of its own. Every entry is a dated job shown with the photograph it came from. #### Can I see a job like mine before I book? That is what these pages are for. Tell us about your access and what has to be lifted, and we will point you at the closest thing we have done and tell you what it took. #### Do you work outside the North West? Regularly. Hinkley Point, Brighton, Leicester, Bicester, Norwich, Scarborough and Glastonbury are all on these pages. The yard is in Manchester; the work is not. Who we work for  ·  The vehicles that did it ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Anfield Site Setup | Liverpool FC Stadium Works | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/liverpool-fc (photograph: A Nortons Scania hiab loaded with a site unit outside the Anfield stadium works in Liverpool) Anfield, Liverpool Anfield has been rebuilt around a stadium that never stopped being used. Before any of that could start, somebody had to put the site on the ground. That part was ours. Get a Quote More jobs like this The photographs ### What it looked like Our drivers and vehicles carrying out the site setup, photographed on the day. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a red site unit clear of the trailer bed at Anfield) #### A unit lifted clear of the bed (photograph: A Nortons Scania hiab set up on the street outside the Anfield stadium works) #### The crane set up on the street (photograph: A site unit on the slings with a Nortons banksman watching the load at Anfield) #### On the slings, banksman watching (photograph: A second site unit being lifted by a Nortons hiab at the Anfield stadium works) #### The second unit of the set (photograph: A Nortons operative slinging a unit from a ladder at the Anfield site setup) #### Slinging from height (photograph: A site unit craned over the hoarding line into the Anfield construction site) #### Over the hoarding line (photograph: A Nortons hiab boom extended with a site unit suspended away from the vehicle) #### Boom out, load away from the vehicle (photograph: A Nortons hiab slewing a site unit into position at the Anfield stadium works) #### Slewing into position (photograph: A site unit being landed into position by a Nortons hiab at Anfield) #### Landing it (photograph: A further site unit lifted by a Nortons hiab during the Anfield site setup) #### The next one straight after (photograph: Nortons operatives checking a landed site unit before releasing the slings at Anfield) #### Checked before the slings come off (photograph: Two Nortons MAN tractor units standing nose to nose beside the red site containers at Anfield) #### Two of ours on the job The job ### Putting a construction site inside a working stadium Nortons Hiab Services carried out the site setup at Anfield during the stadium works — welfare units, offices and site accommodation delivered on our own vehicles and craned into position inside the hoarding line. Anfield has been through several rounds of redevelopment, and every one of them starts the same way. Before a single piece of steel goes up, the contractor needs somewhere to sit, somewhere to change, somewhere to store, and all of it has to land on a footprint that is already surrounded by terraced streets, match-day infrastructure and a stadium that is still hosting football. That is a radius problem rather than a weight problem. The units are not heavy. What decides the job is where the lorry can legally stand, how far the crane has to reach from there to where the unit has to land, and what happens to the load in between. On the photographs at the top of this page the vehicle is parked on the public street with the boom working over the hoarding line into a site that nobody on the outside can walk into. It is worth saying plainly that we were a supplier on somebody else’s project, not the main contractor. What we brought was the ability to arrive with the unit and the crane on the same vehicle, in a slot we were given, and to be gone again before it mattered. 19.6m Maximum crane outreach 1hr M62 from our yard Our own Fleet, not hired in ALLMI Trained driver / operators May 2017 ### The LFCTV studio unit A different visit and a different load: a fitted-out studio unit, glazed along one end, craned in beside the stand. Click any of them to open it full size. It is a container-sized box with a window wall in it, which changes the lift rather than the weight. Glass makes a unit fussy about how it is slung and how it is set down, and the studio had to end up square on its bearers rather than close enough. The vehicle worked from the hard standing with the boom over the fence line, an escort vehicle in attendance, and the crane on remote so the driver / operator could stand where he could see both ends of the unit at once. (photograph: A red studio unit on the trailer bed alongside the brick stand at Anfield, the LFCTV name along its side) (photograph: The studio unit lifted clear of the trailer on four slings with the crane at full height) (photograph: The studio unit held on the slings above a Nortons escort van at Anfield) (photograph: The studio unit swung clear of the lorry and turning towards its position) What we brought ### Why this is a hiab job and not a crane job - The load and the crane arrive together. One vehicle, one booking, one slot. A mobile crane needs the lorry to turn up separately and wait. - Nothing has to be stored. Units go straight from the bed to their final position, which matters on a site with no laydown area. - The reach is known before anybody travels. Tell us the distance from where the lorry can stand to where the load lands and we will tell you whether the crane gets there. - Remote-controlled cranes. The driver / operator stands where the load is visible rather than in a cab looking up. - Our own escort vehicles , and nationwide movement orders arranged for wide loads when the unit is wider than the lane. - Lift plans, RAMS, parking suspensions and road closures arranged by an appointed person where the job needs them. Hiab and driver hire  ·  When the reach is the problem  ·  Moving site accommodation Merseyside ### The rest of our Liverpool work Anfield is one job. Liverpool is one of the cities we work in most often outside Greater Manchester, and it is nearly all restricted-access work. Arena floors on the waterfront, city-centre streets where the lorry has one place to stand, festival infrastructure that goes in after dark and comes out before the shops open. The town page has the rest of it, with its own photographs. Hiab hire in Liverpool  ·  The arena job, 2025  ·  Across the North West Common questions ### Before you get in touch #### What did Nortons actually do at Anfield? Site setup. Cabins, welfare units and site accommodation delivered and craned into position inside the hoarding line so the construction work could start and keep running. It is the unglamorous half of a stadium project and it happens before anybody sees a crane on a skyline. #### Why does a job like that need a hiab rather than a mobile crane? Because the unit and the crane arrive together. A hiab brings the load, lifts it, and leaves. A mobile crane has to be brought in separately, set up, and paid for while the lorry it is lifting from sits in traffic. On a city street with a set slot and no room to store anything, one vehicle doing both is usually the only version that works. #### How do you lift over a hoarding safely? By knowing the radius before anybody travels. The distance from the centre of the crane to where the load has to land decides which vehicle comes, and a lift over a hoarding into a site you cannot walk into is planned, not improvised. Most of our driver / operators are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified and the cranes are worked by remote control so the driver / operator stands where the load is visible. #### Do you work at other stadiums? Regularly. Stadium and arena work is one of the things we do most of — the Etihad in Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford, the M&S Bank Arena on the Liverpool waterfront, and Accrington Stanley among others. It is nearly always out of hours and always timed by the venue. #### How far is Anfield from your yard? About an hour down the M62 from Miles Platting. Liverpool is a normal day out and back for us, not an overnight, which is why we quote it as regional work rather than as a distance job. ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # DIY SOS Canada Street Manchester | Nortons Hiab Services URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/diysos-manchester (photograph: The renovated terraced street at Canada Street, Manchester after the DIY SOS Big Build) Canada Street, Manchester · September 2015 Sixty-two houses across two streets, a purpose-built support centre for veterans, and a site five minutes from our gate. We gave the transport, the storage and the yard. More of our work About Nortons The photographs ### Canada Street, then and after Our vehicle on the street during the build, and the street as it was left. (photograph: A Nortons tractor unit on Canada Street in Manchester during the DIY SOS build) #### On Canada Street during the build (photograph: The Nortons MAN tractor unit used on the Canada Street project in Manchester) #### The unit that ran the job (photograph: A Nortons driver in the cab of the tractor unit on Canada Street, Manchester) #### One of ours, in the cab (photograph: The renovated terraced houses on Canada Street, Manchester after the build) #### The finished street (photograph: The new turning head and resurfaced road at the completed Canada Street project) #### The new turning head (photograph: The rebuilt road junction and planting at the completed Canada Street project) #### The rebuilt junction (photograph: The Nortons tractor unit leaving Canada Street at the end of the DIY SOS build) #### Leaving at the end of the job (photograph: The purpose-built veterans support centre at Canada Street, Manchester) #### The support centre (photograph: A mosaic roundel set into the road surface marking the 2015 Canada Street build) #### The 2015 roundel set into the road What happened ### The biggest Big Build the programme had done Nortons Hiab Services Ltd was involved in the BBC DIY SOS project at Canada Street, Manchester, which is just round the corner from our headquarters. The production used our facilities for storage and for setting up their catering tents, and our transport department volunteered their services on the project. The programme, presented by Nick Knowles, took on its biggest project to date: renovating 62 houses across two streets. The homes and a purpose-built support centre provide accommodation and facilities for military veterans. Walking With The Wounded and Adactus Housing Group worked with Manchester City Council on it, combined with an enormous amount of time, skill, resource and material donated by volunteer contractors and private individuals. Prince William and Prince Harry visited the site and got their hands dirty during the day they spent there. The Veterans’ Village officially opened on Monday 28 September 2015. The finished project went out on BBC One on 14 and 21 October 2015. We were one of a great many suppliers on it, and much better known names did much more. But the yard was round the corner, we had the vehicles and the space, and it did not seem like a difficult decision. Afterwards ### The thank-you letter “I would like to start with a big THANK YOU from everybody at ISG for the extremely valuable support you provided for Walking With The Wounded / DIY SOS: The Big Build, Veterans Special. Our thanks can be added to the many testimonials received on the project, particularly from Nick Knowles and his team, who emphasised the importance of your support on the BBC shows and accompanying interviews, and also via social media. Manchester City Council, Haig Housing and Walking With the Wounded have also expressed their thanks. There is no doubt — we could not have done it without you. Your generosity of time and materials was crucial to the success of this massive project, the biggest ever Big Build, and your contributions to the fundraising for WWTW will help the charity in firmly establishing their North West base.” Danny Murray, ISG — 23 November 2015 Since then ### Community work we have done since #### Carrbrook community centre A unit delivered to the community centre at Carrbrook in 2020. 2020 portfolio #### RNLI at Birkenhead A new lifeguards’ cabin craned into position on the front at Birkenhead. #### A community bike library A container delivered and positioned for a community bike library in 2024. 2024 portfolio If you are running something local and the transport is the part that is stopping you, ask. The worst that happens is we say the vehicles are out. Hiab hire in Manchester  ·  The yard at Miles Platting Common questions ### About this project #### What did Nortons do on the DIY SOS build? Transport, storage and the use of our facilities. The site was in Canada Street, which is round the corner from our yard in Miles Platting, so the production used our premises for storage and to set up their catering tents, and our transport department volunteered their services on the project. #### When was it? The build ran in September 2015. The Veterans’ Village officially opened on Monday 28 September 2015 and the finished project was broadcast on BBC One on 14 and 21 October 2015. #### What was built? Sixty-two houses across two streets were renovated, along with a purpose-built support centre. The homes and the centre provide accommodation and facilities for military veterans. #### Do you work on community projects? Often — a community centre at Carrbrook, a lifeguard station for the RNLI at Birkenhead, a community bike library. ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Glastonbury | Hauling Cabins to the Festival | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/glastonbury (photograph: Nortons lorries loaded with site cabins beside a large marquee at the Glastonbury festival site) Somerset · every summer The run down to Glastonbury is the easy part. The job starts at the gate, where the road stops being a road and the ground decides what happens next. Get a Quote More of our work The photographs ### Ten years of the same run Loaded at the yard, down the A road, across the field, and out again afterwards. (photograph: Site cabins loaded and strapped on a Nortons trailer ready for the run south) #### Loaded at Miles Platting (photograph: A Nortons lorry loaded with site cabins travelling on the A39 towards Glastonbury) #### Down the A39 (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry with cabins passing through a Somerset village on the festival run) #### Through the village (photograph: A Nortons lorry on a narrow Somerset lane on the approach to the festival site) #### The last few miles (photograph: A Nortons artic and trailer parked under a large oak tree at the festival site) #### Parked up under the oak (photograph: A Nortons lorry crossing a grass field at the Glastonbury festival site) #### Across the field (photograph: A Nortons lorry waiting at the site gate at the Glastonbury festival ground) #### At the site gate (photograph: A Nortons Scania hiab standing on temporary trackway laid across the festival field) #### On the temporary trackway (photograph: A large marquee standing alone on the emptied and churned Glastonbury festival field) #### The only tent left standing The last photograph is the one worth looking at. That is the site after everybody has gone, with one marquee still standing and a field that used to be a road. Getting a loaded artic back out across that is a different job from the one that went in. The short answer ### Somebody has to bring the boring boxes Nortons hauls site accommodation to the Glastonbury festival site and back — welfare units, offices, production cabins and containers, loaded at Miles Platting and craned off in a Somerset field. What makes festival work different from any other delivery is that the last hundred metres are the whole job. The A39 down is straightforward. The site is a working farm for fifty weeks of the year, and for the other two it has to take several thousand vehicle movements across grass. There is temporary trackway where it matters, and mud where it does not. A 44-tonne artic that gets it wrong stops being a delivery and starts being an obstruction that somebody has to tow. So the planning is about ground and timing rather than about lifting. Which vehicle can get in and turn round. What the ground will take under an outrigger. When the slot is, and what happens to the schedule if the weather changes it. The crane part — picking a cabin off the bed and putting it where it goes — is the straightforward bit. Cabins What we take Somerset Where it goes A39 The road in Out again The harder half If you run an event ### What to tell us when you ring - Where the vehicle can get to, not where the load has to end up. Those are usually different places, and the gap between them is what decides the crane. - What the ground is. Grass, hardcore, trackway or tarmac. It changes the vehicle, and sometimes it changes whether the job is possible at all. - The slot, and how firm it is. Build schedules move. Tell us early and we can usually move with them. - How it comes out again. Half the festival jobs that go wrong go wrong on the way out, when the ground is worse and everybody wants to leave at once. - Whether anything is wide. Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required and we run our own escort vehicles, so a wide unit is a planning question rather than a problem. Moving site accommodation  ·  Container transport  ·  Working away from the North West Common questions ### Festival and event haulage #### What do you actually take to a festival? Site accommodation, mostly. Welfare units, offices, production cabins, storage containers and the odd awkward one-off. The festival infrastructure everybody photographs is somebody else’s; ours is the boring boxes that the people running it work out of. #### Why is festival haulage difficult? Because the last mile is not a road. The A roads down are fine. What decides the job is the site itself: soft ground, temporary trackway, a queue of other vehicles doing the same thing, and a build schedule where being a day late means the unit cannot get in at all. Coming back out after the event is usually harder than going in. #### Do you do event and festival work generally? Regularly. Brighton, Liverpool, arena work on the Merseyside waterfront and stadium work in Manchester. Event work is nearly always out of hours and always timed by somebody who is not us. #### How far in advance should a festival job be booked? As early as you can. Build weeks are the same weeks for everybody, so the vehicles that suit that work are spoken for a long way ahead. Tell us the site, the access and the dates and we will tell you straight away whether we can commit to it. The 2025 run  ·  Brighton festival, 2020  ·  Liverpool festival, 2021 ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Helicopter Transport | Aircraft Moved by Road | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/helicopter-transport (photograph: Helicopter airframe suspended clear of the ground on a Nortons truck-mounted crane at Blackpool Airport) October 2015 · Blackpool Airport to Manchester Blades off and crated, airframe lifted onto the trailer by truck-mounted crane, both delivered to Manchester on the same movement. One attempt, no second go. Get a Quote Email Us The job ### One helicopter, Blackpool to Manchester In October 2015 Nortons collected an Agusta A109 helicopter from Blackpool Airport and delivered it to Manchester. The main rotor blades were detached before we lifted and travelled crated in two boxes on the same movement. That is the whole record, and it is deliberately all of it. The date, the two ends of the journey, the weight and the two crates are what the job sheet says. We have not filled in the rest from memory eleven years later. What the photographs show is the part that matters to anyone thinking about a similar move: the aircraft standing on the apron with the blades already off, the strops on, the airframe lifted clear, and the same airframe set down and strapped on the trailer with the crates beside it. (photograph: Engineer working on the helicopter with the main rotor blades already removed outside the hangar) Blackpool Airport, October 2015 ### The whole movement Every photograph on this page is from the one job. Click any of them to open it full size — arrow keys or a swipe move through the set, Escape closes it. (photograph: Helicopter standing on the apron outside the hangar at Blackpool Airport before loading) (photograph: Helicopter airframe being lowered by crane towards a Nortons low trailer) (photograph: Two men steadying the suspended helicopter as it is guided over the trailer deck) (photograph: Helicopter landing gear settling onto the trailer deck with a banksman watching) (photograph: Helicopter secured on the trailer beside a Nortons vehicle ready for the road) (photograph: Two men in high visibility clothing beside the loaded helicopter at Blackpool Airport) (photograph: Loaded helicopter on the trailer standing outside the hangar at Blackpool Airport) (photograph: Nortons tractor unit coupled to the loaded trailer ready to leave for Manchester) (photograph: Two Nortons vehicles on the apron at Blackpool Airport during the helicopter movement) (photograph: Nortons lorry with the crane set up and the stabiliser legs down on the airport apron) (photograph: Nortons vehicle standing on the apron at Blackpool Airport before the lift began) (photograph: Helicopter and a Nortons vehicle standing alongside the hangar at Blackpool Airport) (photograph: The helicopter with its main rotor blades removed, loaded and strapped on the Nortons low trailer outside the hangar at Blackpool Airport) If you have one to move ### What we need from you - The type, and the airframe weight with the blades off - The lifting points, from the manufacturer or your engineer - Who is removing and refitting the blades, and when they can do it - Both addresses, and whether either end is airside - Your contact at the airfield, because access takes longer to arrange than the lift - Whether the blades need crating or are already crated Talk it through How it went ### The lift, in order Four stages, and the photographs at the top of this page run in the same order they happened. #### Made ready by somebody else Licensed engineers remove the main rotor blades and confirm the airframe is fit to lift and where it may be lifted from. We do not touch that part and we do not start until it is signed off. #### Strops on the designed points An airframe has a small number of points that will take a load and a great deal of light structure that will not. Those points are agreed before the vehicle leaves the yard. #### Lifted clear and held The crane takes the weight, the aircraft comes up slowly and is steadied, and the trailer is positioned underneath rather than the aircraft being swung across to it. #### Set down and strapped Lowered onto the deck, packed so nothing bears on the skin or the gear, strapped for the road with the crated blades alongside. The same sequence in reverse at the Manchester end. The weight was never the hard part. An airframe with its blades off is well inside what any of our cranes will pick up. Aircraft work is difficult because the load is fragile, oddly balanced, worth a great deal and completely unforgiving of a second attempt — which is why the planning takes longer than the lift. Related work ### The rest of the awkward end of the job list Aircraft movements sit alongside the other loads that will not go on a normal wagon. Abnormal loads covers the notification and movement order side, plant and machinery transport the tracked and wheeled end, and low loader hire the trailers that carry the tall ones. The portfolio has a decade of dated jobs in it, and there are more one-offs on the photographs page . Common questions ### Moving an aircraft by road, answered #### Can a helicopter be moved by road? Yes, and it is more common than people expect. The main rotor blades come off and travel crated, the airframe is lifted onto a low trailer, and the whole thing runs as an out-of-gauge load. We did exactly that in October 2015, collecting from Blackpool Airport and delivering to Manchester with two crates of blades alongside the airframe. #### Do the rotor blades have to come off? Almost always. Blades make the load far too wide for a road journey and they are the most easily damaged part of the aircraft. On the Blackpool job they were detached before we lifted, crated, and carried on the same movement so that everything arrived together. #### Who removes and refits the blades? Licensed aircraft engineers, not us. We are the haulier. Our part starts when the airframe is ready to lift and ends when it is set down at the other end. We work to the engineer’s instructions on lifting points and handling, and we would refuse a lift that was not signed off by somebody qualified to say the aircraft was ready. #### Where do you lift it from? Only from the points the aircraft manufacturer and the attending engineer specify. An airframe is not a crate — it has a small number of designed lifting points and a great deal of light structure that will not take a strop. That is agreed before the vehicle leaves our yard, not worked out on the apron. #### How heavy was it? An airframe with its blades off is well inside what our cranes lift, and the Blackpool machine was no exception. The difficulty in aircraft work is almost never the weight. It is the shape, the fragility, and the fact that you only get one attempt at it. #### Can you get on to an airfield? Airside access is arranged through the airport or operator, and it takes longer to organise than the lift itself. Passes, escorts, timing windows and driver details are usually needed in advance. Give us as much notice as you can and tell us who your contact at the field is. #### What else in this line do you move? Anything awkward, valuable and out of gauge — plant, machinery, one-off fabrications, structures, and loads that are too wide or too long for an ordinary lane. The reason aircraft work sits with us is the same reason abnormal loads do: it needs a crane on the vehicle, the movement orders arranged in advance and a driver who has done it before. ### Tell us what it is and where it has to go We will tell you what the move needs and what we would want agreed in writing before the day. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Manchester City Academy Works | Hiab Hire on Site | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/manchester-city-academy-works (photograph: Nortons eight wheel hiab with the crane raised beside the academy roofline in Manchester) 7 June 2016 · Manchester Cabins and containers in on the deck and craned off into position on a live development, working from the road alongside the ground. Get a Quote Email Us Why it suits a hiab ### One vehicle does the whole thing (photograph: Nortons eight wheel hiab with a container on the deck outside the academy) #### It arrives loaded The unit travels on the same vehicle that lifts it. There is no second movement, no crane waiting on standby and nothing to co-ordinate between two contractors. (photograph: Nortons hiab with the crane extended over the boundary at the academy site) #### It reaches over the boundary The vehicle stands where it is allowed to stand and the crane goes over the fence line to the position. On a constrained site that is the difference between a delivery and a problem. (photograph: Nortons eight wheeler alongside a cabin at the Manchester City Academy development) #### It leaves when it is finished Lift, place, chains off, legs up, gone. The road is occupied for the length of the lift rather than for the length of the job. The job ### Site accommodation, placed from the road On 7 June 2016 Nortons hiabs worked on the Manchester City Academy development, taking cabins and containers in on the deck and craning them off into position. The vehicles worked from the roadway alongside the ground rather than from inside the site. The work itself is ordinary for us and that is rather the point. A truck-mounted crane arrives with the unit already on it, sets its legs, lifts the unit off the deck and puts it down where it is wanted. Nothing waits for a mobile crane, nothing waits for a second vehicle, and the road is blocked for as long as the lift takes rather than for the day. (photograph: Worker on top of a container on the back of a Nortons hiab preparing the lifting chains) On site, June 2016 ### The day’s photographs All from the one job. Click any of them to see it full size. (photograph: Nortons Scania hiab arriving at the Manchester City Academy development in early sunlight) (photograph: Front of a Nortons Scania hiab with a worker in high visibility clothing directing it) (photograph: Cabin loaded on the deck of a Nortons hiab with the crane stowed) (photograph: Nortons hiab with a container on the deck alongside the academy roofline) (photograph: Close view of a Nortons hiab cab with the stabiliser legs deployed on site) (photograph: Nortons eight wheel hiab working on the Manchester City Academy development) The rest of it ### Other grounds, other jobs There is a longer account of the Anfield site setup , and events covers stadium, festival and Christmas market work. For the same job on ordinary sites see portable cabin transport , and for hiab work across the city hiab hire in Manchester . Common questions ### Site work, answered #### What did Nortons do at the Manchester City Academy? Site accommodation work. Our eight-wheel hiabs took cabins and containers in on the deck and craned them off into position on the development, working on 7 June 2016. It is the same job we do on most construction sites — the difference here was the setting and the access. #### Why does a job like this need a hiab rather than a crane? Because the unit arrives and is placed in one movement. A mobile crane has to be brought in, set up and paid for while it waits for the delivery; a truck-mounted crane is already under the load. On a site where you are placing a handful of units rather than a hundred, that is the whole argument. #### Can you work from a public road? Often, and on constrained sites it is the only way. The vehicle stands where it is allowed to stand and the crane reaches over the boundary to the position. That needs the reach to be worked out properly beforehand, and it needs somebody to have thought about pedestrians, traffic and what is overhead. #### Do you work on live sites with other trades on them? Constantly. Almost every site accommodation delivery we do is onto a site that is already running. Our drivers hold the lifting qualifications, we work to the principal contractor’s permit system, and the exclusion zone goes up before anything leaves the deck. #### Do you do sports ground and stadium work generally? Yes. There is a fuller account of the Anfield site setup on the Liverpool FC page, and the events page covers stadium, festival and Christmas market work. ### Units to place on a live site? Tell us what is going in and where it has to end up. We will tell you whether it works before anybody books a road closure. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Photographs | Nortons Hiab Services at Work | Hiab Hire URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/photos Where everything is Every picture on this site is a job we did, dated where we know the date. The photography is spread across the site rather than piled into one gallery — each set sits with the job it belongs to, so you can see the work in context instead of scrolling through four hundred pictures of blue lorries. This page is the index to all of it. Told properly ### The jobs with a page of their own (photograph: Nortons vehicles outside the hangar doors at Blackpool Airport) #### Helicopter transport A helicopter moved by road from Blackpool Airport to Manchester in October 2015, blades off and crated separately. (photograph: Nortons Scania hiab arriving at the Manchester City Academy development) #### Manchester City Academy Cabins and containers craned into a live development on 7 June 2016, working from the road alongside the ground. (photograph: Red container units and a Nortons hiab at the Liverpool Football Club site) #### Anfield site setup Site accommodation craned over the hoarding line into the Liverpool FC stadium works. DIY SOS, Canada Street  ·  Glastonbury Events, festivals and markets Films of the same work By year ### The portfolio A page for each year, built from the captions the jobs were recorded with at the time. 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 All of it The vehicles ### Photographed one at a time Each vehicle has its own page with its own photographs and its manufacturer load chart. 858 Hiab 855 Hiab 658 Artic 622 Volvo 558 Rigid Wagon & Drag Low Loader Moffett The whole fleet Not filed anywhere else ### The ones that did not fit Frames from the same jobs that are not published on any other page. Click any of them to see it full size. (photograph: Nortons lorries beside the hangar during the helicopter movement at Blackpool Airport) (photograph: Nortons hiab with the crane set and the stabiliser legs down on the airport apron) (photograph: Nortons hiab parked alongside the academy development between lifts) (photograph: Nortons eight wheeler loaded with a container beside the academy roofline) (photograph: Blue container kiosk on a Nortons vehicle outside a Manchester stadium) (photograph: Container unit and crowd barriers on grass at a festival site with a Nortons hiab) (photograph: Wooden glamping pod being set down on a prepared base by a Nortons crane) (photograph: Wooden glamping pod in position on rough ground after delivery) ### Got a job that would make a good picture? Tell us what you need lifting or moving. If it is an awkward one we will probably photograph it, and we will ask you first before it goes anywhere near this site. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Videos | Nortons Hiabs at Work | Hiab Hire Manchester URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/videos Nortons on film Hiabs at work — cabins craned into position, a stadium delivery from start to finish, a travelling arts unit set down at a timbered hall, and the 858 arriving on the fleet. These films are held until you accept cookies. Nothing is requested from YouTube while you are on this page — every still below is served from this website. Accept the cookie policy and they unlock where they stand, without the page reloading. Cookie settings Nothing is loaded from YouTube until you press play. Every still on this page is served from this website, so no third party knows you are here unless you choose to watch something. When you do, the film plays through YouTube’s no-cookie player. (photograph: Two Nortons hiabs lifting a large yellow cement mixer drum with a banksman watching) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: Nortons hiabs at work) (photograph: Nortons Scania 858 with the crane up and two men in orange overalls beside it on a wet yard) (photograph: The new 858 hiab joins the fleet) (photograph: Nortons Scania 858 with the crane raised on a wet yard, a loaded trailer alongside) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: The 858 on the yard) (photograph: Nortons Volvo FH with the crane raised and its stabiliser legs down on the yard) (photograph: Nortons Hiab Services) (photograph: Nortons Scania 858 with the crane up and chains hanging, two men in orange on a wet yard) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: The 858 lifting precast concrete) (photograph: Red travelling arts unit set down on hardstanding in front of a black and white timbered hall, with a banksman in orange) (photograph: Cap and Dove set down at the hall) (photograph: White portable cabin being set down from a Nortons vehicle beside a hedge) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: Delivering a portable cabin) (photograph: Green anti vandal cabin held on the crane above a Nortons trailer on a demolition site) (photograph: A 32ft by 10ft anti-vandal cabin delivered) (photograph: Nortons Scania with the crane up beside a green anti vandal cabin) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: The same anti-vandal cabin stacked) (photograph: Front of a Nortons Volvo tractor unit with the legs down) (photograph: Hiab transport across the UK) (photograph: Front of a Nortons Scania with the loader crane folded down over the cab) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: Hiab transport across the UK, second film) (photograph: Overhead view of a Nortons 855 hiab with its stabiliser legs down) (photograph: An overhead view of the 855) (photograph: Nortons 855 hiab lifting a cabin with a stand and hills behind) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: A 360 view of the 855 at the ground) (photograph: Nortons 855 hiab manoeuvring into position beside a football stand) (photograph: The 855 getting into position) (photograph: Long white anti vandal cabin on the deck of a Nortons trailer in front of a red stand) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: A portable cabin dropped at the ground) (photograph: Long white cabin on a Nortons trailer in front of a football stand) (photograph: Cabin delivery at the ground) (photograph: Nortons hiab beside a cabin with the red stand and floodlights behind) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: Cabin delivery at the ground, second angle) (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a white portable cabin at a sports ground) (photograph: Lifting the cabin into place) (photograph: Nortons articulated unit in front of a red football stand) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: The artic in front of the stand) (photograph: View across a football pitch to the STANLEY lettering on the far stand) (photograph: The ground and the Nortons vehicles) (photograph: Nortons vehicles being prepared beside the red stand at a football ground) Accept cookies to watch Then press play — it runs on YouTube’s no-cookie player (photograph: Preparing the hiabs at the ground) (photograph: Two Nortons vehicles in position with a white cabin between them) (photograph: Trucks in position at the stadium) Why it works like this ### No cookies until you ask for one An ordinary YouTube embed contacts Google the moment the page opens, whether or not anybody watches. It slows the page down and it hands over a visit that never happened. This page holds a still image instead, and holds it twice over. Nothing is requested from YouTube while you read, and the play button itself stays shut until the cookie policy has been accepted — the same consent that governs everything else on the site. Accept it and the films unlock where they stand, with no reload. Press play and the player is built at that moment, pointed at YouTube’s no-cookie host. Nothing else on the page changes. More of the same work ### Where these jobs are written up The films are mostly cabin and container work at grounds and on sites. Portable cabin transport and container transport cover that properly, events covers the stadium and festival end, and the portfolio has a decade of dated jobs with photographs. There are more stills on the photographs page , and the 858 has a page of its own . ### Seen a job like yours? Tell us what you need lifting or moving. We will tell you which vehicle it wants and whether it can be done in one visit. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 2026 Portfolio | Hiab Jobs We Can Show You | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portfolio-2026 Portfolio A year that has run further than most. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London and Inverurie north of Aberdeen inside the same summer, Shropshire twice, an EV charging hub, a hospital plant deck and a good deal of ordinary work around Manchester in between. 18 documented jobs from 2026, each with the photograph it came from. Every job is one we actually did. The record ### What 2026 looked like Each one is a job that happened, captioned with what it was. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry on site beneath the Orbit tower at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London) #### Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London On site at the Olympic Park in London, with the Orbit standing over the cab. London is planned as a two-day job rather than a day out and back, and what fixes the timing is the site's access window rather than the mileage. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry at the foot of a new high-rise tower in Manchester city centre) #### A city centre tower, Manchester The last load away from one of the newest towers in Manchester city centre. City centre work is decided by the window rather than the weight - a slot on the road, a banksman, and everything off the ground before the traffic management comes down. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a large packaged plant unit on slings at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital) #### A plant deck at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital A large packaged plant unit on the slings at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. Hospital work is nearly always about the window rather than the weight - there is a time when the access road can be closed, and that is the time you get. (photograph: A Nortons hiab holding a large wrapped plant unit in the air on yellow slings outside Royal Shrewsbury Hospital) #### Clear of the bed, Shrewsbury The same plant unit in the air and out at radius, with the hospital block behind it. The lorry stands in the one place it is allowed to stand and the crane covers the rest of the distance. (photograph: A large packaged plant unit set down on its galvanised base outside Royal Shrewsbury Hospital with the lifting slings still attached) #### Down on its base, Shrewsbury The same unit landed on its plinth with the slings still on. A packaged unit arrives finished and there is one position on the base that is right, so it is set, checked and levelled before anything is unhooked. (photograph: A Nortons artic loaded with a green container on a delivery at Inverurie in Aberdeenshire) #### Inverurie, Aberdeenshire A container run up to Inverurie, north of Aberdeen. Scotland is planned as a two-day job rather than a day out and back, and it usually prices better than people expect because it pairs with a return load. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry working with the boom extended on a yard in Sheffield) #### Sheffield Working over the side with the boom out, on a yard in Sheffield. The Pennines are less of an obstacle than the map suggests - the M62 and the Snake put South Yorkshire inside a comfortable day. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a green forty foot container off the lorry bed beside a netted embankment at Sheffield) #### A forty foot container, Sheffield A forty foot container lifted off the bed and swung in alongside a netted embankment. The weight is ordinary for the vehicle; what decides the job is the radius it has to be placed at. (photograph: Lengths of aluminium truss section loaded and strapped on a Nortons lorry in Liverpool) #### Aluminium truss, Liverpool Lengths of aluminium truss loaded and strapped in Liverpool. Long, light and easy to damage, which makes the securing more work than the lifting. (photograph: A Nortons crane holding a large glazed structure with full-height windows at Droylsden) #### A glazed unit at Droylsden A large glazed structure on the crane at Droylsden. Glass changes the job: the load is light for its size, it will not tolerate being nudged, and the wind matters far more than it would with steel. (photograph: A Nortons hiab with the boom raised from the street to reach over a brick boundary wall at Droylsden) #### Over the boundary, Droylsden The boom going up and out from the street to reach past a brick boundary wall. The lorry stands where it can legally stand and the crane covers the rest, which is the whole point of the vehicle. (photograph: A black framed glazed unit loaded and strapped on a Nortons lorry with the crane folded behind it at Droylsden) #### Loaded out at Droylsden The same unit strapped down on the bed before anything moves. On a glazed load that is where most of the care goes: light for its size, and one knock is the whole panel. (photograph: A Nortons hiab with the boom fully extended carrying a steel beam on green slings above a terraced roofline at Eccles) #### A steel beam at Eccles A steel beam on the slings at Eccles, out at radius from the road — what a long boom is for on a terraced street where there is nowhere else for the lorry to stand. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a green packaged kiosk building off the lorry bed at Winsford in Cheshire) #### A kiosk building at Winsford A packaged kiosk building lifted off the bed at Winsford, Cheshire. Units like this arrive finished, so there is one position on the base that is right and no useful way to slide them afterwards. (photograph: A green kiosk building on chains and a spreader beam being lowered onto a concrete base at Winsford) #### Onto the base, Winsford The same building coming down on chains and a spreader beam with two men on the ground taking it in. Set on its plinth, checked, and the strops off. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a machine off the trailer bed at Ludlow in Shropshire) #### Ludlow, Shropshire A machine lifted off the bed at Ludlow. Lifted on and lifted off rather than driven on and off, so nothing tracks across somebody else's yard and the machine arrives clean. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a blue EV rapid charging unit on slings at a charging hub) #### An EV rapid charger placed A rapid charging unit on the slings, going onto its base at a charging hub. New work for us and a steady amount of it now: the units are heavy, the bases are exact, and there is rarely anywhere to stand except the bay in front. (photograph: A Nortons hiab with the boom extended over a row of EV rapid charging bays with the stabiliser legs down) #### The rest of the charging hub The same hub from the road: boom out over the bays, legs down on the tarmac and the finished units in a row behind. Working across a live car park means the legs go where everybody can see them. The rest of the record ### Every year we have photographs for - 2026 - 2025 - 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 Earlier work, 2025   ·   The whole portfolio ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 2025 Portfolio | Hiab Jobs We Can Show You | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portfolio-2025 Portfolio A full year of it: Everton's new stadium and the M&S Bank Arena on the Liverpool waterfront, Blenheim Palace, a pump skid into StoneX Stadium in London, the festival run to Glastonbury, and a great many ordinary days on the M6. 31 documented jobs from 2025, each with the photograph it came from. Every job is one we actually did. The record ### What 2025 looked like Each one is a job that happened, captioned with what it was. (photograph: Nortons rigid hiab installing a large events marquee frame outside an arena on the Liverpool waterfront) #### A large events marquee installed at the M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool The rigid installing a large events marquee frame at the arena on the Liverpool waterfront, with the wheel behind. The whole build runs off the hard standing outside the building. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry making a delivery drop-off in Leicester) #### Leicester drop-off A flatbed load run down and set off in Leicester. Ordinary distance work, which is most of what the vehicles actually do. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry loaded for a delivery in Birkenhead) #### Birkenhead Across the water and back the same day. Merseyside is close enough to be regional work rather than a distance job. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry on a delivery at Ripon in North Yorkshire) #### Ripon, North Yorkshire Over the Pennines into North Yorkshire. Ripon is far enough east that it is normally planned as a full day out and back. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry delivering a load at Stourport-on-Severn) #### Stourport-on-Severn A Worcestershire delivery, loaded at Miles Platting and craned off at the far end. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a packaged laundry unit off the trailer bed) #### A laundry unit delivered A packaged laundry unit lifted off and positioned. The awkward loads are usually the ones with no lifting points designed into them. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry loaded on a North West haulage run) #### North West haulage A day of North West work, which for us means inside about ninety minutes of the yard in any direction. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry southbound on the M6 near junction 10A) #### M6, junction 10A Spotted southbound on the M6. Sent in by another driver. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry on the M54 at junction 2 with a sheeted load) #### M54, junction 2 On the M54 heading for the Midlands with a sheeted load. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry travelling on the A38 in September 2025) #### The A38 On the A38 in September 2025. Trunk roads, not motorway, are where wide and long loads spend most of their time. (photograph: A Nortons hiab working outside Everton's new stadium) #### At the new Everton stadium Working at Everton's new ground on the waterfront. Stadium sites are busy in every direction, so the slot on the road matters more than the weight on the hook. (photograph: A Nortons hiab with its boom extended outside Everton's new stadium) #### The boom out, Everton The same visit, boom out over the bed. Everything in front of the vehicle is somebody else's trade waiting to get past. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry on the estate at Blenheim Palace) #### Blenheim Palace On the estate at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. Historic sites come with route restrictions before they come with lifting ones. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting wrapped panels over a building in Birmingham) #### Panels over the building, Birmingham Wrapped panels going over a building in Birmingham. The only route in is over the top, which is what the long boom is for. (photograph: A Nortons flatbed loaded with plant and pipework at Birkenhead) #### Plant and pipework at Birkenhead Loaded with plant and pipework at Birkenhead with the crew alongside. Process work is a lot of small awkward items rather than one big one. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry alongside a vessel at Huskisson Dock in Liverpool) #### Huskisson Dock, Liverpool Alongside at Huskisson Dock in Liverpool. Dock work runs to the vessel's timetable. (photograph: A large steel pressure vessel strapped down on a Nortons flatbed in Liverpool) #### A pressure vessel strapped down, Liverpool A steel pressure vessel ratcheted down on the bed in Liverpool. Round loads want to move, so they get chocks as well as straps. (photograph: A large cable drum loaded on a Nortons hiab lorry at Mold) #### A cable drum at Mold A large cable drum loaded at Mold in north Wales. Drums are heavy at the centre and easy to get wrong at the edges. (photograph: Wrapped panels loaded and strapped on a Nortons trailer at Ellesmere Port) #### Ellesmere Port Wrapped panels loaded at Ellesmere Port. Flat and fragile is a strapping problem rather than a weight one. (photograph: A large events marquee frame being assembled outside an arena in Liverpool) #### The frame going together The frame taking shape outside the arena, with the crew working at height off the sections already placed. (photograph: A Nortons rigid hiab set up on the Liverpool waterfront beside the big wheel) #### On the waterfront The rigid set up on the waterfront between the arena and the wheel. A city centre event build is a permit and a window before it is anything else. (photograph: A Nortons hiab working at the foot of River Street Tower in Manchester) #### River Street Tower, Manchester Working at the foot of River Street Tower in Manchester. City centre towers are lifted from the pavement, with the traffic management already in place. (photograph: A large red cable drum loaded on a Nortons hiab lorry) #### A drum for the Worcestershire run A cable drum on the bed for Stourport-on-Severn. Loaded at Miles Platting and craned off at the far end. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting glazed units on a Manchester city centre site) #### Glazing into a Manchester site Glazed units going in on a city centre site in Manchester, with the towers going up behind. (photograph: Stainless steel brewing vessels loaded on a Nortons flatbed) #### Brewery vessels loaded Stainless brewing vessels on the flat, loaded and ready to travel. Polished stainless goes on strops, softeners and patience. (photograph: A large cyclone separator being lowered onto the bed of a Nortons hiab lorry) #### A cyclone off the hook A cyclone separator coming down onto the bed. Big, light and all surface area - the wind matters more than the weight. (photograph: A packaged pump skid lifted on slings at StoneX Stadium in London) #### A pump skid to StoneX Stadium A packaged pump skid delivered and lifted in at StoneX Stadium in London. Everything about it is the access window rather than the mileage. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry carrying cabins on the road for Glastonbury) #### The Glastonbury run Cabins on the road for Glastonbury in 2025. The festival run is a fixed date - the site opens, everything goes in, and a few weeks later it all comes back out. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry on the M6 at Todhills near Carlisle) #### M6 at Todhills On the M6 at Todhills, the last few miles before the border. Anything past Carlisle is planned as a multi-day job. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry carrying a cabin on the M74 at Greenhillstairs) #### M74 at Greenhillstairs On the M74 in southern Scotland. Anything past Carlisle is planned as a multi-day job. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry on the M5 near Strensham) #### M5 at Strensham On the M5 in Worcestershire. Trunk road running is most of what the fleet actually does in between the lifts. The rest of the record ### Every year we have photographs for - 2026 - 2025 - 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 Later work, 2026   ·   Earlier work, 2024   ·   The whole portfolio ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 2024 Portfolio | Hiab Jobs We Can Show You | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portfolio-2024 Portfolio The year the 858 arrived and immediately got put to work. Frames for Hinkley Point lifted by two vehicles at once, precast concrete planks laid in, a brewing tank over a wall and into a working brewery, steel beams inside HMG Paints, the Town Hall gates away for refurbishment, painted bollards for the council in Stevenson Square, a collection from Arsenal's training ground, and a great deal of site accommodation. 31 documented jobs from 2024, each with the photograph it came from. Every job is one we actually did. The record ### What 2024 looked like Each one is a job that happened, captioned with what it was. (photograph: Nortons 858 rigid and 658 artic loaded with steel frames bound for Hinkley Point) #### Frames for Hinkley Point Steel frames loaded on the new 858 rigid and the 658 artic, bound for installation at Hinkley Point. (photograph: Two Nortons hiab cranes performing a dual lift on a single steel frame) #### A dual lift, two cranes on one load Both vehicles taking the weight together so the frame stays level through the lift. A dual lift needs a written plan, an appointed person and one voice on the radio. (photograph: A Nortons rigid hiab set up on a narrow terraced street for a brewery lift) #### Setting up on the street for a brewery lift The rigid set up on a terraced street outside the building, ready to take a brewing tank in. Where the vehicle can legally stand is half the job on a street this width. (photograph: Nortons 658 wagon and drag hiab lifting a portable cabin off the trailer) #### Cabins off the wagon and drag The 658 wagon and drag lifting cabins off at a site set-up, with the drag trailer still loaded behind. (photograph: Nortons 658 hiab lifting a second portable cabin at a site set-up) #### A second unit on the hook The same job later in the day. Site accommodation is the load we move more of than any other. (photograph: A fully refurbished portable cabin loaded on a Nortons trailer at the yard) #### A refurbished cabin ready to leave A fully refurbished unit loaded and strapped at the yard, ready for delivery to a housing project. (photograph: A refurbished portable cabin delivered by Nortons and set down on site) #### The same unit delivered Set down on site. The refurbishment side of the business and the haulage side often do the two halves of the same job. (photograph: Two portable cabins delivered and double stacked by a Nortons hiab) #### A double-stacked delivery Two units delivered and stacked, which turns one site cabin into an office over a store. (photograph: Nortons hiab positioning a green container for a community bike library) #### A container for a community bike library A container delivered and positioned for a community bike library. Not every job is a construction site. (photograph: A Nortons artic and trailer loaded outside the timber-clad frontage of Arsenal's training ground) #### A collection from Arsenal's training ground August 2024, the artic and trailer loaded up outside Arsenal's training ground. Sports facilities run on temporary buildings and fencing in exactly the way construction sites do, and somebody has to take them away afterwards. A collection that far south is planned as a two-day job rather than a day out and back. (photograph: A Nortons Scania eight-wheel rigid parked outside Arsenal's training ground) #### The rigid on the same visit The eight-wheeler on the same collection at Arsenal's training ground. Sports facilities are all timing - there is a window when the access road is free, and that is the window you get. Two vehicles on a collection is usually about the number of trips rather than the weight of any one load. (photograph: Ornate iron gates from Manchester Town Hall loaded on a Nortons wagon and drag) #### Manchester Town Hall gates April 2024. The ornate iron gates from Manchester Town Hall on the wagon and drag, going away to be refurbished. Old ironwork is heavier than it looks and gets packed like glass. (photograph: A Nortons rigid hiab lifting a commercial truck wash gantry into position at Lymm) #### A truck wash at Lymm January 2024. The gantry of a commercial truck wash lifted off the deck and lowered onto the rough at Lymm. Wide, light, and mostly brushwork and pipework, so it is packed before it is lifted. (photograph: A Nortons wagon and drag loaded with painted concrete bollards in Stevenson Square Manchester) #### Painted bollards for Manchester Council The wagon and drag in Stevenson Square with a run of painted concrete bollards on the deck, working for Manchester City Council. City-centre work with a live junction on two sides of the vehicle. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a painted concrete bollard on chains in a Manchester street) #### One on the chains A bollard on four chains and clear of the deck, going down onto its mark. They weigh what a small car weighs and they land within an inch. (photograph: A Nortons hiab delivering a refurbished cabin set up at Romiley Board Mill) #### A refurbished set-up to Romiley A refurbished cabin set-up delivered to Romiley Board Mill and lifted off in the yard. Refurbished units go out looking new; the price is what makes people ask. (photograph: Refurbished portable cabins loaded on Nortons hiab lorries ready for delivery) #### Refurbished cabins loaded and ready Cabins refurbished by our cabins division, loaded and ready for delivery by our own transport. One company sells the unit and the same company delivers it. (photograph: Two Nortons hiab lorries loaded with refurbished cabins in the yard) #### Two loads out of the same yard Two vehicles loaded at the yard on the same morning. Most days look like this rather than like the photographs with the boom in the air. (photograph: A Nortons 858 hiab lifting a precast concrete plank on slings) #### Precast concrete on the slings The new 858 lifting precast concrete planks in February 2024. Precast is heavy, brittle and unforgiving - it goes on the slings level or it does not go at all. (photograph: Site operatives guiding a precast concrete plank into position over reinforcement) #### Guided into the rebar A plank being walked into position over the reinforcement. The crane does the weight; two people on the ground do the accuracy. (photograph: A precast concrete plank landed onto its bearing on site) #### Down onto the bearing The plank landed. There is no adjusting it once it is down, so the setting out is finished before the lift starts. (photograph: A Nortons rigid 658 hiab lifting a brewing tank over a brick wall) #### A brewing tank over the wall January 2024, the rigid 658 lifting a brewing tank over a brick wall and into position at a working brewery. There is no door big enough, so it goes in from above. (photograph: A Nortons 855 hiab working inside a building with steel beams on the floor) #### Steel beams inside the paint works The 855 working inside the building at HMG Paints with the beams laid out on the floor. Working indoors takes the sky away and puts a roof at the top of every swing. (photograph: A Nortons 855 hiab in the doorway of a paint works during a steel beam lift) #### Down the length of the shop The same job from the doorway. The beams run the length of the building and there is one way in and one way out. (photograph: Manchester Town Hall ironwork gates loaded on a Nortons wagon and drag) #### The Town Hall gates on the drag Manchester Town Hall's ironwork gates loaded on the drag and away for refurbishment. Irreplaceable is a different problem from heavy. (photograph: A brightly painted concrete bollard being set down in a Manchester city centre street) #### A painted bollard set down One of Manchester Council's painted bollards going down in the city centre. A small load in a pedestrianised street is a traffic management job first and a lifting job second. (photograph: A fully refurbished portable cabin loaded on a Nortons hiab ready for delivery) #### A cabin set ready for a housing project A fully refurbished cabin set up, loaded and ready to leave for a new housing project. (photograph: A green container placed on site for a community bike library) #### The community bike library container The container placed for a community bike library - secure parking and storage for the library bikes, with a bike kitchen inside. (photograph: A stainless steel process vessel lifted from a Nortons flatbed) #### A stainless vessel on the hook A stainless process vessel coming off the bed. Polished stainless marks if you look at it wrong, so it is strops and softeners rather than chains. (photograph: A waste compactor loaded on the bed of a Nortons hiab lorry) #### A compactor loaded out A waste compactor down on the bed and ready to travel. Plant with no lifting points designed into it is the ordinary case, not the exception. (photograph: A kiosk building being lowered onto a concrete slab by a Nortons hiab) #### A kiosk onto its slab A kiosk building going down onto its slab. The slab is poured to the drawing; the kiosk has to land on it first time. The Hinkley Point job is the one to look at. Two of our cranes lifting one load together is a planned operation with a lift plan behind it, not two drivers deciding to help each other out. The rest of the record ### Every year we have photographs for - 2026 - 2025 - 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 Later work, 2025   ·   Earlier work, 2023   ·   The whole portfolio ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 2023 Portfolio | Hiab Jobs We Can Show You | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portfolio-2023 Portfolio Site accommodation into the Etihad, the festival run down the A39, electrical panels from Ellesmere Port to London, and a great many ordinary days on the M6. 15 documented jobs from 2023, each with the photograph it came from. Every job is one we actually did. The record ### What 2023 looked like Each one is a job that happened, captioned with what it was. (photograph: Nortons hiab working with the boom out beside the Etihad Stadium in Manchester) #### Working at the Etihad Stadium The vehicle set up outside the stadium with the boom out over the barriers, working to the venue’s timings rather than ours. (photograph: A Nortons hiab working on the stadium forecourt at Manchester City behind a statue) #### Working round the forecourt The forecourt carries permanent sculpture, paving and street furniture, so the vehicle works around fixed features it cannot move and the outriggers go on spreader pads. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry carrying a container southbound on the M6) #### M6 to M5, southbound A container run heading south. The green box has been on a lot of these. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry and container travelling southbound on the M6) #### Southbound on the M6 The same run further on, photographed from another vehicle. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry photographed by another driver on an A road) #### Spotted on an A road Sent in by a driver who recognised the livery. We get a surprising number of these. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry photographed on a dual carriageway by another driver) #### Spotted on a dual carriageway Another one, sent in the same way. (photograph: A Nortons Volvo artic hiab loaded and travelling south on the A39) #### The festival run, on the A39 The artic loaded and southbound on the A39 for the festival. It is the same road every year and it is the part of the job that decides the timings. (photograph: A Nortons MAN wagon and drag loaded with cabins travelling on the A39) #### The wagon and drag on the same road The MAN and the drag on the A39 with cabins on both decks. Two decks means two lifts at each end and one driver doing both. (photograph: Green site cabins loaded on a Nortons wagon and drag for delivery to Droitwich) #### Site cabins to Droitwich A run of site cabins supplied and delivered to a site at Droitwich, loaded two to the drag and one on the rigid. (photograph: Site accommodation units being lifted at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester) #### Units in at the Etihad Site accommodation going in at the Etihad Stadium on a Saturday in July, with the mast and the roof over the top of the lift. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry loaded and leaving the Etihad Stadium) #### Loaded and away from the ground The same visit, loaded and leaving. Stadium work is done in the gap between one event and the next. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry carrying wrapped electrical panels on the M6 at Lymm) #### Electrical panels, Ellesmere Port to London Wrapped electrical panels loaded at Ellesmere Port and run down to London, photographed on the M6 at Lymm in June 2023. (photograph: A Nortons hiab working beneath a low railway bridge) #### Under a low bridge Working right underneath a low railway bridge. There is no room to raise the boom, so the load comes off sideways and slowly. (photograph: A refrigerated portable unit loaded on a Nortons rigid hiab) #### A refrigerated unit on the bed A refrigerated cabin loaded on the rigid. Units with plant on the roof change where the weight sits, which changes where the strops go. (photograph: A portable cabin being lowered onto hardstanding by a Nortons hiab) #### Onto the hardstanding A cabin coming down onto hardstanding with the ladder already up the side. The job after the lift is levelling it. Stadium work is timed by the venue and nobody else. You get the slot you are given, the vehicle goes where the safety officer says, and the crane comes down before the gates open. The rest of the record ### Every year we have photographs for - 2026 - 2025 - 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 Later work, 2024   ·   Earlier work, 2022   ·   The whole portfolio ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 2022 Portfolio | Hiab Jobs We Can Show You | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portfolio-2022 Portfolio Glamping pods, portable cabins, a gateway sign stood up at Barnsley, and a spell working inside the Manchester Airport boundary. 12 documented jobs from 2022, each with the photograph it came from. Every job is one we actually did. The record ### What 2022 looked like Each one is a job that happened, captioned with what it was. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry working on site inside the Manchester Airport boundary) #### Working on site at Manchester Airport Inside the airport boundary, where the site has its own access rules, its own passes and its own idea of what counts as a delay. (photograph: Glamping pods loaded and strapped on a Nortons trailer at the yard) #### Glamping pods loaded out Pods loaded and strapped at the yard. Nothing about the weight is difficult; everything about the width is. (photograph: Glamping pods delivered by Nortons and set down at their final position) #### Pods delivered Set down at the far end. Pods normally land on a prepared base or on bearers, so the position has to be right first time. (photograph: A timber glamping pod set down on its position in an open field) #### A pod on its position Set down on its final position in an open field, which is where most of them end up. Timber shells mark easily, so they go on webbing and never on chains. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a portable site cabin off the trailer bed) #### A portable cabin delivered A standard site cabin lifted off and positioned. The job we do more of than any other. (photograph: A machine chained down on a Nortons trailer for transport) #### Machinery transport A machine loaded, chained and run. Plant goes on chains and comes off on the crane if there is nothing to drive it down. (photograph: A Nortons crane holding a tall brick clad gateway sign upright at Barnsley) #### A gateway sign at Barnsley A tall brick-clad gateway sign lifted upright into its foundation at Barnsley. The whole job is holding something top-heavy still while somebody else grouts it in. (photograph: A tall gateway sign held plumb on a Nortons crane strop while the crew fix the base) #### Held while it is fixed The second leg of the same sign, on the strop and plumb, with the crew working at the base. The crane does not move again until it is fixed. (photograph: A Nortons 658 wagon and drag lifting portable cabins in a yard) #### Cabins off the wagon and drag March 2022, the 658 wagon and drag working through a load of cabins. The drag carries the second unit so the pair travel together. (photograph: A portable cabin suspended above a yard by a Nortons hiab) #### A unit over the yard One of the cabins in the air and crossing the yard to its place on the stack. (photograph: A portable cabin landed alongside others in a storage yard) #### Landed alongside The unit down beside the others. Placing a cabin square first time saves an hour of shuffling. (photograph: A Nortons 658 wagon and drag loaded with two portable cabins) #### Loaded and ready to run Both units on and strapped. A wagon and drag doubles what one driver and one crane can move in a day. Pods are the load that catches people out. They are light, so the crane is never the problem — but they are wide, fragile, and usually going somewhere with a soft field and a gate that is four inches too narrow. The rest of the record ### Every year we have photographs for - 2026 - 2025 - 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 Later work, 2023   ·   Earlier work, 2021   ·   The whole portfolio ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 2021 Portfolio | Hiab Jobs We Can Show You | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portfolio-2021 Portfolio A travelling arts centre touring halls and museums, a film unit at the Etihad, a school full of modular classrooms and a fourteen-foot-wide pool delivered to a property in Wigan. 11 documented jobs from 2021, each with the photograph it came from. Every job is one we actually did. The record ### What 2021 looked like Each one is a job that happened, captioned with what it was. (photograph: A red travelling arts centre structure loaded on a Nortons trailer outside a timbered hall) #### A travelling arts centre Our driver Ian moved this repeatedly over several weeks — a travelling arts centre housing a theatre, a museum and a shop, set up at a different location each time. (photograph: A Nortons hiab holding a large lighting rig for a film unit at dusk in Manchester) #### A film unit at the Etihad The crane holding a lighting rig for a night shoot outside the stadium. Not everything a hiab lifts is construction. (photograph: A Nortons hiab holding a lighting rig above a film unit base in Manchester) #### The same shoot, from the front The rig held steady above the unit base while the shot is set up. The crane is the light stand. (photograph: Nortons hiab craning a modular classroom building into place at a Manchester school) #### Modular classrooms for a Manchester school We supplied the modular buildings and craned them into place. The whole job runs in the school holidays or not at all. (photograph: Nortons hiab delivering the first unit of a double portable cabin set-up) #### A double cabin set-up Delivering and installing a double cabin set-up, unit by unit. (photograph: The upper unit of a double stacked portable cabin set-up landed by a Nortons hiab) #### The second unit landed The upper unit landed on the lower one and bolted down. Stacking is a positioning job, not a lifting one. (photograph: Glamping pods loaded on a Nortons trailer ready for delivery) #### Glamping pods on the move Pods loaded out for delivery. (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry with a container in Liverpool city centre at night before a festival) #### Getting Liverpool ready for a festival A container set down in Liverpool city centre after dark, ahead of a festival weekend. Event work is nearly always out of hours. (photograph: A Nortons lorry photographed on the road at Kirkstone Pass in the Lake District) #### Spotted at Kirkstone Pass Between Windermere and Penrith, on one of the steepest passes in the country. Sent in by somebody who saw it go past. (photograph: A red travelling arts unit set down by a Nortons crane outside a red brick museum) #### The arts centre at the museum The same travelling unit set down outside a red-brick museum on the next leg of its tour. It spends the year being lifted on and off, so the lifting points are known and the routine never changes. (photograph: A Nortons crane landing a modular classroom onto its base with the crew steadying it) #### The classroom landed One of the school units coming down onto its base with the crew steadying it, the open end showing the fit-out inside. The Wigan lift is on UK nationwide delivery with the rest of the wide-load work, because it says more about what the 855 will reach over than it does about 2021. The rest of the record ### Every year we have photographs for - 2026 - 2025 - 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 Later work, 2022   ·   Earlier work, 2020   ·   The whole portfolio ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 2020 Portfolio | Hiab Jobs We Can Show You | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portfolio-2020 Portfolio The year everything had to be planned twice. Accrington Stanley's stand roof off and the new accommodation in, a fourteen-tonne freezer unit on two cranes at once, festival builds at Brighton, a triple stack for Kenny Waste Management, charity work at Carrbrook and dock work on Merseyside. 43 documented jobs from 2020, each with the photograph it came from. Every job is one we actually did. The record ### What 2020 looked like Each one is a job that happened, captioned with what it was. (photograph: An orange Archimedes screw water turbine loaded on a Nortons trailer) #### A water turbine moved from New Mills to Bury An Archimedes screw water turbine collected at New Mills and delivered to Bury. Long, round, heavy at one end and impossible to sling casually. (photograph: Nortons hiab installing a new RNLI lifeguard cabin at Birkenhead) #### A lifeguard station for the RNLI at Birkenhead Installing a new lifeguards’ cabin for the RNLI at Birkenhead, craned into position on the front. (photograph: Nortons hiab lowering a container into a space below ground level at Dukinfield) #### A container placed below ground level Lifting a container down into a space below ground level at Dukinfield — the sort of lift where the crane has to reach out and down at the same time. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a large American fridge up to an upper floor opening) #### An American fridge that would not fit through the door Craned in through an upper opening instead. Domestic jobs are rare and always memorable. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a refurbished anti-vandal cabin onto two existing units) #### A triple-stack site set-up A 32ft by 10ft anti-vandal unit refurbished by our cabins team, delivered and then lifted on top of two existing units to make a triple stack. (photograph: Nortons hiab installing portable cabins on a site at Glossop) #### Installing cabins at Glossop Cabins craned in at Glossop, up on the edge of the Peak District where the weather decides the day. (photograph: Nortons hiab delivering a decorated unit to Carrbrook community centre) #### Helping Carrbrook community centre A unit delivered to the community centre at Carrbrook. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting large cable drums on a contract lift at Tameside) #### Cable drum collection at Tameside A cable drum collection at Tameside carried out as a full contract lift — our plan, our appointed person, our responsibility. (photograph: Two Nortons hiab cranes dual lifting a fourteen tonne freezer unit) #### A fourteen-tonne freezer unit, dual lift Two cranes on one load again, this time a fourteen-tonne freezer unit. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry delivering festival infrastructure on the grass at Brighton) #### Brighton festival Festival infrastructure delivered on the south coast - a converted unit set down on the grass and opened out, with the rigid alongside on its legs. About as far from Miles Platting as a day job gets. (photograph: An aerial view of Accrington Stanley's ground with red roof trusses laid out beside the stand and Nortons hiab vehicles working) #### Accrington Stanley, from above Working inside a football ground while the roof structure over one stand was taken down, with both vehicles working. The stand roof came off and the new accommodation went in on the same visit. The aerial photograph is the only one in the archive that shows a whole job at once. (photograph: Red steel roof trusses laid out beside a Nortons artic and a rigid craning a site cabin at a football ground) #### Roof trusses out, cabins in The trusses lifted clear and set down, and the site accommodation craned in behind them. Two jobs on one visit, which is the only way a ground will let you close a stand. (photograph: A Nortons crane landing an open fronted modular building on pads at railway sidings in Oxford) #### A modular building at Oxford An open-fronted modular building landed on its pads at railway sidings in Oxford. Everything about a unit like this is set before it arrives — the pads, the levels and the order the sections go down in. (photograph: Double stacked green site cabins built by Nortons at Kings Dyke crossing near Peterborough) #### Double-stacked at Kings Dyke, Peterborough A double-stacked site set-up built for the Kings Dyke crossing near Peterborough, with the turbine turning behind it. Stacking cabins is a lift plan, a level base and a very short temper for wind. (photograph: A cedar glamping pod with a glazed arched end loaded on a Nortons trailer for Bicester) #### A pod delivered to Bicester A cedar pod with a glazed arched end run down to Bicester and set into a field. Wide, light and worth a great deal, which is the combination that decides how it travels. (photograph: A row of blue and white accommodation cabins delivered by Nortons at Hesketh Bank) #### Accommodation at Hesketh Bank A run of accommodation cabins delivered to Hesketh Bank for seasonal vegetable pickers to live in. Two vehicles on site and a line of units set out along the hard standing. (photograph: A large red cylindrical boiler chocked and roped on a Nortons flatbed for delivery to Derby) #### A boiler collected and run to Derby A large cylindrical boiler collected, chocked and roped on the flat, and taken down to Derby. Round loads take longer to secure than they do to lift. (photograph: Sections of a builders hoist loaded onto a Nortons lorry beside a tower block in Manchester) #### A hoist off a tower, central Manchester The mast sections and drive unit of a builder's hoist coming off a tower block in central Manchester and onto the deck. Dismantling work is the same job as installation, run backwards and usually in less room. (photograph: Yellow tracked and wheeled plant machines loaded on a Nortons drawbar trailer for Abergele) #### Plant moved to Abergele A load of tracked and wheeled plant on the drag, heading into North Wales. Machines load quickly and then every one of them is chained down on its own. (photograph: A Nortons hiab unit on the quay at Liverpool docks with a roll-on ferry stern door open) #### Alongside the ferry, Liverpool docks Waiting on the quay at Liverpool with the ro-ro's stern door down. Dock work runs to the ship's timetable and nothing else — you are either on the berth in the window or you are not. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry working alongside a ferry with its bow door open at West Langton Dock) #### West Langton Dock Working alongside at West Langton with the bow door open and the boom up. The same job as any other lift, done between a wall of steel and the water. (photograph: Orange aircraft jacking trestles and ground power units loaded on a Nortons trailer at an airport) #### Manchester to Leeds Bradford Airport January 2020. Aircraft jacking trestles and ground power units loaded on the trailer and run across the Pennines to Leeds Bradford. Airport work is booked to a window and everything on the deck is calibrated equipment. (photograph: A large machine being unloaded from a Nortons low loader inside a works building) #### Unloading a fourteen-tonne machine indoors A fourteen and a half tonne machine coming off the low loader inside a works, with the shutter up and the roof steels close overhead. (photograph: A Nortons 855 hiab and artic unit set up ready to lift at a football ground) #### The 855 and the artic in position Both units set up and ready to lift at Accrington Stanley. Two vehicles on one site is a planned operation, not two drivers deciding to help each other out. (photograph: A portable cabin on a Nortons hiab lorry beside a football stand) #### Accommodation into the ground A cabin on the bed alongside the stand at Accrington Stanley. Football grounds are all access - the gates and the pitch surround decide the route in. (photograph: A refurbished blue and white office cabin suspended from a Nortons hiab) #### A refurbished office unit sold and delivered A 9'10 x 9'6 office unit refurbished by our cabins side - new floor, painted inside and out - on the hook for delivery to a garden centre in Preston. (photograph: A refurbished office cabin loaded on the bed of a Nortons hiab lorry) #### Loaded for Preston The same unit on the bed and ready to run. Selling the cabin and delivering it on our own crane means one company answers for both ends of the job. (photograph: A brightly painted community cabin being lifted by a Nortons hiab at Carrbrook) #### Charity work at Carrbrook A painted community unit going in for Carrbrook community centre. Charity jobs get the same lift plan as everything else. (photograph: A Nortons hiab set up outside Carrbrook community centre) #### On site at the community centre Set up outside the centre with the boom over the fence. Community work in a village means a tight yard and neighbours on both sides. (photograph: Two Nortons hiab vehicles set up head on for a dual lift of a freezer unit) #### A dual lift, head on Two vehicles and two booms on one fourteen-tonne freezer unit for Destiny Foods. A dual lift is a planned operation with a lift plan behind it. (photograph: A fourteen tonne freezer unit suspended between two Nortons hiab cranes) #### Fourteen tonnes on the slings The freezer unit in the air with both cranes taking their share. The weight is split between the two machines and neither one is anywhere near its limit. (photograph: A structural frame lifted from a Nortons flatbed at the Brighton Festival site) #### Brighton Festival, on the slings A structural frame off the bed at the Brighton Festival site. Festival work is a fixed build window with everybody else on the same grass at the same time. (photograph: A large modular frame loaded out from Preston Park in Brighton after an event) #### Off site at Preston Park Taking the same kind of structure back out of Preston Park in Brighton after the event. The de-rig is usually tighter than the build - everybody wants off the grass at once. (photograph: A Nortons hiab dismantling site accommodation beneath a new Manchester tower) #### Dismantling in Manchester city centre Taking the site accommodation off a completed Sir Robert McAlpine job in Manchester, working from a live city centre street with the finished building above. (photograph: A site cabin loaded onto a Nortons hiab outside a completed city centre building) #### The last unit away The last of the site units loaded out. When the building is finished the accommodation is the last thing to leave, and there is rarely any room left to do it in. (photograph: A large anti-vandal cabin being lifted over a stack of existing units) #### A 32 x 10 over the stack A 32ft x 10ft anti-vandal cabin, refurbished by our cabins team to Kenny Waste Management's specification, going over the top of their two existing units in Manchester. (photograph: A triple-stacked site cabin set-up completed by Nortons at a waste management yard) #### Three high, on the deck The triple stack finished. Stacking is a levelling job as much as a lifting one - the bottom unit decides whether the top two ever sit right. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry working alongside a ro-ro ferry at West Langton Dock) #### Alongside at West Langton Dock Working alongside the ferry at West Langton Dock. Dock work runs to the ship's timetable, not ours. (photograph: A Nortons hiab unloading beside an aircraft hangar at Leeds Bradford Airport) #### Manchester to Leeds Bradford Airport January 2020, off the trailer at Leeds Bradford Airport. Airport work is passes, escorts and timing before it is anything else. (photograph: A timber-clad modular classroom placed on site at a Salford school) #### A modular building into a Salford school A timber-clad modular classroom placed at a school in Salford. School work happens in the holidays or it does not happen. (photograph: An RNLI lifeguard station suspended on strops above the shoreline at Birkenhead) #### A lifeguard station for the RNLI A new lifeguard cabin on the strops for the RNLI at Birkenhead, going in over soft ground. (photograph: Two large cable drums loaded on a Nortons flatbed at Tameside) #### Cable drums loaded, Tameside Two cable drums down on the flatbed at Tameside. This one was a full contract lift, so the lift plan, the appointed person and the insurance were all ours. (photograph: An Archimedes screw water turbine loaded on a Nortons hiab lorry) #### The Archimedes screw loaded out The water turbine screw on the bed for the run from New Mills to Bury. Long, round and reluctant to sit still - it goes on chocked and strapped rather than slung. Nothing on this page was a routine delivery, which is why it is all still worth showing six years later. The rest of the record ### Every year we have photographs for - 2026 - 2025 - 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 Later work, 2021   ·   Earlier work, 2019   ·   The whole portfolio ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 2019 Portfolio | Hiab Jobs We Can Show You | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portfolio-2019 Portfolio Glamping pods run from Wrexham to Inverness, a public sculpture moved and re-sited at Southport, tanks from the Wirral to Birmingham, a welfare compound built out at Caernarfon, and a January week working underneath the M5 at Worcester. 32 documented jobs from 2019, each with the photograph it came from. Every job is one we actually did. The record ### What 2019 looked like Each one is a job that happened, captioned with what it was. (photograph: A Nortons flatbed carrying an Archimedes screw turbine between terraced houses in the High Peak) #### An Archimedes screw to the High Peak August 2019. A hydro screw on the flatbed, taken at walking pace between terraced houses on the way up into the High Peak. Long, round and heavy in the middle, so the load is chocked and roped rather than simply strapped flat. (photograph: Large orange cylindrical speaker housings strapped on a Nortons flatbed after a festival) #### Speaker cans off a festival sound stage August 2019. A sound stage came down at Leeds Festival and the cylindrical speaker housings came back with us. Light for their size and very easy to mark, which is why they travel on blankets and soft strops. (photograph: Orange cylindrical speaker housings stacked in layers and roped down on a Nortons trailer) #### Stacked and roped for the road The same load built up in layers on the deck. Nothing about it is heavy; all of it is awkward, and the whole job is in the stacking. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lifting a carved stone statue on strops at a park in Southport) #### A statue moved and re-sited at Southport A carved figure lifted off its plinth, moved and set down on a new one across the same park at Southport. Sculpture work is slow by choice: the lift itself is minutes, the packing and the setting out are the day. (photograph: A Nortons wagon and drag loaded with crated garage vehicle lifts for a run to Somerset) #### Garage bus lifts, Rochdale to Somerset A full load of vehicle lifts collected in Rochdale and run down to Somerset. Long steel columns crated flat, which loads quickly and has to be roped properly because there is nothing to hold them square. (photograph: A cedar clad modular classroom on a Nortons trailer at a hillside site) #### A cedar classroom into a tight space A cedar-clad classroom delivered on the drag and set into a space with very little room around it. The customer's words afterwards were “a rather tight space but we did it”, which is a fair description of most cabin work. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting large black process tanks inside a working chemical plant) #### Tank lift at a working plant August 2019. Black process tanks lifted in among live plant, with storage vessels and pipework on three sides. Everything about the position is fixed before the boom goes anywhere near it. (photograph: Two cedar clad glamping pods on prepared bases at a wooded site beside an empty Nortons trailer) #### Glamping pods set down on their bases Part of a run of cedar-clad camping pods taken from Wrexham up to Inverness. Two pods standing on prepared bases at a wooded site, with the empty trailer alongside them. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a cedar glamping pod clear of the trailer over a stone base) #### A pod craned off over the stone A pod slung on four strops and lifted clear of the trailer, above a base of stone and hardcore. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a glamping pod onto its base beside one already in place) #### Lowered onto the prepared ground The crane bringing a pod down onto its base beside one already positioned, in a clearing among birch trees. (photograph: A large stainless steel process vessel loaded lengthways on a Nortons low loader) #### A process vessel on the low loader The first of a run of tanks taken from the Wirral to Birmingham. A large stainless vessel loaded lengthways in a wet yard, with more standing behind it waiting their turn. (photograph: A corrugated steel silo section held in lifting chains by a Nortons crane) #### Slung round the middle A corrugated steel silo section held in chains at close quarters, the crane taking the weight. (photograph: A steel silo secured on a Nortons trailer bed with a tank yard behind) #### Loaded and ready to run The same kind of vessel down on the trailer bed and secured, a tank yard behind it. (photograph: A Nortons crane lowering a tall corrugated steel tank onto its side in a compound) #### Set down on its side A tall corrugated tank lowered onto the ground on its side in a muddy compound, still on the strops. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a glazed garden room over a fence into a back garden) #### A grooming pod over the fence June 2019. A glazed garden room — a dog grooming pod — taken over a fence and into a back garden, with the banksman on the ground holding the line. There is no other way in to a garden like this one. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane positioning a cabin underneath the M5 viaduct at Worcester) #### Working under the M5 at Worcester January 2019. Cabins positioned underneath the M5 viaduct, where the crane has a ceiling as well as a radius to work to and every movement is planned against the concrete above it. (photograph: Two cedar glamping pods set down on prepared bases with a Nortons hiab alongside) #### Glamping pods set down, Wrexham to Inverness Two of the cedar pods on their bases at the far end of the Wrexham to Inverness run. The pods travel finished, so the whole job is about not marking them - strops rather than chains, and a straight lift onto a base somebody else has already levelled. (photograph: A Nortons wagon and drag loaded with two cedar glamping pods) #### Two pods to one journey A pod on the rigid and a second on the drag, loaded out for Scotland. Running the wagon and drag means the pair go north together instead of paying twice for the same road. (photograph: A cedar glamping pod suspended on strops above its prepared base) #### On the strops, onto the base A pod on the strops and coming down onto its base. The lift itself is short; the setting up is what takes the time. (photograph: Two cedar glamping pods loaded nose to tail on a Nortons wagon and drag on a main road) #### Two pods to one load Two cedar pods loaded nose to tail on the drag and strapped down, running north on an ordinary A road. Pods are light for their size, so it is the width and the overhang that decide the route rather than the weight. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry carrying a cedar glamping pod on the road north) #### Wrexham to Inverness One of the longest single runs of the year - Wrexham to Inverness with the pods - photographed on the way north. (photograph: A grooming pod lifted clear of the lorry and swung over a garden fence) #### A grooming pod over the fence The pod clear of the bed and swinging over a garden fence in June 2019. There is no other way in - the only access is over the boundary, which is exactly the job a lorry-mounted crane is for. (photograph: A grooming pod being lowered down the narrow gap between two houses) #### Down between the houses The pod coming down the gap between two houses. The width of the gap, not the weight of the pod, is what the lift plan is about. (photograph: A Nortons hiab set up on its stabiliser legs in a residential street with the boom raised) #### Set up in the street The rigid on its legs in the street with the boom over the roofline. Residential lifts are decided by where the legs can go down, and that is settled before anybody leaves the yard. (photograph: A large sculpture roped down on the bed of a Nortons hiab lorry at Southport) #### The Southport sculpture loaded out The sculpture roped down on the bed at Southport, ready to be moved and re-sited. Public artwork has no lifting points designed into it and no second chances, so it goes on padded and slow. (photograph: A large steel tank being lowered onto hardstanding by a Nortons hiab) #### Lowering the tank, Wirral to Birmingham The tank coming down onto the hardstanding on the Wirral before the run south to Birmingham. (photograph: A large steel silo loaded and strapped on a Nortons trailer) #### Loaded for Birmingham The silo down on the trailer and strapped, ready for the road. Tanks like this are all length and very little weight, which makes them an oversize problem rather than a lifting one. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a black tank inside a working tank farm) #### A tank lift inside a working plant August 2019, working inside a live tank farm. Everything within reach of the boom is somebody else's pressure vessel, so the swing is planned before the legs go down. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a cabin beneath the M5 viaduct at Worcester) #### Under the M5 at Worcester January 2019, working underneath the M5 at Worcester with a man on the roof of the unit. Headroom is the whole job - the boom cannot go up, so the lift is done low and long. (photograph: A Nortons hiab working between the piers beneath a motorway viaduct) #### Under the deck, between the piers The same day, in between the piers. There is no sky to lift into, so everything happens within the height of the deck. (photograph: A long run of green and white welfare cabins set out across a yard at Caernarfon by Nortons) #### A welfare compound built at Caernarfon Started in the week before Christmas 2018 and finished in the January. A run of green and white welfare cabins placed, levelled and linked across an empty yard at Caernarfon, with the vehicle still working at the far end. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry with a matchday store unit at the Etihad Stadium) #### The matchday store, Etihad Stadium Back at the Etihad in 2019 for the club's official matchday store units. Stadium work is nearly always a window between fixtures rather than a weight problem. The rest of the record ### Every year we have photographs for - 2026 - 2025 - 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 Later work, 2020   ·   Earlier work, 2018   ·   The whole portfolio ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 2018 Portfolio | Hiab Jobs We Can Show You | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portfolio-2018 Portfolio Steelwork into a new car park at Manchester Airport, the Manchester City matchday store craned into the city centre, RNLI lifeguard stations set out on the coast, and a welfare compound at Caernarfon begun in the week before Christmas. 18 documented jobs from 2018, each with the photograph it came from. Every job is one we actually did. The record ### What 2018 looked like Each one is a job that happened, captioned with what it was. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a long galvanised steel beam on slings at Manchester Airport) #### Steelwork at Manchester Airport July 2018. A galvanised beam on the slings inside the airport boundary, going onto the frame of a new multi-storey. Airside and landside work is booked to a window and the window is the whole job. (photograph: A Nortons crane placing a galvanised steel beam onto a car park frame at Manchester Airport) #### A beam onto the frame The same job from the other end, with the beam coming in over the columns and a banksman on the deck. Long steel is all about what the load does when it stops moving. (photograph: A light blue Manchester City matchday store unit lowered into position in a Manchester street) #### The matchday store, Manchester The Manchester City official matchday store lowered onto its position behind barriers in the city centre, with a banksman on the corner watching the load in. (photograph: A retail unit loaded on a Nortons flatbed with the crane folded, against a clear sky) #### Loaded and out on a bright morning The same unit on the flat bed against a clear sky, the crane folded and the vehicle ready to move off. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a unit between a modern glass frontage and Victorian stone buildings) #### Lifting between the old and the new The unit going up between a glass frontage and Victorian stone, with the boom working over the street and the road closed to do it. (photograph: A Nortons hiab set up on its stabiliser legs in a wet street closed off with hazard tape) #### The street closed for the lift Hazard tape across a wet street, bollards down and the vehicle set up on its legs before anything is lifted. (photograph: A long site cabin taken in under a building canopy by a Nortons crane with the crew steadying it) #### In under a canopy A long unit taken in under a building canopy, ladders up and three of the crew steadying it, with only inches over the top. (photograph: A Nortons eight wheel rigid hiab on the concourse at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester) #### At the Etihad Stadium The eight-wheel rigid empty on the concourse at the Etihad, crane stowed, at the end of the job. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a red container at Anfield with the stand behind) #### A container lifted at Anfield A red container craned in at Anfield, the stand behind it, with the driver / operator working the crane from the deck. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting an RNLI lifeguard station on strops beside the coast) #### An RNLI lifeguard station on the strops A lifeguard station slung on four strops and swung off the deck onto the front. Light, tall and all glass on one side, so it is walked in on the line rather than swung. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a small lifeguard kiosk from the lorry bed onto open ground beside a road) #### The station set down on open ground The same run of stations, one of them swung off the bed onto open ground beside a coast road, with a banksman well back on the tape line. (photograph: A Nortons hiab with the boom extended placing a long modular unit at a hospital site) #### Middlesbrough hospital October 2018. A long modular unit landed on a prepared base at a hospital site, with the boom out to most of its length to reach past the hoarding line. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry set up on a university service road in Manchester) #### Manchester University October 2018. Working on a university service road with the barriers out. Campus deliveries are usually about the route in, not the lift. (photograph: A forty by twelve foot modular site office set down inside a fenced yard at Bolton) #### A 40 x 12 office, Bolton A forty by twelve foot office with a kitchen and a toilet in it, supplied to a Bolton scaffolding firm and set down inside their yard behind the palisade. (photograph: A Nortons hiab setting out the first green and white welfare cabins at Caernarfon) #### The first cabins at Caernarfon December 2018. The start of the Caernarfon welfare compound, with the first units set out along the hard standing at dusk and more still to come. (photograph: Two Nortons lorry cranes lifting one load between them outside a goods warehouse) #### Two cranes, one load Two of ours either side of a load at a goods warehouse, taking it between them. A planned dual lift, not two drivers helping each other out. (photograph: Two white portable cabins loaded on a Nortons rigid and drawbar trailer) #### Two cabins, one journey A pair of white cabins on the rigid and the drag, loaded square and sheeted down for the road. (photograph: A blue welfare unit being loaded onto a Nortons trailer inside a warehouse) #### Loading inside the building A blue welfare unit loaded onto the trailer inside a warehouse, working under a roof with the boom kept low. The rest of the record ### Every year we have photographs for - 2026 - 2025 - 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 Later work, 2019   ·   Earlier work, 2017   ·   The whole portfolio ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 2017 Portfolio | Hiab Jobs We Can Show You | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/portfolio-2017 Portfolio Studio units craned onto a frontage at Circle Square in Manchester, a butterfly sculpture run from Salford to Leigh, fuel tanks taken out with two vehicles on one lift, and the Christmas markets going into Albert Square. 17 documented jobs from 2017, each with the photograph it came from. Every job is one we actually did. The record ### What 2017 looked like Each one is a job that happened, captioned with what it was. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a dark modular studio unit at Circle Square in Manchester) #### Circle Square, Manchester A studio unit on the hook at Circle Square, the development beside Manchester University. City-centre work with a live building behind the lift and a footpath in front of it. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a glazed modular unit up alongside an office building frontage) #### Up to the frontage The same job: a glazed modular unit swung up alongside the office frontage, the crew and ladders below it. (photograph: A glazed modular unit swung over containers already in position by a Nortons crane) #### Swung in over the containers The unit brought round over containers already in position, with the boom out to most of its length. (photograph: A tall openwork steel butterfly sculpture strapped upright on a Nortons flatbed) #### A butterfly sculpture, Salford to Leigh 23 March 2017. A tall openwork sculpture made of steel butterflies, strapped upright on the deck outside the workshop that built it, ready for the run from Salford to Leigh. (photograph: A tall openwork metal sculpture standing strapped upright on a Nortons flatbed) #### Roped and away The same sculpture on the deck with the strops in and the vehicle about to move off. Artwork travels slowly and gets more packing than weight ever justifies. (photograph: Two Nortons hiab lorries working in Albert Square building the Manchester Christmas markets) #### The Christmas markets into Albert Square Two of ours in Albert Square, building the Manchester Christmas markets in front of the Town Hall. The whole build runs to a road closure and a fixed number of hours. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a timber Christmas market chalet in Albert Square Manchester) #### A market chalet off the deck A timber market chalet coming off the bed with the boom over the square. Dozens of them go in over a few days and every one lands within a marked footprint. (photograph: Two Nortons lorry cranes lifting one large fuel tank together in a dual lift) #### Fuel tanks out, two hiabs on one lift A dual lift: two of our cranes taking one fuel tank between them, with three of the crew on the ground managing it. (photograph: A large black fuel tank held in mid air by two Nortons lorry cranes on one lift) #### The tank in mid-air The same lift with the tank clear of the ground and both booms carrying it. Two vehicles on one load is a planned operation with a lift plan behind it. (photograph: A weathered green fuel tank strapped down on a Nortons eight wheel rigid) #### An old tank loaded out A weathered green tank strapped down on the rigid, being taken off a site rather than onto one. A good deal of this work is removal. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting insulated ductwork inside a renewable energy plant at Dukinfield) #### Renewable energy plant, Dukinfield July 2017. Working inside the building at a renewable energy plant at Dukinfield, feeding lengths of insulated ductwork in over the plant deck with the boom under the roof steels. (photograph: Large stainless ductwork lifted overhead inside a building with a banksman below) #### Overhead, indoors Large stainless ductwork lifted above head height inside a working building, with a banksman below it. (photograph: A stainless steel vessel on a Nortons trailer taken inside a building under the roof steels) #### A vessel in through the doors A stainless vessel taken inside the building on the trailer, the crane working under the roof steels. (photograph: Three linked process tanks on a Nortons trailer with a man on a ladder fitting strops) #### Process tanks craned in September 2017. Three linked process tanks on the trailer at a working plant, with one of the crew up on the ladder getting the strops on. (photograph: Blue and white process tanks on a Nortons trailer bed at a working plant) #### Blue and white tanks delivered Process tanks on the bed at a working plant, one of the crew up alongside them, cars parked right up to the vehicle. (photograph: A tall open-sided modular cabin and a second unit loaded nose to tail on Nortons vehicles for a move to Hartlepool) #### Sixteen foot ten, to Hartlepool An open-sided cabin and a second unit loaded nose to tail, waiting to leave a hard-standing for Hartlepool. At sixteen foot ten on the deck the route matters more than the lift, and every bridge on it is checked first. (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit and drawbar trailer carrying a long tank across an unmade site) #### Across the mud with a tank on The tractor unit and drag loaded with a long tank, working across an unmade site in the wet. The rest of the record ### Every year we have photographs for - 2026 - 2025 - 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 Later work, 2018   ·   The whole portfolio ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # About Nortons Hiab Services | Manchester Since 2007 URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/about (photograph: Nortons hiab lorries lined up in the company yard at Miles Platting in Manchester) Independent · Manchester · Since 2007 One lorry in 2007, a yard full of hiab wagons today, all our own. Still run out of the same yard in Miles Platting by people you can get on the phone. See the Fleet Email Us 2007 Established Our own Fleet, not hired in UK Nationwide FORS Bronze accredited The short version ### One lorry, a yard in Miles Platting, and 19 years Nortons Hiab Services Ltd was established in Greater Manchester in 2007 with a single lorry. We now run a fleet of hiab lorries, artics, wagon-and-drag trucks and trailers across mainland England, Scotland and Wales, from the same base off Hulme Hall Lane. The wagons are our own rather than hired in, and we invest in new ones continually rather than running trucks into the ground. That matters more than it sounds: it is what makes it possible to commit a specific lorry to a client’s programme, and it is why the 32 and 44 tonne trucks are Euro VI. We are still small enough that the office knows the jobs. Keith Robinson runs transport, Karen Thompson runs accounts, and staff retention here is among the highest in the industry — which is why clients on ongoing work tend to get the same drivers. (photograph: Inside the Nortons Hiab Services office in Manchester) The office ### Who you will be dealing with (photograph: Keith Robinson, Transport Manager at Nortons Hiab Services) #### Keith Robinson Transport Manager. Plans the vehicles, signs off the vehicle schedule and is usually the person who decides which unit goes to your job. (photograph: Karen Thompson, Accounts Manager at Nortons Hiab Services) #### Karen Thompson Accounts Manager. Handles invoicing, trade accounts and credit applications. (photograph: Angus Quinn, Transport and Cabins Manager at Nortons Hiab Services) #### Angus Quinn Transport and Cabins Manager. Looks after the cabin work alongside the haulage, both moving portable cabins for clients and the used cabins we sell. #### The wider team Most of our drivers and crane operators are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified, with continuous skills training. We have a NEBOSH qualified health and safety officer and our own appointed persons, several driver / operators hold Rail Track PTS, and we are LINK UP members for safety critical sites. The cranes are worked by remote control, so the driver / operator stands where they can actually see the load rather than sitting in a cab looking at it side-on. Meet the full team  ·  Accreditations in full Health and safety (photograph: The Nortons Hiab Services office team at work in Manchester) How we work ### Three things we do differently #### We publish the load charts Real capacity-at-radius tables for all five cranes on the fleet, each linked to the manufacturer data sheet it came from. #### We say no when it is not a hiab job If the lift is outside the chart or the access will not take the vehicle, we would rather tell you at the enquiry than fail on site. #### Email first, not a phone queue Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go. It answers more than a phone call and it leaves a record both of us can check. Where we are ### Norton Street, Miles Platting AddressNorton Street, Off Hulme Hall Lane, Miles Platting, Manchester, M40 8HD Company number06140715, registered in England and Wales YardSeven acres of secured storage, monitored around the clock and CCTV covered CoverageMainland Great Britain — England, Scotland and Wales Contact and directions  ·  The storage yard Common questions ### About us, answered #### How long have you been going? Nortons Hiab Services Ltd has been established in Greater Manchester since 2007, which makes this our 20th year. We started with one vehicle. #### Are you independent? Yes. Independently owned, and the lorries are our own rather than hired in from another haulier. That is what lets us commit a vehicle to a contract instead of working to the end of somebody elses hire agreement. #### What is in the fleet? Rigid lorries, artics and wagon-and-drag trucks, all our own. The 32 tonne and 44 tonne wagons are Euro VI. Our range of vehicles is set out on the fleet page. #### Who will I be dealing with? A small office. Keith Robinson is our Transport Manager, Angus Quinn looks after transport and cabins, and Karen Thompson runs accounts. You are not going through a call centre and you will generally speak to the same people. #### What makes you different from a haulier? The crane. A haulier carries your load; we carry it and lift it into place, which means one vehicle, one visit and nobody waiting on site. And we publish the actual load charts for every crane we run, which as far as we can tell no other UK hiab driver / operator does. Who we work for  ·  The fleet What we do ### Come and talk to us Email is the quickest way in. Tell us what needs lifting and we will tell you whether it is a job for us. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Meet the Team | Nortons Hiab Services Manchester URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/meet-the-team (photograph: A Nortons traffic office desk in Manchester with the day's jobs on screen) The office · Miles Platting, Manchester A small office, and the same people on the phone and the email year after year. These are the ones you are most likely to deal with. Email the Office Contact and Directions The office ### Who you will be dealing with (photograph: Keith Robinson, Transport Manager at Nortons Hiab Services, at his desk in the Manchester traffic office) Transport Manager #### Keith Robinson Plans the vehicles, signs off the vehicle schedule and is usually the person who decides which unit goes to your job. If you have asked us whether a lift is a job for a rigid or an artic, the answer came from Keith. (photograph: Karen Thompson, Accounts Manager at Nortons Hiab Services, in the Manchester office) Accounts Manager #### Karen Thompson Handles invoicing, trade accounts and credit applications. If you want to put the work on account rather than settle job by job, Karen is who you will be speaking to. (photograph: Angus Quinn, Transport and Cabins Manager at Nortons Hiab Services, at Accrington Stanley Football Club) Transport and Cabins Manager #### Angus Quinn Transport and cabins. Alongside the haulage side he looks after the cabin work, which covers both moving portable cabins for clients and the used cabins we sell out of the Manchester yard. On the road ### The drivers and operators The person who turns up is the person who works the crane. Our driver / operators drive the wagon, set it up and make the lift, so there is no waiting on a second vehicle or a separate crane crew to arrive. Most are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified, with continuous skills training. Several hold Rail Track PTS and we are LINK UP members for safety critical sites. The cranes are worked by remote control, so the operator stands where they can actually see the load rather than sitting in a cab looking at it side-on. Staff retention here is among the highest in the industry, which is why clients on ongoing work tend to see the same faces week after week. Hiab and driver hire  ·  Join us (photograph: A Nortons driver / operator alongside a helicopter loaded on the low trailer at Blackpool Airport) Behind them ### Safety, planning and the paperwork We have a NEBOSH qualified health and safety officer and our own appointed persons. We can supply lift plans and risk assessment method statements, generic or written around your site. The wagons are our own rather than hired in, and we invest in new ones continually rather than running trucks into the ground, which is why the 32 and 44 tonne trucks are Euro VI and clean air zone compliant. Health and safety  ·  Accreditations in full Clean air zones Common questions ### The team, answered #### Who will I actually be dealing with? A small office in Miles Platting, Manchester. Keith Robinson is our Transport Manager, Angus Quinn looks after transport and cabins, and Karen Thompson runs accounts. You are not going through a call centre and you will generally speak to the same people. #### Who do I email about an invoice or a trade account? Karen Thompson handles invoicing, trade accounts and credit applications. Email the office and it will reach her. #### Who decides which lorry comes to my job? Keith Robinson. He plans the vehicles and signs off the vehicle schedule, so the decision on whether your lift needs a rigid, an artic or a wagon and drag is made in the office before anything is booked. #### Will I get the same driver on ongoing work? Usually, yes. Staff retention here is among the highest in the industry, which is why clients on ongoing work tend to see the same faces. #### Are your drivers trained to operate the crane? Most of our drivers and crane operators are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified, with continuous skills training. Several driver / operators also hold Rail Track PTS, and we are LINK UP members for safety critical sites. About Nortons  ·  Contact and directions Careers ### Talk to the office Email is the quickest way in. Tell us what needs lifting and where it has to go, and one of us will come back to you. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Accreditations | FORS Bronze, ALLMI, CPCS, LINK Up URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/accreditations (photograph: FORS Bronze accreditation displayed on a Nortons Hiab Services vehicle) Assessed, not self-declared FORS Bronze accredited, ALLMI trained, CPCS qualified, NEBOSH on health and safety, Rail Track PTS and LINK Up. Everything a pre-qualification questionnaire is going to ask for. Health & Safety See the Fleet What we hold ### The list, and what each one means - (photograph: FORS Bronze accreditation, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme) (photograph: FORS Bronze) (photograph: ALLMI member, the Association of Lorry Loader Manufacturers and Importers) (photograph: ALLMI) - (photograph: CPCS Construction Plant Competence Scheme) (photograph: CPCS) (photograph: FTA, the Freight Transport Association, now Logistics UK) (photograph: FTA) - (photograph: HIAB loader cranes, the manufacturer of every crane on our fleet) (photograph: HIAB) FORS Bronze — Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme A voluntary certification scheme that assesses fleet operations against the FORS standard for lawfulness, safety, efficiency and environmental protection. It covers management, vehicles, drivers and operations, and it is assessed by an approved certification body. We are accredited at Bronze level, and the mark is displayed on the vehicles. ALLMI — Association of Lorry Loader Manufacturers and Importers Founded in 1978 at the request of the Health and Safety Executive, and still the UK’s only trade association devoted exclusively to the lorry loader industry. Its purpose is promoting the safe use of lorry loaders and compliance with training requirements. Most of our lorry loader driver / operators are ALLMI trained. CPCS — Construction Plant Competence Scheme The card scheme construction sites recognise for plant operation, covering skills, knowledge, competence and qualification. Most of our HIAB driver / operators are CPCS qualified through CITB, with continuous skills training and the health and safety touch screen test. NEBOSH — health and safety We employ a health and safety officer qualified through the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health, and we have our own appointed persons for lifting operations. Rail Track PTS — Personal Track Safety Several of our driver / operators hold PTS certification for working on or near the running line. LINK Up Membership for the supply of vehicles to safety critical sites, which is what rail and infrastructure clients generally require before a vehicle comes near their asset. FTA — Freight Transport Association Membership of the trade body representing and supporting the logistics industry. Wide load movement orders Our transport team arranges nationwide movement orders for wide loads as required, and we run our own escort vehicles. That is what keeps an abnormal load movement off a fourteen day escort lead time. On the road ### What the vehicle arriving on your site carries (photograph: FORS Bronze accreditation sticker displayed on the door of a Nortons lorry) #### FORS Bronze on the cab Displayed on the vehicle, as the scheme requires. It is the quickest way to see what a lorry arriving on your site is accredited to. (photograph: Recent Euro VI Scania added to the Nortons Hiab Services fleet) #### Euro VI throughout The 32 tonne and 44 tonne wagons are Euro VI, so clean air zone compliance is not something to check job by job, and we invest in new lorries continually. Our clean air zone position ALLMI ### Why the lorry loader association matters A truck-mounted crane sits in an odd regulatory gap: it is not a mobile crane and it is not ordinary haulage. ALLMI exists precisely because of that. It was set up at the request of the Health and Safety Executive, and it is the body that sets operator training standards for this specific machine. Its stated aims are promoting the safe use of lorry loaders, being involved in legislation that affects the industry, and promoting compliance with statutory training requirements. Its membership runs from manufacturers and importers through service agents to fleet owners like us. In practice, “ALLMI trained” is the answer to the question a site manager should be asking: is the person on the remote control actually qualified for this machine, or just for plant in general? How that plays out on site Common questions ### Accreditations, answered #### What FORS level are you? Bronze. We are FORS Bronze accredited and it is displayed on our vehicles. If your pre-qualification questionnaire needs the certificate itself, email us and it comes back the same way as the insurance and the operator licence details. #### What does FORS accreditation actually cover? The FORS standard covers four areas: management, vehicles, drivers and operations, assessed against requirements for lawfulness, safety, efficiency and environmental protection. Accreditation is by an approved FORS certification body, not self-declared. #### What is ALLMI? The Association of Lorry Loader Manufacturers and Importers, founded in 1978 at the request of the Health and Safety Executive. It is the UK's only trade association devoted exclusively to the lorry loader industry, and its training scheme is the recognised standard for driver / operators. Most of ours are ALLMI trained. #### Are your driver / operators CPCS qualified? Most of our driver / operators are, to the Construction Plant Competence Scheme national standard, with continuous skills training and the health and safety touch screen test. #### Can you work on rail sites? Several of our driver / operators hold Rail Track PTS (Personal Track Safety), and we are LINK Up members for the supply of lorries to safety critical sites. #### Can you send documentation for our supply chain checks? Yes. Certificates, insurance, operator licence details, RAMS templates and method statements — tell us what the pre-qualification questionnaire asks for and we will send it rather than have you chase it item by item. Health and safety  ·  Contract haulage About us ### Need documents for a supply chain check? Send us the pre-qualification questionnaire or a list of what you need. Certificates, insurance and RAMS templates come back in one email. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Clean Air Zone Compliant Fleet | Euro VI Hiab Hire URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/clean-air-zones (photograph: Euro VI Nortons Scania hiab lorry with the crane folded behind the cab) Low emission · Cleaner future The 32-tonne and 44-tonne wagons we run are Euro VI — the standard every UK clean air zone and low emission zone sets for heavy goods vehicles. Book one for a job in a city centre the same way you would book it anywhere else. Get a Quote See the Fleet The short answer ### Euro VI on the wagons that do the work Our artics, rigid lorries and wagon and drag trucks are Euro VI, our own rather than hired in, and we invest in new wagons continually. Clean air zones caught a lot of hauliers out. A charging zone is a daily charge on a non-compliant vehicle, and it lands on whoever is running the lorry — which means it lands on the customer, usually as a line on an invoice nobody discussed beforehand. We took the other route and spent the money on the wagons — and we keep spending it. New vehicles come into the fleet continually rather than being run into the ground, which is what keeps a Euro VI answer honest year after year. It was not a small decision for a family firm, and it is the single clearest reason to book a modern fleet. The claim, in one picture ### Clean air zone compliant, low emission, UK-wide (photograph: Nortons clean air zone compliant fleet graphic: low emissions, compliant, access nationwide, community focused) #### Access nationwide Our Euro VI wagons meet the standard UK clean air zones and low emission zones set, so a job in Birmingham, Bristol or central London is booked the same way as a job in Manchester. (photograph: Nortons clean air zone compliant fleet badge showing a Euro VI Volvo hiab) #### Low emission, cleaner future Euro VI cut oxides of nitrogen and particulates sharply against the standard before it. Replacing a fleet is the only way a haulier actually reduces what comes out of the exhaust. Where it matters ### The zones a lorry can be charged in Named, not priced. Charges, boundaries and vehicle classes are set by each authority and get revised — check the current figure with the zone operator. Greater Manchester Our home authority. The scheme here has been through several revisions; a Euro VI fleet has never been affected by any version of it. Birmingham Class D zone covering the area inside the A4540 Middleway ring road. Bristol Class D zone covering the city centre. Bath Class C zone, so non-compliant HGVs are chargeable. Sheffield Class C zone covering the inner ring road and the area within it. Bradford Class C zone covering much of the district. Tyneside Newcastle and Gateshead city centres. Portsmouth Class B zone, which still catches non-compliant HGVs. London LEZ and ULEZ The Low Emission Zone applies to HGVs across almost all of Greater London, alongside the Direct Vision Standard permit requirement. Scotland’s LEZs Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee city centres. Oxford A Zero Emission Zone rather than a clean air zone, covering part of the city centre. It works on a different basis again, and it is worth telling us if your job is inside it. Scotland’s low emission zones and the London LEZ work slightly differently from an English charging clean air zone — some enforce with a penalty rather than a daily charge. The Euro VI line is the same in all of them. The wagons ### Euro VI at 32 tonnes and at 44 (photograph: Euro VI Nortons tractor unit coupled to a step frame trailer) #### 44 tonnes, Euro VI The artics and the wagon and drag trucks run at 44 tonnes and they meet the standard. (photograph: Nortons eight wheel rear steer rigid on its legs, loader crane behind the cab, setting a precast unit down) #### 32 tonnes, Euro VI Our 8-wheel rear-steer rigid lorries, including the 858 and 855 machines. What it means on your job ### Three practical consequences #### The vehicle meets the standard Zone rules are written around the emissions standard of the lorry, and the wagons we send to zone work are Euro VI. A city-centre job is booked like any other job. #### No vehicle swap We are not juggling a compliant vehicle across the zone jobs and hoping. Whichever crane your load needs, the vehicle under it is compliant. #### It clears your own reporting Contractors increasingly have to account for the emissions standard of vehicles coming to site. It is one line on a pre-qualification questionnaire that we can answer without a caveat. (photograph: Nortons hiab working under a restricted height on a city site) #### City centre work is where this bites Clean air zones are, by definition, the middle of cities — which is exactly where a lorry-mounted crane earns its keep, because there is nowhere to put a mobile crane. A hiab driver / operator who cannot go into the zone without a charge is a hiab driver / operator who is expensive precisely where you need one. City centre work in Manchester  ·  When reach is the problem Common questions ### Clean air zones, answered #### Is your fleet clean air zone compliant? Yes. The 32-tonne and 44-tonne wagons we operate are Euro VI, which is the standard every UK clean air zone and low emission zone uses for heavy goods vehicles. That covers the artics, the rigid lorries and the wagon and drag trucks. #### What does Euro VI actually mean? It is the sixth and current European emissions standard for heavy diesel engines, mandatory on new registrations since the end of 2013. It cut oxides of nitrogen and particulates sharply against Euro V, and it is the line every UK clean air zone draws for HGVs. A pre-2014 lorry will generally not meet it. #### Which vehicles are Euro VI? The 32-tonne and 44-tonne wagons: the artics, the rigid lorries and the wagon and drag trucks. If your job is inside a charging zone, that is what we send. #### Do you comply with the Direct Vision Standard in London? London work is planned around the current DVS permit requirements as well as the LEZ. Tell us the job is in London when you enquire and we will confirm the vehicle against what is required at the time rather than assume. #### How old is the fleet? Modern, and kept that way on purpose. We invest in new wagons continually rather than running lorries into the ground, and the lorries are our own rather than hired in. #### What are the current charges in each zone? They are set by each authority and they get revised, so we deliberately do not publish a table here that would go out of date. Check the zone operator for the current figure. Every vehicle on the fleet  ·  Accreditations UK nationwide delivery ### Working inside a charging zone? Tell us where the job is and what needs lifting, and we will tell you which vehicle is going and what standard it meets. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Health & Safety | RAMS, Lift Plans, Appointed Persons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/health-safety (photograph: Nortons banksman in high visibility clothing directing a hiab lift on site) NEBOSH qualified · Our own appointed persons Risk assessment method statements — RAMS — generic or written for your specific job, plus lift plans and an appointed person where the lift needs one. Ask at the enquiry and they can be with you before the vehicle is. Request RAMS Accreditations The principle ### The people who plan it are the people who do it Health and safety here is not a separate department that signs paperwork after the fact. Our health and safety officer is NEBOSH qualified, we can provide an appointed person for the lift, and RAMS can be supplied either as a generic set for routine work or written around the specific job and the specific site. Most of our HIAB driver / operators are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified to the national standard, with continuous skills training and the health and safety touch screen test. Several hold Rail Track PTS, and we are LINK Up members for safety critical sites. We can supply a slinger banksman and an appointed person alongside the vehicle. If your site needs the documents before we arrive, ask when you book and they will be with you in advance. (photograph: Nortons crew carrying out a planned cabin lift in high visibility clothing) On the day ### How a lift runs on site (photograph: Nortons driver / operator working a hiab crane by remote control) #### Remote control operation Every crane is worked by remote, so the driver / operator stands where the sightline to the load actually is rather than where the cab happens to be. (photograph: Nortons hiab lifting a large panel with the area below kept clear) #### An exclusion zone that means something The area under and around the load is cleared and held clear. It is the simplest control there is and the one most often let slip. The ground ### Why we ask about the ground Planning a lift is mostly a question of what is under the stabiliser legs. It is the one thing we would rather know in the office than find on site. An 855 E-8 on its full 9 metre stabiliser span puts around 220 kN through a single leg. Spread over a bare foot plate that is more pressure than most ground will take, which is what the spreader pads are for. Worked to DIN 1054, that one leg needs a spreader pad 1,049 mm square on asphalt — and 2,346 mm square on soft cohesive ground. Over two metres, for one leg. On mud, peat or marshy ground the data sheet gives no permissible load at all, whatever the pad size — so the standing position is chosen somewhere firmer, and that is a decision worth making in advance. So we ask about basements, manholes, service ducts and recently backfilled trenches before the day. What is under the set-up area tells us more than a site plan does. The full ground pressure table, eleven ground types (photograph: Stabiliser leg and spreader pad set down on prepared ground beside a Nortons hiab) What we can send you ### Documents, if your site requires them These are not sent as standard. Ask when you book and whichever of them your site needs will be with you before the vehicle is. - Risk assessment — generic for routine work, or written around the specific job - Method statement covering access, set-up, the lift sequence and reinstatement - Lift plan , with an appointed person named on it - Driver / operator competence records — ALLMI, CPCS, PTS where relevant - Insurance and accreditation certificates for supply chain checks - Crane load charts and ground pressure data Tell us what the principal contractor is asking for and we will send it in one go. It is quicker than working through a list item by item. Common questions ### Health and safety, answered #### Do you produce RAMS and lift plans? Yes. We can supply generic risk assessments and method statements for a straightforward job, or job-specific RAMS written around your site, and we submit them before the work where the site requires it. Our health and safety officer is NEBOSH qualified and we can provide an appointed person where the lift needs one. #### Can you supply a slinger banksman? Yes. Slinger banksman and appointed persons can both be supplied with the vehicle. Tell us at the quote stage so the day is priced properly. #### Who is responsible for planning the lift? We are, unless you tell us otherwise. That is the normal arrangement and generally the one clients want, because it keeps the competence and the insurance with the people operating the crane. #### Why are the cranes worked by remote control? So the driver / operator can stand where they can see the load. On a cab-mounted control the driver / operator watches the lift side-on from a fixed position; on a remote they walk to wherever the sightline actually is. It is a straightforward safety improvement and every one of our cranes has it. #### What do you need to know about the ground? What is under the stabiliser legs, and whether anything is buried there. An 855 on full stabiliser span puts around 220 kN through one leg, which on soft cohesive ground needs a spreader pad over two metres square. Basements, manholes, service ducts and freshly backfilled trenches are the things we need to know about before the day. #### Do you carry out toolbox talks and site inductions? Our driver / operators attend site inductions as a matter of course, and we take part in toolbox talks where the principal contractor runs them. Continuous skills training is part of the CPCS scheme our driver / operators are on. #### What does RAMS stand for in health and safety? In health and safety, RAMS stands for risk assessment and method statement, and on a lifting job it is normally read as one document in two halves. The risk assessment says what could go wrong and how likely and how serious that is. The method statement says, step by step, how the work will actually be carried out so those things do not happen. On a crane job a lift plan usually sits alongside them. #### Can you supply generic RAMS or does it have to be job specific? Either. For routine work - a container onto a hard standing, a cabin into an open compound - a generic risk assessment and method statement covering how we work is usually what a principal contractor wants and it can be with you the same day. For anything with real constraints, we write job-specific RAMS around your site: the access, the standing position, the ground, what is overhead and who else is working nearby. Tell us which your site needs when you enquire. #### What is an appointed person and do I need one? The appointed person is the individual responsible for planning the lifting operation and making sure it is carried out safely, as set out in LOLER and BS 7121. On most hiab deliveries the driver / operator's own planning covers it. Where a lift is more complicated - blind, over a boundary, near other trades, on questionable ground - an appointed person is needed, and we can provide one rather than you having to find one. #### What is the difference between a lift plan and a method statement? A method statement covers the whole job, including getting there, unloading, and leaving site. A lift plan covers the lifting operation specifically: the weight, the radius, the crane's capacity at that radius, the standing position, the ground bearing, the slinging arrangement and who is banking the lift. A complex job needs both. A simple delivery often needs neither, and we will say so rather than generate paperwork for its own sake. #### How quickly can you get RAMS to us? Generic RAMS, usually the same working day. Job-specific RAMS depend on how much we need to know about the site, but a day or two is typical. The thing that slows it down is almost never our end - it is waiting for a site drawing, a ground bearing figure or confirmation of where the vehicle is allowed to stand. Ask early and it will not hold the job up. Accreditations  ·  Load charts and ground pressure About us ### Send us the site details early The sooner we know what the site is like, the better the lift plan. If you are not sure about any of it, that is exactly what we are for. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Our Clients | Construction, Rail & Hire | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/clients (photograph: Nortons hiab lorry working on the Manchester City Academy site) Construction · Rail · Utilities · Hire Nearly twenty years of construction, engineering, infrastructure and hire work — alongside a steady stream of one-off lifts for people who just need something moved. Get a Quote Contract Haulage Clients ### Companies we have worked for Names rather than logos, because reproducing a company’s mark needs their permission and a wall of badges tells you very little anyway. #### Construction and civils - Balfour Beatty - Galliford Try - Taylor Wimpey - PP O’Connor - Amec - AMEY #### Materials and utilities - Hanson Concrete - National Grid - Groundwork #### Accommodation and hire - Algeco - Bunkabin - Manchester Cabins - Nixon Hire - Select Plant - Speedy Space - Sunbelt Rentals - Wernick #### Public and third sector - Manchester City Council - RNLI - AA Listed as organisations we have carried out work for. Nothing on this page implies endorsement, an exclusive arrangement or a current contract, and all company names are the property of their respective owners. Why they come back ### Long relationships, not one-off jobs Most of the names above have used us for years rather than once. On a live site the thing that matters is whether the lorry turns up when the programme says it should, and whether the driver knows the site well enough not to need re-briefing every visit. Our staff retention is among the highest in the industry, which is the unglamorous reason clients on ongoing work tend to get the same driver / operators. And the fleet is our own rather than hired in, so a vehicle can be committed to a contract rather than being subject to somebody else’s availability. How contract work runs  ·  What we can evidence (photograph: Site accommodation delivered and installed by Nortons on a Birmingham contract) The work itself ### Where our vehicles end up (photograph: Nortons vehicle supporting a community building project in Manchester) #### Community builds Fast-turnaround community and charity projects where the whole build happens in days and nothing can arrive late. (photograph: Nortons delivering units to a festival site) #### Festival and event sites Cabins, kiosks and units in and out of festival sites on a timetable set by the event, not by us. (photograph: Nortons lorry delivering on a Leeds university site) #### Universities and campuses Working inside live campuses with pedestrians about and timed access windows. (photograph: Nortons hiab working at Barton sewage works) #### Utilities and treatment works Plant, kiosks and equipment delivered onto operational utility sites. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lorry lifting a steel beam into a new frame on the Manchester Airport estate) #### Airports and transport hubs Steelwork lifted into a new frame on a live airport estate, with the traffic and the public still moving around it. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane inside a factory building lifting steel beams, with operatives in high-visibility clothing alongside) #### Factories and works Lifting inside the building rather than outside it: steel brought in under a roof, around plant that is still working. Common questions ### Working with us, answered #### Do you only work for large companies? No. The names on this page are the ones people recognise, but a good deal of our work is single lifts for private customers and small jobs for local trades. A single delivery for a private customer gets the same driver / operator as a stadium contract. #### Can you provide references? Yes, for the kind of work you are asking about. Tell us what your job looks like and we will point you at a client doing something comparable rather than sending a generic list. #### Do you work on rail and infrastructure? Yes. Several of our driver / operators hold Rail Track PTS and we are LINK Up members for the supply of lorries to safety critical sites, which is generally the entry requirement. #### Can we set up a trade account? Yes, for regular customers and subject to credit checks. Ask us for the trade account application form. About us  ·  What we do Health and safety ### New client, or just one job? Both are welcome. Email us what needs lifting and where, and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Reviews and Testimonials | Nortons Hiab Services URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/reviews In their words Letters and emails from the people we have carried and lifted for, reproduced as they were written. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lifting a portable cabin with an operative on a ladder alongside) (photograph: Portable cabins stacked two high on a wet evening with a Nortons lorry alongside) Every one of them ### Newest first, in full Had a container home delivered today driver was a 10/10 really helpful down to earth bloke. Called me with updates on what time he was gonna be very professional 10/10 service would highly recommend very happy with the service 10/10 (photograph: Callum H 24 June 2026 ) Could I - on behalf of the trustees at Kempton - express our thanks to you and all the team at Nortons for providing the Museum with 2 high quality and very impressive cabin units. The finish quality of both is extremely high and demonstrates a real commitment and sense of pride in their work by the whole team. Thank you too for being patient with our delays and difficulties and liaising with me personally. Finally, I have to express my admiration and thanks to your drivers, Tim and Dave, who remained cheerful, skillful and professional throughout a fairly tricky operation. As the customer facing specialists, representing Nortons, they did a superb job in promoting your company and its services. We have no hesitation in recommending your company and look forward to your continued support as we expand our accommodation. Kempton Steam Engines Trust 16 October 2025 ) Top class service from Angus, Keith and the team. Managed to squeeze a return back load for a bespoke shipping container. Driver executed drop perfectly into position. Would highly recommend and will use again for any future works. Thanks again! (photograph: Kevin G 6 October 2025 ) Better late than never, here’s my testimonial about a delivery from 2021: We purchased a 20ft shipping container to convert into a parklet, and Nortons Hiab Services exceeded all expectations. We were first impressed by how skilfully the driver, David, reversed the trailer into position. The real highlight was when he used an X-HIPRO 658 to lift the container through a very tight space - just under overhead cables - and placed it precisely 15 metres from the road, right next to our planned worksite. It’s rare to see such a long-reach HIAB in London - most can only manage around 6 metres - so this was a game-changer. Thanks to Nortons’ powerful equipment and David’s expertise, the delivery was flawless. The container was successfully transformed into a parklet, though sadly it didn’t last long due to vandalism by local kids. Still, the delivery was a brilliant job. Peter B 12 April 2025 ) Nortons were absolutely fantastic from start to finish moving my pod. Customer service was brilliant from Angus giving me the quote, Keith in Transport and Richard the driver. Thank you all! (photograph: Jessica H 19 January 2025 ) I also just want to say ourselves and my client’s company were more than happy with the driver’s patience and professionalism. We will definitely be using you for projects coming up. Jonathan D 1 November 2024 ) OUTSTANDING SERVICE. Used Norton Hiab Services for un unexpected delay we had at a recent job in Manchester, they bent over backwards at break neck speed to help us out, what would normally be a major problem was turned into little more than a blip with the help of these very efficient guys who are obviously large enough to cope but small enough to care, THANK YOU so much...... your efforts are appreciate (photograph: Dermott M 25 June 2024 ) Great service today. Compliments to the driver. Professional and courteous. Paul C 13 June 2024 ) I just wanted to send an up date about the work in Manchester. As it stands 90 % of the work is done we are waiting for a install date, as soon as I know I will let you know. However thanks for all the work you have helped us with to date, Ian’s ability with your kit is superb and it’s probably made a really difficult job not as drastic, so great job Keith thanks. Moving forward anything else that you can help us with I will let you know. (photograph: Martin G 11 June 2024 ) Hi guys, thanks for the delivery and help. Your driver was excellent and very helpful. Wayne 10 June 2024 ) To reiterate my comments earlier, we would like to thank you for the professional and helpful service you have provided us with since my first phone call with Angus to ascertain prices of the cabins you offer. Right at the start, Angus was honest about your lead times, did not over promise and delivered a product that was of the quality promised, and delivered at the time agreed. This is the first time we have purchased cabins, as we usually hire. Not being able to view the cabins prior to delivery was a little unnerving, but we needn’t have worried. Every step of the way Angus and yourself have been extremely helpful and very prompt at responding to any queries. You even managed to incorporate an additional container for us at the last minute. Delivery wise, my Site Managers were very complimentary of your drivers. They were accommodating and nothing was too much trouble. Helping to site and level up the cabins, welfare unit and container. The quality of the finish is very impressive, as is the overall service. Thank you all once again. (photograph: Jill H 19 January 2024 ) Just a note to say that drivers sent to complete this job were absolutely amazing. They have a great can do attitude that we have struggled to find with other hiab companies. Please pass on our regards to all involved we will definitely be back on the next project. Chris W 17 June 2023 ) From start to finish, they were brilliant. Thank you to all your team. I was nervous about this coming in because it was a tight squeeze but your driver made it look easy. (photograph: Sarah K 14 June 2023 ) Nearly a week on from taking delivery of our clamping pod in West Sussex, and found time to write a review on the service we received from Nortons. In summary, its was absolutely phenomenal, and it was all thanks to Michael, their driver, who would have been quite within his rights to ’drop and go’, but instead went, way beyond what anyone would expect. His knowledge, and suggestions were from someone who knew exactly what he was talking about, and his mannerism and professionalism were exemplary. It certainly wasn’t the easiest of jobs/deliveries, but he was courteous and a marvellous representative for Nortons.The end result was the Pod being located exactly where it was supposed to be, and we cannot thank, or recommend Nortons, and Michael enough for the shear determination to succeed and provide an exemplary service. When you hear about so much hatred and anger in the world, having met Michael, it restored our faith in humanity!! He’s one of the people who keeps this world turning!! Richard Stocker 4 September 2022 ) Fantastic from start to end. Excellent communication, delivery time & quality. Can’t recommend them enough. Thank you so much! (photograph: Eve Marshall 1 July 2022 ) Fantastic service, Keith sorted us out at a last min booking, the guys that came very professional, will defo recommend DS & Son 27 February 2022 ) Keith Just a quick note to thank you and your team for yesterday’s lift and shift. Throughout this process you have been a model supplier, knowledgeable, helpful and very professional, so it was no surprise to actually see your crew reflecting the same standards in operation. I know this type of thing is bread and butter for you, but having seen quite a few similar moves lately I can tell you have a team at the very top of the game. Please pass on my thanks to them, they made a very demanding job look simple, did it quietly, without fuss and spot on time! My thanks to you too of course, it was a pleasure to meet you. (photograph: Hal 31 July 2021 ) Hi Keith I wanted to pass on my thanks for everything you did for our site move. This project has definitely been a learning curve for me and from the very first phone conversation your knowledge, calm nature and expertise put me completely at ease and reassured me that this project was in safe hands. Thank you, for the repeat site visits and many conversation with myself, nothing was ever too much trouble and you accommodated our postponement with patience. On the day, meeting Dave added to my confidence in you and your team. I didnt catch the names of all the team because they just got on with the job professionally and efficiently, with no fuss. I would highly recommend Nortons to anyone and hope to work with you again in the future. Other companies we approached to didn’t come close in terms of expertise, experience and quality of service. Thank you Greer It was a pleasure dealing with Nortons from start to finish. Angus in the office and Gary as AP were both particularly excellent. Competent, speedy to respond, eager to solve issues and work together to successfully deliver some tricky lifts to tight time scales. A fast turnaround on excellent detailed site specific RAMS and all required paperwork were particularly appreciated. The lifts were undertaken safely and efficiently and all site operatives were equally competent and eager to help. I would definitely recommend. (photograph: Mary 8 February 2021 ) Both our deliveries successfully completed thank you I would like to say what a lovely chap Tim is and how helpful he was! A real credit to your company! From now on I will only use you guys, thanks again and have a great weekend Simon 23 October 2020 ) I would just like to say we had one of your drivers here yesterday called Tim. And he was the best driver we have ever had delivering these containers. He was so helpful and every request was carried it. He was ace. (photograph: Aaron 11 September 2020 ) Would highly recommend this company, very helpful and friendly staff who went out of their way to help me. They organised the removal of a shipping container from my garden and did so professionally and efficiently. Rebecca D 16 August 2020 ) I just wanted to mention your 3 drivers yesterday who collected our site offices from Cheshire House and brought them back to St Helens. They did a great job and I will be using your services again when required. Thank you and them (photograph: Nikki 11 August 2020 ) Fantastic service, really responsive. Easy to work with would recommend to anybody needing hiab transport. Joe Abbott 5 August 2020 ) Hi Keith cabin arrived thank your driver from us for helping to site it just where we wanted it he was brill got it spot no messing (photograph: Tony M 10 July 2020 ) I wanted to express our sincere thanks to you for your help in lifting two cantilevered parasols off the roof of the Great John Street Hotel on Saturday. As James may have mentioned, we had been offered the entire contents of the hotel to sell in aid of three local charities, The Maggies Centre at the Christie Hospital;Prevent Breast Cancer at Wythenshawe Hospital and the Lord Mayor’s Charity in aid of the homeless in Manchester. 100% of the proceeds from the sale will go to these local charities. The firemen who have been furloughed from Manchester Airport had kindly helped to clear the hotel contents, but they were unable to move the parasols due to their size and weight. This was frustrating to say the least as we had a willing buyer which in turn meant there would be a significant donation to the three charities. To say that we were grateful to you for supplying the crane on Saturday is an understatement! We are indebted to you and I wanted to say a huge Thank You on behalf of the volunteers and also the three charities. Whilst writing, I would like to say that Dave the driver was lovely to work with - very patient and clearly was an excellent operator. Would you kindly pass our thanks on to Dave also please? We’ll let you know how much we raise from the sale of all the stock later this month, but in the meantime many thanks for helping us to achieve something that we thought may be impossible. Very best regards, Heidi. Heidi 8 July 2020 ) Nortons hiab service is amazing they dropped off a 40ft shipping container to my house with the very difficult task of manoeuvring through cars and small winding roads. Customer service has been amazing from beginning to the end always willing to go the extra mile driver helped position and the shipping container and did not leave until the whole process was complete. I highly recommend this service to anyone and would definitely used again when needed. Amazing (photograph: Life Beyond Vision 7 July 2020 ) Please can you pass on our thanks to your driver for his assistance yesterday. Great service all round! Andrew H 9 June 2020 ) Used Nortons for the first time last week to purchase a cabin for an Industrial unit job. Extremely professional with keen prices. Nothing was too much trouble and delivered on time and as advised. Worked with Norton Hiab services to deliver a prefab unit in a very awkward location Extremely professional driver/operator with lots of patience. Very modern machinery. Would have no hesitation in recommending them or buying from them again. A real gem.Thankyou. (photograph: Judith W 26 May 2020 ) I would like to thank you and your team for your pleasant customer care and most of all a very efficiently performed job. Dave was a star and very professional in his approach to the task in hand. Admin team was very good and helpful, Angus was a great first point of contact . As a charity, you have been very fair with your pricing and customer care in these unprecedented times. I would gladly recommend Norton’s to other customers. Charles Betel Uk Manchester · 21 May 2020 ) Thanks a lot for your service today in Salford! Our driver was very grateful for your help and our client is happy that the MRI unit is safely in place. (photograph: Willem 17 March 2020 ) Morning Keith Just wanted to say thank you for dealing with the movement of the container and i would like to tell you the school was very happy with the positivity and the skill of the driver. Adam 9 March 2020 ) A big thank you to yourself, Keith and Anthony for your help today, first class effort, as ever from Norton services. (photograph: Malcolm 7 November 2019 ) Excellent service with no fuss regarding the difficulty with the lift, Dave had nothing but a can do attitude. Would recommend instantly. Top service and a top team. Look forward to working with you all again. Senior Site Manager Les Galliford Try Construction · 2 September 2019 ) Good experience with working with Nortons. Good service, would use again. Best regards, Vector Freight Ltd (photograph: Vector Freight 30 August 2019 ) Just a quick shout, Today we unloaded a delivery to Redfern House refurbishment, that is being overseen by Russells Construction. The situation required all parties to adapt and overcome several unforeseen issues, which was at times very taxing both mentally and physically. These were successfully overcome. A significant reason for us accomplishing the delivery and distribution of the Lift today is down to Chris Tierney, our designated Nortons Delivery Driver and Crane Operator. Although under pressure and going that little bit further than he would be normally expected, Chris consistently worked through any problem with us until this task was completed to an excellent standard. Many thanks Chris and the Nortons Team. Jeremy W 5 July 2019 ) As rohan said yesterday the team were top draw!! They were all on it, and in some cases, ie TT had to wait a long time because of the high admin demands on site. Even Ian didnt moan too much! They were all patient which is a great support to us not pecking us every five minutes. Special mention goes to dave as he a top chap. Id briefed your boys that the client would be hard work and we may have to boss it a bit to get what we wanted. Dave helped massively in that and is a dab hand with a hiab! He had a long day but didn’t moan once. Credit were credit is due, a top class team! We all worked very well together. So thank you very much for that and onto the next jobs! (photograph: Chris M 28 June 2019 ) Further to our conversation yesterday, I wanted to write and say what a fantastic job Tim did delivering the heavy stone objects to Stone Lakes on Tuesday. I live up a very narrow country lane and Tim arrived in a large articulated lorry. I have had drivers of much smaller lorries say they couldnt come up the lane to deliver items, but Tim did so in his vehicle. He was polite and helpful and a credit to Nortons Hiab Services Ltd. Thanks to Tim and everyone for your help. I dont often write emails like this - usually I am the first to complain! John 6 June 2019 ) I would just like to express my thanks to you both and Dave and all the drivers concerned with yesterday’s Oxford Station delivery. The work you all put in communicating the planning we put together paid dividends on the day. Dave is as skilled as they come and is just as comfortable communicating with network rail’s Health & Safety top brass as he is working his crane. All the other drivers did their bit by turning up at their allotted time to ensure we caused minimum disruption to nearby residents. Even after many years doing this, it still feels good when a job runs as smooth as this one. I look forward to working with you in the future. (photograph: Chris R 30 May 2019 ) Just took delivery of our refurbished cabin this morning, really happy, very good company to deal with from start to finish with no fuss, or complications and the driver was very helpful too Mick B 22 May 2019 ) The club are delighted by the changing rooms and your help through the process. This is a major project for our club and your help and assistance was second to none. Thanks (photograph: Darren Moorside Rangers 14 April 2019 ) Just spoken with store all completed yesterday and the store manager said the lads were fantastic, thanks for your help with this Barry 12 April 2019 ) I just wanted to drop a line to thank you for the delivery on Friday and the exemplary conduct of your driver. Once again the professionalism and skill show in placing the cabin in an awkward area was second to none I have passed you detail over to a colleague within our business. In the meantime I look forward to dealing with you again in the future. (photograph: David D 9 April 2019 ) Just to say thanks for the great service we received from your company. Your driver who I didnt catch his name was extremely efficient and got the job done perfectly for us. Please pass on our thanks. Francis An excellent professional company to deal with, the whole team are so helpful from start to finish, with advice, and competitive rates. Will definitely use on the next hi-ab job we have. (photograph: Van 2 April 2019 ) Just a little email to say thanks, the cabin is in place thanks to your very skilled driver. Great service and will be sure to remember you guys for the future. Daniel C 11 February 2019 ) Just wanted to say a big thank you the hiab driver you sent to assist with this order was one of the best I have come across (photograph: Joe 21 December 2018 ) Just thought Id drop you a quick email regarding yesterdays delivery. Just wanted to say how fantastic your driver was and that he was extremely patient especially with such a nightmare of a road. He did an exceptional job. Lucy 5 December 2018 ) Absolutely first rate service. A very difficult delivery of a forty foot container office to a site off a narrow lane, tight positioning. Tim and Dave did the delivery and lift onto the drive, then Tim came in with the HIAB and spent time and effort above and beyond to position the container in the best place afforded by the site. I cannot thank you enough for doing a superb job. Kindest regards Carrie (photograph: Carrie 15 November 2018 ) All went well yesterday and your hiab offload service went superbly. Thanks for your help in making this delivery run smoothly and chat to you on the next venture. Jason 9 November 2018 ) Please would pass on my thanks to your drivers Chris and Paul. They are both a credit and excellent ambassadors for your company. Their co-operation and attitude made yesterdays site clearance go very smoothly. Best regards, Margaret (photograph: Margaret 28 September 2018 ) We had 3 store units delivered to site yesterday via yourself to be responsible for the offloading. The gentleman you sent, Mr C Tierney was a great example of what is expected on sites this day in age. He came well prepared with all certification for all equipment and lifting accessories, was very compliant and understanding with the process from our end to which we had to have specific non-crane lift plans and documentation recorded on site and in place. He was clearly shown to portray himself in a very professional manor as well as delivering placement of cabins to exactly our needs of location on site. Kind regards and thank you again for excellent service. Again, Nortons Delivered above what is required Tom F Tom F 6 September 2018 ) We went to Nortons as our previous haulage firm let us down, they were fast and very professional service, the driver was very knowledgeable and went out of his way to help site the cabin, Nortons will now be our first call (photograph: David S 12 August 2018 ) Just to advise that the cabin delivered to Wolverhampton today is spot on (as always). The lads on site are really pleased. A quick note on your driver I cant speak highly enough of him. He was patient while waiting for us to load a vehicle and extremely helpful in ensuring that the building was in exactly the right location. David 8 August 2018 ) Just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for your services and patience in holding onto the cabin for us. The comments I am receiving back from the site are all positive and very pleased with the work you and your team have done in getting it to look good and meet are requirements. Once again many thanks to all involved in the conversion. (photograph: Andrew 1 August 2018 ) Yesterday I attended site with your chaps, I cant remember all the names but I worked alongside Michael and Dave mainly. I would just like to say I was extremely happy with the safe working practice and professionalism of your staff. When offloading the kiosk onto the concrete bases they were extremely accurate while being accommodating with the staffs requests. Upon leaving site I was thanked by the site manager and he expressed how happy he was with the smooth delivery and positioning of all the kiosks. Ben 25 July 2018 ) Hi Keith Firstly let me say thank you again for your help today. I cant express how much you are helping us out after being so badly let down by our previous Hiab Company. Needless to say we wont be using them again and you have just found yourself a new customer. (photograph: Emma 26 June 2018 ) Hi Keith, Thank you for your services yesterday, your driver was superb. We have got all these sites across the country so I will be in touch shortly. Michael 19 June 2018 ) Hi Keith, Firstly I just wanted to say many thanks for the delivery and refurbishment of the cabins they both look fantastic and will do our job just fine. (photograph: Julian 7 June 2018 ) I wanted to drop an email to you regarding one of your drivers that attended to a job at our premises last Friday 4th May. I would like you to pass on my gratitude to Chris who delivered two 20 containers into our unit. He was so helpful and calm over the whole process and with such limited space to work carried out the job with great profession. I know he probably does this all the time but I felt I just needed to contact you to say please pass on my thanks. I will definitely keep your company details on file and be in touch when we next need your help. Suzanne 10 May 2018 ) I can’t say how pleased we are with the containers. The gentlemen who came on Saturday were amazing, everything went very smoothly, they are exactly what is required. Please can you pass on my thank to all involved. (photograph: Becky 8 May 2018 ) Absolutely brilliant service throuought the whole day and turmoils that we were presented with on these delicate lifts through adversity Norton’s workmen were impeccibly helpful and made the entire job turn out 100% satisfactory, even though our local crane hire company was originally tasked with the job and on site, they were ineffective, whilst Norton rose above them at every development on the job. Gilligan’s will definitely use them in the future. Thank you to all at Nortons Hiab Services Ltd Klaire Louise 1 January 2018 ) Ive just loaded up with your driver I didnt catch his name but what an absolute gent and professional if only my boys where as good Id be happy if he wants a job its not a problem after 32 yrs service he must be good thanks again. Regards Dylan (photograph: Dylan 22 May 2017 ) Thank you for all your help and assistance over the latest delivery. It all went smoothly. I’d like to make a special mention for the driver, Rhys. He was brilliant. He was presented with a few challenges that he took in his stride and solved with ease. If we could book him every time we’d be very happy. Yvonne 17 March 2017 ) Just a short note of appreciation of a good job well done for delivery of the pump to Scotland. Paul was superb and very helpful. I hope we can use you again for all pump movements in the U.k. Please convey my thanks to Paul. (photograph: Mark 8 December 2016 ) Just a short note of appreciation of a good job well done for delivery of the pump to Scotland. Paul was superb and very helpful. I hope we can use you again for all pump movements in the U.k. Please convey my thanks to Paul. (photograph: Mark 8 December 2016 ) I just wanted to say a massive thank you Nortons for the excellent service you provided. In particular, thanks to Julie for reorganizing my container delivery and thanks to the driver/crane operator who installed the two 20ft containers into an enclosed yard in record time. I would not hesitate to use your friendly, professional company again in the future and will be recommending you to everyone! Kind regards Kate Owen Wrought in the Port · 30 September 2016 ) I would like to say a big thank you for all your help and especially your drive who has been out standing and a breath of fresh air compared to the last company we have been using. I would there fore like to open an account with your selves and move your business over to you. The lorry was perfect for the job and operated with great skill. Please pass my thanks on the the driver again as he made it so much Easier. Regards James from Bedford (photograph: James 7 September 2016 ) A Relocation with a tight squeeze Big thank you to Nortons Hiab Services Ltd in Manchester for you Help with this one. John Cotacabin Ltd · 27 January 2016 ) Regarding the above mentioned job, I must congratulate your driver! Our site manager, Andy, who was there at the time, said your driver was amazing as the gap he had to reverse/drive into was extremely tight to say the least! Thankyou so much for a job well done! (photograph: Kathy 1 January 2016 ) Good morning Paul, Just a quick e-mail to say thank you for your support yesterday, really pleased. Kind regards Vicky Vicky Smith Denholm Valvecare Limited · 11 December 2015 ) I would like to start with a big THANK YOU from everybody at ISG for the extremely valuable support you provided for Walking With The Wounded/DIY SOS:The Big Build, Veteran’s Special. Our thanks can be added to the many testimonials received on the project, particularly from the BBC’s Nick Knowles and his team, who emphasised the importance of your support on the BBC shows and accompanying interviews, and also via social media. Manchester City Council, Haig Housing and Walking With the Wounded (WWTW) have also expressed their thanks. There is no doubt - we could not have done it without you. Your generosity of time and materials was crucial to the success of this massive project, the BBC’s biggest ever Big Build, and your contributions to the fundraising for WWTW will help the charity in firmly establishing their North West base. (photograph: Danny Murray ISG · 23 November 2015 ) Hi Guys, Forgot to say earlier that the site agent has asked me to mail and say a big thank you to your drivers on site today. He said they couldn’t be more helpful. Cheers, Julie Galliford Try Julie Galliford Try · 11 November 2015 ) I would just like to make mention of the incredible job the driver did with the delivery of the container. It was much tighter than he was expecting, and after numerous attempts, we finally got the truck down the driveway, but then meant he had to hoist over the house to get it in. I thought we were not going to be able to get it to work, but he did not give up and eventually, with millimetre gaps and precision, we got it down. (photograph: Dave 5 October 2015 ) Our thanks to Norton as their driver was very precise in getting our building onto the mezz floor at the new premises. Rob K 2 October 2015 ) Just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for the good work on Saturday. It was nice to be called to find out everything was ok rather than me having to chase (which is usually the case). I follow you guys on linked in and twitter and from what I can see you are a great company and seem to have the same customer driven values as us. And going forward I would like to see if we can work together some more. We have a lot of work which requires hiabs to load and unload which goes all over the UK. Some of it is just small digger buckets but we also do Modular buildings and such like. Going forward I would like to open an account with yourselves. Best Regards. General Manager. (photograph: Tom K 17 August 2015 ) I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the service provided on our behalf at the BOC site (Castner Kellner), this morning. The driver arrived promptly with all the required paperwork, and I can only say that he conducted himself in a very professional manner.I can further state, that from our initial enquiry, all staff involved have been very helpful and courteous. To conclude, an excellent service from start to finish.I will have no hesitation in using your services again or referring you to other parties.Kind Regards Simon Bissell Acumen Waste Services · 24 July 2015 ) May we also thank you for a fantastic service and all credit to everyone at Nortons, especially Dale who was great. Kind Regards (photograph: Phil Croughan Paul Spencer Signs · 1 May 2015 ) One more thing ### Where to leave one If we have done something for you and you would like to say so, the most useful place is our Google business listing , because that is what other people looking for a hiab actually see. If you would rather just email it, send it to the office and it will reach the driver it is about. Put the rough date and where the job was in it if you can — that is what lets us find the paperwork. Who we work for  ·  The jobs behind these  ·  About the company  ·  Contact us ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # 24 Hour Mobile Tyre Fitting Manchester | Nortons Tyres URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/tyres (photograph: A Nortons Tyres mobile fitting van on site beside a tractor with a wheel off and a fitter working on it) Manchester · North West · Seven days, around the clock Commercial, plant and car tyres replaced and repaired where the vehicle stopped — on site, in the yard or at the roadside. The tyre bay ### Or bring the vehicle to us The mobile units are half of it. The other half is the depot in Manchester, with its own fitting bays — drive in and it is dealt with while you wait. (photograph: Two Nortons Tyres fitters working on wheels in the fitting bay, with racked tyres behind them and a car on the ramp) (photograph: The Nortons Tyres depot with three open bays, vehicles inside and the mobile van parked outside) - Cars, vans and light commercials. On the ramp in the bay, or at home if you would rather not move it. - HGVs and trailers. Bring the unit into the yard rather than waiting for a mobile unit to reach you. - Plant wheels. Bring the wheel in on the back of something rather than moving the machine. - Tyres from all the major manufacturers , supplied and fitted. The depot address, opening times and bookings are on nortonstyres.co.uk . Nortons Tyres ### Mobile fitting across Manchester and the North West Nortons Tyres provides mobile commercial, plant and car tyre replacement and repair, on site and at the roadside, seven days a week and around the clock. Our own units cover Manchester and the North West, with nationwide cover arranged through a network of partners, and the depot in Manchester takes vehicles brought in. The tyre company exists because of the lorries. Our own fleet works across mainland UK and needs tyres dealt with when they need them, not the following morning, and the only reliable way to have that was to do it ourselves. Having built it, we started doing the same for other companies and for individuals in the commercial sector, and it has been a business in its own right for a long time. Go to nortonstyres.co.uk Email the Manchester office What the mobile units do ### Wherever the vehicle stopped #### Commercial vehicles HGVs, trailers, vans and light commercials, replaced or repaired at the roadside, in a yard or on site. This is the work the business was built around and it runs twenty-four hours. #### Plant, large and small On site, where the machine is. Plant tyres are a different job from road tyres — different equipment, different handling and usually a live site to work around. #### Cars and private vehicles All types, at home or at the roadside. Wheels and tyres from all the major manufacturers, supplied and fitted. Where to go next ### The tyre business has its own site Stock, quotations and bookings are handled at nortonstyres.co.uk . Wheels and tyres are supplied from all the major manufacturers. Request a quote — tyre pricing depends on size, specification and make. - Mobile fitting, twenty-four hours, seven days a week. Our own units across Manchester and the North West. - Or bring it to the bay. The Manchester depot fits cars, vans, HGVs and plant wheels on site. - Nationwide through partners. A vehicle that goes down in Cornwall is still somebody’s problem to solve, and it is ours. - Commercial and consumer. Fleets, plant, vans and private cars. - Trade accounts. Credit accounts for commercial supplies and fitting, subject to credit check. nortonstyres.co.uk  ·  Used cabin sales  ·  The fleet  ·  Contact us (photograph: A Nortons Tyres mobile fitting van parked under the arch of the Runcorn bridge) ### The van comes to the vehicle A wagon that has picked something up on the M6 is not going anywhere under its own steam, and neither is a telehandler in the middle of a site. The mobile units carry what is needed to replace or repair the tyre where it is. Our own units cover Manchester and the North West around the clock. Further afield we arrange cover through partners, so a vehicle a long way from home is still dealt with rather than left. Common questions ### Mobile tyre fitting #### Is Nortons Tyres a separate company from the hiab business? It is the same family of businesses and it started for the same reason — keeping our own fleet on the road around the clock. It runs its own website at nortonstyres.co.uk, which is where the tyre work is quoted and booked. #### Do you fit tyres at the roadside? Yes. Mobile units operate seven days a week, around the clock, and will replace or repair tyres on site or at the roadside, on commercial vehicles, plant and private cars. #### Can I bring the vehicle to you instead? Yes. Nortons Tyres works from a depot in Manchester with its own fitting bays, and cars, vans, HGVs, trailers and plant wheels are all dealt with there. The address and opening times are on nortonstyres.co.uk. #### What areas do you cover? Our own mobile service covers Manchester and the North West. Beyond that we arrange cover through a network of partners, so a vehicle that goes down a long way from home is still dealt with. #### Do you work on plant as well as vehicles? Yes, large and small plant on site, as well as HGVs, vans and cars. Plant tyres on a live site are a different job from a car at the kerbside and the mobile units are equipped for both. #### Can we open a trade account? Yes, credit trade accounts for commercial supplies and fitting are available subject to a credit check. Ask through the tyre site or the Manchester office. #### Where do I get a price? From nortonstyres.co.uk or by telephone. Request a quote: tyre prices depend on size, specification and manufacturer. ### Tyres are handled at nortonstyres.co.uk For a tyre, a roadside call-out or a trade account, go to the tyre site. For anything to do with lifting or haulage, email this office. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Trade Credit Account | Apply for an Account | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/credit-trade-account For businesses that use us regularly One account, one invoice, one set of terms. Download the form, fill it in, send it back to the accounts team. A trade account means you book work and get invoiced for it, rather than settling job by job. Payment is 30 days from the date of invoice. Applications are made on the form below and decided on your bank and trade references. It is worth saying plainly that you do not need one to use us. Quoting and account opening are separate: send us a load today and we will price it whether or not you ever fill this in. An account is for businesses that use us often enough that a transaction every time becomes a nuisance. Download the Form (PDF) Ask a Question Two pages. Print it, complete it and return it to the accounts department. (photograph: Two Nortons hiab lorries standing together with their cranes stowed) Before you start ### What the form asks for Have these to hand and it takes ten minutes. About the business #### Who you are - Business name and trading address - Legal status — sole trader, partnership, limited company or other - Company registration number, if you have one - VAT registration number - Telephone and website - A named contact, their job title, phone and email About the money #### How you will pay - Cheque, BACS or another method - Whether you run a purchase order system - Your bank’s name and branch address - Account number and sort code Two suppliers #### Trade references - Two companies you already buy from on account - How long you have traded with each - A contact name at each one - Address, phone and email for both Pick suppliers who will recognise your name and answer an email. The terms, in plain words ### What you are agreeing to The authorisation section at the end of the form is short, and it is worth reading rather than signing. It says four things. #### You may sign it The signatory confirms they are authorised to sign on behalf of the business. #### It is all correct Straightforward, and the reason the references get checked. #### We may ask about you Nortons may obtain your financial information from the bank and the two trade referees you name. That is the permission the whole application rests on. #### Published conditions apply Business with Nortons Hiab Services Ltd is subject to the Freight Transport Association Conditions For The Carriage Of Goods By Road In The United Kingdom 2002, and payment terms are strictly 30 days from date of invoice. The first job is always payable before loading. That applies whether or not a trade account has been opened, and the 30 day terms run from the jobs after it. Our conditions of carriage are published in full on this site rather than only in the small print of a form — read them before you sign, not after. Conditions of carriage in full  ·  The same thing as a PDF (photograph: Nortons lorries with cranes at work outside a hangar) Sending it back ### Where the completed form goes Completed forms go to the accounts department . The form itself gives a fax number, 0161 205 5585 , and the address accounts.nospam @nortonsservices.co.uk . Nortons Hiab Services Ltd, Norton Street, off Hulme Hall Lane, Miles Platting, Manchester M40 8HD. The postal address is on the contact page with a map. Common questions ### Trade accounts, answered #### Who can open a trade account? Businesses — sole traders, partnerships and limited companies all apply on the same form. If you are a private individual moving something once, you do not need an account at all; we will simply quote you and you pay for the job. #### What do you need from me? Your business details and legal status, the company registration and VAT numbers if you have them, a named contact, your bank details, and two trade references from suppliers you already buy from. The form asks how long you have traded with each of them, so pick suppliers who will recognise your name. #### Why do you want bank and trade references? Because the form authorises us to ask them about you, and that is how the decision gets made. It is the standard way credit is granted in haulage and it is quicker than it sounds — most of the delay in opening an account is waiting for a reference to be returned, not waiting for us. #### What are the payment terms? Payment is strictly 30 days from the date of invoice. That is on the form above the signature and it is not a starting position for a negotiation. The first job is always payable before loading, whether or not an account has been opened. #### What conditions does the work run under? Signing the form confirms that business with Nortons Hiab Services Ltd is subject to the Freight Transport Association Conditions For The Carriage Of Goods By Road In The United Kingdom 2002. Our own conditions of carriage are published in full on this site so you can read them before you sign rather than after. #### How long does it take? It depends almost entirely on how quickly your references come back. Send the form in complete — the commonest hold-up by a distance is a missing reference contact or a blank VAT box. #### Can I get a price before I have an account? Yes, and most people do. Quoting and account opening are separate things. Send us the load and the postcodes and we will price it whether or not you ever open an account. #### Do I have to have an account to use you? No. An account suits businesses that use us regularly and want one invoice and one set of terms rather than a transaction each time. If you use us twice a year it is probably not worth the paperwork. Looking for a job rather than an account? The vacancies page has the current roles and the employment application form . ### Want a price before you open an account? You do not need one to get quoted. Tell us what needs lifting or moving and we will price it today. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Privacy and Cookies | Nortons Hiab Services Manchester URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/privacy Privacy and cookies Short version: we collect what you send us on a form, we use it to answer you, we do not sell it, and the only cookies this site sets are the two it needs to work. We do count visits — with our own copy of Matomo, on our own server, configured to set no cookies at all. ### Who we are Nortons Hiab Services Limited, registered in England and Wales under company number 06140715 and trading as nortonshiabservices.co.uk, is the data controller for the information described below. Questions about anything on this page can go to info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk , or by post to Norton Street, Off Hulme Hall Lane, Miles Platting, Manchester, M40 8HD. ### What we collect, and why Contact and quote forms Your name, email address, telephone number, company name where you give one, and whatever you write in the message. We use it to answer your enquiry and, if it becomes a job, to carry out the work. Lawful basis: taking steps at your request before entering into a contract, and our legitimate interest in responding to enquiries. Photographs you upload The quote form accepts up to five photographs of the load or the access. We use them to work out which vehicle to send. Please do not upload anything that identifies people; we do not need it and we would rather not hold it. Your IP address Recorded against form submissions in our database as a spam control. It is never included in the email we receive. Lawful basis: our legitimate interest in preventing abuse of the forms. Server logs Our hosting keeps standard web server logs, which include IP addresses, for security and diagnostics. Cookies ### Every cookie this website sets Two, and both of them are strictly necessary. They are listed in full below, which is the same list the cookie banner itself shows you. We use analytics — Matomo, self-hosted — and it is configured to set no cookies at all. So this website sets no analytics cookies, no advertising cookies and no tracking cookies of any kind. There is no Google Analytics, no advertising pixel, no embedded map, no chat widget and no social media button that phones home. Nothing on this site builds a profile of you or follows you to another website. #### Strictly necessary cookies These make core parts of the website work. The site cannot be used properly without them, so they are set without asking and there is nothing to switch off. | Name | Provider and domain | Expires | What it does | | PHPSESSID | Nortons Hiab Serviceswww.nortonshiabservices.co.uk | Session — deleted when you close the browser | The standard PHP session identifier. On this site its only job is to carry the security token that makes the contact and quote forms work, so that a form cannot be submitted from somewhere else. It is a random number and it holds no personal information. | | CookieScriptConsent | Cookie Script.nortonshiabservices.co.uk | 4 weeks 2 days | Remembers the choice you made in the cookie banner, so you are not asked again on every page. It records the categories you accepted and nothing else. If you never answer the banner, this one is never set. | #### Matomo — how we count visits, without cookies We use Matomo to see which pages people read and which searches bring them here. It runs on our own server at nortonshiabservices.co.uk/stat/ rather than on somebody else’s, so the figures are not shared with an advertising company, sold, or combined with data from other websites. Nothing about your visit leaves this domain. It is configured to set no cookies. That is why it does not appear in the table above and why the banner does not ask you about it: there is nothing stored on your device to ask about. Without a cookie it cannot recognise you on a later visit or follow you anywhere, so what we get is counts of pages rather than a picture of a person. Your IP address is used momentarily to work out roughly which part of the country a visit came from, and is anonymised rather than stored in full. If you would rather not be counted at all, the Do Not Track setting in your browser is honoured. #### Cookies we do not set The cookie banner lists a targeting category because that is how the banner is built. It is empty, and it stays empty. We set no performance, functionality, analytics or targeting cookies — Matomo runs without any — so accepting or rejecting that category makes no difference to what is stored on your device. #### Video, and the only third party on the site Our videos page shows still pictures until you press play. Nothing is requested from YouTube before then — no script, no thumbnail, no connection at all — so YouTube can set nothing while you are only looking at the page. When you do press play, the video is loaded from youtube-nocookie.com, which is YouTube’s Privacy Enhanced Mode. YouTube may then set cookies on its own domain to play the video. Those are Google’s cookies rather than ours, we cannot read them, and they are covered by Google’s own privacy policy. If you would rather that did not happen, do not press play. #### How to change your mind Where the cookie badge is showing on the page, clicking it reopens the banner so you can change your answer. You can also delete cookies and block them entirely in your browser settings — every browser has this under privacy or site settings. Blocking the session cookie will stop the contact and quote forms from submitting, because the security token has nowhere to live. ### Who we share it with Nobody, other than the suppliers who make the website work: our hosting provider, which stores the database and the files, and the email service that carries the message to us. We do not sell, rent or trade your information, and we do not pass it to marketing companies. We will disclose information where we are legally required to, for example in response to a lawful request from the police or a regulator. ### How long we keep it Enquiries that do not become work are kept while they might still be relevant and then deleted. Records relating to work we carried out are kept for as long as we need them for accounting, insurance and legal purposes — ordinarily six years from the end of the financial year the work fell in. Uploaded photographs are deleted once the enquiry is closed. ### Your rights Under UK data protection law you can ask us to give you a copy of the information we hold about you, correct it if it is wrong, delete it, restrict what we do with it, or object to us using it. You can also ask for it in a portable format. Email info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk and we will deal with it. We may need to check who you are before we act on a request. There is no charge and we will respond within one month. ### Security The site is served over HTTPS. Form submissions are protected against cross-site request forgery, uploads are checked and stored outside the web root, and access to the database is restricted. ### Links to other sites Where we link to another website — including our own cabin sales site — that site has its own privacy policy and its own cookies, and we are not responsible for either. ### Changes If we change what we collect, what we do with it, or which cookies the site sets, this page changes at the same time. It was last reviewed in October 2026. ### Trade marks Load handling equipment manufacturers and their logo such as HIAB and the HIAB logo are registered trademarks. Nortons Hiab Services Ltd is not associated or affiliated with HIAB or other load handling equipment manufacturers, and expressly disclaims any and all rights to any such marks. Conditions of carriage  ·  What is a hiab?  ·  Contact us ### Want something deleted? Email us and it will be done. You do not need to give a reason and there is no form to fill in. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Conditions of Carriage | Nortons Hiab Services Ltd URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/terms-conditions-carriage Conditions of carriage All work undertaken by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd is subject to these Conditions. These Conditions set down the basis on which the Carrier will carry goods for the Customer (definitions of Carrier and Customer are given in Section 1). The Carrier is not and does not contract as a common carrier. The Conditions may not be altered or varied in any way except by express agreement in writing signed by a director or proprietor of the Carrier. The Conditions cannot and do not override any Statutory provisions imposed by Law or the application of any applicable international Conventions. It is expressly stated to be the Customer’s responsibility to read and understand these Conditions which will form the basis of the Contract under which any claims or disputes are settled. Customers are recommended to take professional advice and to ensure they arrange adequate insurance to provide full cover when the property is in transit. Please read this before you book. These Conditions govern how any claim or dispute is settled, and they limit what the Carrier is liable for. You are strongly advised to take your own professional advice and to arrange your own insurance covering your goods while they are in transit. If anything here is unclear, or you need a signed copy for your records, email the office and we will send one. ### Contents - 1. Definitions - 2. Principal Parties and Sub-Contractors - 3. Loading and Unloading - 4. Dangerous Goods - 5. Consignment Notes/Receipts - 6. Carrier's Responsibility - 7. Carrier's Charges - 8. Disposal of the Goods by the Carrier - 9. Liability for Loss, Damage or Delay - 10. Limitation of Liability of Carrier - 11. Customer's Indemnity to the Carrier - 12. Notification of Claims - 13. Lien and Power of Sale - 14. Detention of Carrier's Property - 15. Dispute Resolution - 16. Governing Law ### 1. Definitions In the Conditions: 1.1 Carrier means Nortons Hiab Services Ltd of Norton Street, off Hulme Hall Lane, Miles Platting, Manchester M40 8HD (Company Number 6140715) and any associated company. 1.2 Consignee means the person (corporate or otherwise who may or may not be the Customer) to whom the Carrier contracts to deliver the consignment. 1.3 Consignor means the person (corporate or otherwise who may or may not be the Customer) who supplies the consignment to the Carrier for carriage. 1.4 Customer means the person (corporate or otherwise) who contracts with the Carrier for the carriage of goods. 1.5 Contract means the Agreement between the Customer and the Carrier for the carrying out of the transport service including all documents expressly incorporated therein. 1.6 Consignment means goods whether single or multiple units or in bulk despatched at any one time from one Consignor in a single load from one address in the United Kingdom to one Consignee at any one other address in the United Kingdom. 1.7 Dangerous Goods means items of any nature as may be included in the Approved Carriage List prepared pursuant to the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Classification, Packaging and Labelling) and Use of Transportable Pressure Receptacles Regulations 1996 as may be amended from time to time and items which represent a similar hazard, radioactive material and explosives of any nature. 1.8 Day means any day Monday to Friday inclusive other than a Bank or Statutory Holiday, including the delivery day and the day on which any claim or notice is first made. 1.9 Alternative Dispute Resolution means any procedure agreed by the parties for the resolution of disputes other than those involving formal arbitration or litigation. 1.10 Loss means the actual loss of the goods or failure by the Carrier to deliver the goods within 30 days of the agreed time limit for delivery or, if there is no agreed time limit, within 60 days from the date on which the Carrier took over the goods. 1.11 Delay means failure by the Carrier to deliver the goods within the agreed time limit, or if there is no agreed time limit, within the period of 60 days from the date upon which the Carrier takes possession of the goods. 1.12 Owners Risk means that the goods are held upon terms that the Carrier shall not be liable for any loss of whatsoever nature and howsoever caused including negligence in relation to the goods or as a consequence of the goods being in the Carrier’s possession. The Customer will indemnify the Carrier against all claims that may be made against the Carrier arising from the carriage, retention or storage of such goods. 1.13 The expressions Carrier, Consignee, Consignor and Customer shall include those parties’ principals, agents and servants. ### 2. Principal Parties and Sub-Contractors 2.1 The Customer contracts as the legal owner of the goods or as the authorised agent of such legal owner in which case the Customer warrants that he has the authority to accept these Conditions on behalf of the legal owner. 2.2 Unless written instructions to the contrary are received from the Customer, the Carrier may sub-contract part or the whole of the consignment. 2.3 Where carriage of any consignment or part of a consignment is sub-contracted to a sea, air or rail carrier then the liability of the carrier and of any sub-contractor shall be limited and/or excluded in accordance with the conditions of carriage of that sub-contractor or as provided for by statute or international convention. 2.4 Notwithstanding the provisions of the Condition 2.2, the Carrier may not sub-contract the carriage of Dangerous Goods without the prior written consent of the Customer. 2.5 Where part or the whole of the carriage has been sub-contracted as provided for in Condition 2.2 above, such sub-contractors shall have the benefit of these Conditions of Carriage and shall be under no greater liability to the Customer than or in addition to that of the Carrier under the Contract and the Customer agrees with the Carrier that no claim shall be made against a sub-contractor in addition to or excess of the limitation and/or exclusions of liability as set out in these Conditions. ### 3. Loading and Unloading 3.1 The Carrier shall not be required to provide additional services other than the service for the carriage of the Consignment from the designated place of collection to the designated place of delivery unless any such service has been requested by the Customer and agreed by the Carrier in writing, prior to collection or delivery being made. 3.2 The Customer shall be responsible for providing and safely operating any equipment that may be required for loading the Consignment on or unloading the Consignment from the vehicle unless arrangements to the contrary are agreed in writing between the Carrier and the Customer prior to despatch and these Conditions shall apply during such loading and/or unloading. 3.3 The Carrier shall not be liable for any loss or damage caused as a result of its use of defective equipment supplied by the Consignee or Consignor and the Customer shall indemnify the Carrier against any claim made against the Carrier in respect of such loss or damage including claims in respect of death or personal injury. 3.4 The Carrier shall not be liable for any loss or damage caused as a result of negligent acts committed by the Consignor or Consignee or their servants or agents in assisting with loading and/or unloading and the Customer shall indemnify the Carrier against any claim made against the Carrier in respect of such loss or damage including claims for death or personal injury. 3.5 The Carrier will endeavour to make the Consignment reasonably accessible on the vehicle at the place designated for delivery. 3.6 The Customer shall make available to the Carrier upon request details of any risk assessments which may have been carried out at the collection and/or delivery addresses. The responsibility for carrying out such risk assessments shall be that of the Customer and not of the Carrier. ### 4. Dangerous Goods 4.1 The Contract for the carriage of Dangerous Goods shall be voidable by the Carrier and the Carrier shall have no liability unless, prior to loading, the Carrier receives precise and correct identification of the substances in writing and has agreed to accept the same for carriage. Transport Emergency Cards ("Tremcards") must be provided by the Customer in the form prescribed by the appropriate Statutory authority giving details of each and every substance the Carrier is requested to carry. Written information must be provided in respect of goods classified as "Dangerous" and where a "Tremcard" is not required by Statute. "Tremcards" or other written notification provided by the Customer must accompany each and every Consignment. 4.2 The Customer shall be responsible for ensuring that such substances are properly and safely packaged and labelled with the identities of the substances and all other relevant information as specified by any Statutory requirements for the time being in force. 4.3 The Customer shall be responsible for and indemnify the Carrier against any loss or damage and claims made upon the carrier in respect of any injury to persons or damage to property arising from the non-compliance by the Customer or the Consignor with any of the provisions of these Conditions in as far as they relate to the carriage of Dangerous Goods, unless the Customer proves that the loss, damage or injury was due to the negligence of the Carrier. ### 5. Consignment Notes/Receipts 5.1 The Carrier shall, if requested, sign a document acknowledging receipt for the carriage of the quantity and description of the Consignment loaded on to the Carrier’s vehicle, to the extent this can be determined, by visual inspection. Such receipt shall not be evidence as to accuracy of the condition, weight, quantity nor nature of the goods said to comprise the Consignment at the time the receipt document is signed by the Carrier and/or his agents and/or his servants. The burden of proof in the event of dispute is the responsibility of the Customer. 5.2 The Carrier shall use its best endeavours to obtain a signed receipt of delivery of the Consignment from the Consignee unless otherwise agreed with the Customer. Such receipts will be returned to the Customer as proof of delivery, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Customer and/or his agent and/or his servants. ### 6. Carrier's Responsibility 6.1 Goods are accepted by the Carrier for carriage at ’owner’s risk’ where the Carrier is able to show that the Customer has explicitly agreed to the carriage of the goods at ’owner’s risk’. In that event, the Carrier shall not be liable for loss damage or delay to the goods no matter howsoever or by whomsoever caused and the Customer agrees to indemnify the Carrier against any claims made by any Third Party in respect of the goods carried. 6.2 Subject to the provisions of Condition 6.1 above the Carrier’s responsibility for the Consignment shall commence when the Carrier takes physical control of the Consignment at the point of collection or by receiving the same at the Carrier’s premises. 6.3 The Carrier’s responsibility for the Consignment shall end when the Carrier, it’s agents or sub-contractors relinquish physical control of the Consignment at the proper place of delivery or the Consignment is presented at the proper place of delivery within normal business hours allowing sufficient time for unloading. 6.4 If it has been agreed that the Consignee will collect the goods from the Carriers premises or if the Carrier is prevented from making delivery at the Consignee’s address as a consequence of the absence of a safe and/or adequate access or unloading facility then the Carriers responsibility for the goods shall end at the expiration of 24 hours after notice by letter, telephone, fax or e-mail or other agreed method of communication of the availability of the goods has been given to the consignee and/or the consignor. 6.5 At any time during the term of the Contract the Customer may request or the Contractor may recommend variations to the service and/or variations to any other matters covered by the Contract. The Carrier shall investigate the likely impact of any such requested or recommended variations upon the service, the charge for the service and other aspects of the Contract and shall report promptly to the Customer. Neither party shall be obliged to agree to any requested or recommended variation but neither party shall withhold its Agreement unreasonably. Until such time as any variation to the Contract resulting therefrom have been mutually agreed in writing, the parties shall continue to perform their respective obligations without taking account of the requested or recommended variation. ### 7. Carrier's Charges 7.1 The Carrier’s charges are payable by the Customer provided always that, when the goods are consigned ’carriage forward’, the Consignee shall have primary responsibility for the payment of the carriage charges but the Customer will pay such charges in the event of default by the Consignee and the Carrier shall not be required to take any steps to obtain payment from the Consignee other than a written request for payment. 7.2 Notwithstanding any claim which the Customer may have against the Carrier, the Carrier’s charges for carriage and any other services incidental to the carriage chargeable under the Contract shall be payable by the Customer within 30 days of the date of the invoice unless otherwise agreed in writing. Should the charges not be paid within such a period, then the Carrier shall be entitled to interest at the rate of 8 per cent above the base rate of the Bank of England prevailing at the date of invoice, calculated on a daily basis. ### 8. Disposal of the Goods by the Carrier 8.1 In the event that the Carrier is unable for any reason beyond its reasonable control to deliver the Consignment in accordance with the Contract, the Carrier shall seek further instructions from the Customer. The Carrier’s reasonable additional charges for retaining the goods pending the arrival of such further instructions and for carrying out those instructions shall be chargeable to the Customer. 8.2 Subject to the provisions contained in Condition 8.2 (a) to (c) below, where the Carrier is unable to obtain further instructions from the Customer in accordance with Condition 8.1, the Carrier may sell the goods provided that such sale is permitted by law. Payment or tender of the net proceeds to the Customer after deductions of all costs of and charges for carriage, other services incidental to the carriage chargeable under the contract, storage and disposal and expenses in relation to the goods shall (without prejudice to any claim or right which the Customer may have against the Carrier otherwise arising under the Conditions) discharge the Carrier from all liability in respect of such goods, their carriage and storage. (a) The goods may not be sold unless the Carrier shall have made reasonable efforts (having regard, if appropriate, to the perishable nature of the Consignment) to notify the Customer of the Carrier’s intention to sell the goods. The goods may then be sold unless within reasonable time (such time to be specified in the notice) the Customer shall have arranged to collect the goods or given instructions for their disposal and have paid, without prejudice, all outstanding charges as referred to in this Condition including any warehousing charges which may have been incurred during the time that the goods have been retained. (b) Pending the expiry of such periods of notice as aforesaid and of disposal of the goods under these provisions the Carrier shall at the expense of the Customer have authority to arrange proper storage of the Consignment. During such period of storage the goods will be held at "owners risk" and the carrier shall not be liable for loss or damage of the goods howsoever caused. (c) In the event of a sale under this Condition the Carrier shall do what is reasonable to obtain the market value of the Consignment (subject to any unavoidable deterioration thereof). If the goods have no market value, then the Carrier may dispose of them subject to compliance with all legal requirements in force in respect of such goods. 8.3 Subject to the provision of Clause 8.1 above, and in circumstances in which the Carrier is unable to obtain further written instructions, the Carrier may, in respect of Dangerous Goods only, at his sole discretion dispose of the goods or return them to the Customer. Where such action is taken by the Carrier, it shall comply with all prevailing legal requirements that may be in force in respect of the goods. Any such action taken by the Carrier under this Clause shall be at the sole risk and expense of the Customer. ### 9. Liability for Loss, Damage or Delay 9.1 Subject to these Conditions the Carrier shall be liable for: (a) any loss of or damage to the goods in a Consignment occurring whilst the Carrier has responsibility for the Consignment in accordance with Condition 6 above; (b) any delay in the carriage of any goods in a Consignment arising from the negligence of the Carrier. 9.2 The Carriers liability is restricted to the financial limits imposed under Clause 10 of these Conditions unless otherwise agreed in writing between the contracting parties prior to the transit commencing. 9.3 The Carrier shall not be liable for whatsoever reason for loss of or damage to, or mis- delivery or loss arising from any delay in respect of: Bullion, Precious Metals, Precious Stones, Money (whether in note or coin form), Securities, Stamps, Legal or Business Documents, Living Creatures or anything of a similar nature unless: (i) the Carrier has agreed in writing to carry such goods at the specific request of the Customer prior to commencement of the transit; (ii) the Customer has agreed to reimburse the Carrier with all additional costs necessarily incurred as a direct result of the Carrier agreeing to carry such goods; (iii) the loss or damage or delay has been proved to have been caused by the negligence of the Carrier and/or his agents and/or his servants. 9.4 The Carrier shall be relieved of all liability if such loss, damage or delay arises from the effect of: (a) act of God; (b) any consequence of war, act of foreign power, terrorism, requisition or destruction of or damage to property by or under the order of any government or public or local authority; (c) seizure or forfeiture under legal process; (d) error, act, omission, mis-statement or mis-representation by the Customer or other owner of the goods or by servants or agents of either of them; (e) inherent liability due to wastage in bulk or weight, latent defect or inherent defect, vice or natural deterioration of the goods; (f) any special handling requirements in respect of the goods which have not been notified to the Carrier; (g) insufficient or improper packaging, unless the Carrier has contracted to provide this service; (h) insufficient or improper labelling or addressing, unless the Carrier has contracted to provide this service; (i) riot, civil commotion, strike, lockout, general or partial stoppage or restraint of labour from whatever cause; (j) defect of any equipment supplied by the Customer under Condition 3.2 or any negligence of the Customer’s agents or servant; (k) Delay in providing to the carrier safe and adequate access and/or delivering instructions in accordance with condition 6.4; (l) Fraud on the part of the Customer, Consignor, Consignee or owner or of their servants or agents in respect of all or any part of the consignment. ### 10. Limitation of Liability of Carrier 10.1 Unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Customer and the Carrier prior to the commencement of carriage, the liability of the Carrier in respect of loss of or damage to goods whilst they are the responsibility of the Carrier in accordance with Conditions 6 and 9 hereof shall be limited as follows: (a) where the whole or part of a Consignment is lost or damaged to a maximum rate of £1,300 per tonne inclusive of all/any duties and/or taxes on the gross weight of the Consignment or that proportion by weight of lost or damaged property as stated on the consignment note referred to in Condition 5, or otherwise ascertained, or £500 for the total Consignment whichever is greater but not exceeding the actual value of the Consignment or part of the Consignment; (b) for the purpose of this Condition the value referred to is the valuation of the goods at the time they are accepted for carriage including all duties and taxes. Provided that no claim shall be accepted by the Carrier pending its receipt from the Customer of proof of the value of the Consignment or any part thereof. 10.2 The Carrier’s liability for any delay or consequential loss shall not exceed the amount of the claimant’s bona fide loss or the amount of the carriage charges whichever shall be the smaller unless agreement has been made previously in writing between the Carrier and the Customer for a specific level of liability for such delay or consequential loss. ### 11. Customer's Indemnity to the Carrier The Customer shall indemnify the Carrier against: 11.1 losses suffered by the Carrier arising from any negligent act, negligent omission, misdirection or negligent misstatement by the Customer, Consignor or Consignee, its servants or agents; 11.2 claims of any nature for loss or damage resulting from the carriage of Dangerous Substances where the Customer’s obligations in Condition 4 above have not been met; 11.3 claims and demands of any nature in respect of loss of or damage to the goods made by any Third Party additional to or in excess of the limits of liability of the Carrier set out in Condition 10 above; 11.4 any claims made or penalties imposed by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise in respect of dutiable goods; 11.5 claims and demands made by a Third Party attributable to lack of authority on the part of the Customer to enter into the Contract upon these Terms and Conditions. ### 12. Notification of Claims 12.1 The Carrier shall not be liable for: (a) loss or damage of the whole of the Consignment unless a claim specifying the general nature thereof is submitted by the Customer to the Carrier in writing within 14 days from the Carrier’s responsibility for the Consignment having commenced in accordance with Condition 6.2 above and unless a detailed claim giving weight and value and date of collection are submitted by the Customer to the Carrier in writing within 14 days from the Carriers responsibility for the Consignment having ended or been deemed to have ended; (b) loss or damage of any part of a Consignment unless a claim specifying the general nature thereof is submitted by the Customer to the Carrier in writing within seven days from the Carriers responsibility for the Consignment having ended in accordance with Condition 6.3 above and a detailed claim specifying the weight, value and date of collection and date of delivery are submitted in writing within 14 days of the Carriers responsibility having ended; (c) damage of any description unless the damaged goods are made available to the Carrier’s representative for inspection for a reasonable period following notification of the claim; (d) delay in delivery of whole or part of the Consignment unless the Carrier is informed in writing within three days of the date by which the delivery should have been made. For the avoidance of doubt where no date for delivery has been agreed notification should be given within 63 days of the Carrier’s responsibility for the consignment having commenced. 12.2 The Carrier shall not benefit from this exclusion of liability if the Customer provides evidence that: (a) in all the circumstances it was not reasonably possible so to advise the Carrier or make the damaged goods available for inspection within the specified time limits and; (b) such advice was given at the first reasonable opportunity. ### 13. Lien and Power of Sale 13.1 All Consignments delivered to the Carrier for carriage are and will be received by the Carrier and held by it subject to a lien for all charges duefrom the Customer for the carriage, storage rent and/or warehousing charge of the goods and other proper charges or expenses incurred in respect of or in connection with the carriage of the particular Consignment and all other goods which may have been carried for the Customer from time to time. If such a lien is not satisfied by payment within a reasonable time of the Carrier’s demand for payment then the Carrier shall be entitled to invoke the power of sale set out in Condition 8 over the Customer’s goods in the Carrier’s possession. Such sale shall be subject to the provisions of Conditions 8.2 and 8.3 above. 13.2 The Carrier shall be entitled to charge to the Customer the cost of loading and unloading the goods whilst a lien is being exercised together with warehouse rent and any other expenses incurred during all periods during which the lien on the Consignment or any part of the Consignment is being asserted and all these Conditions shall continue to apply whilst the lien is being exercised. 13.3 If the Consignment is not the property of the Customer; the customer warrants that he has the authority to grant to the carrier a particular lien against the owner. The Carrier may hold the goods against the owner for any unpaid monies applicable to those goods only, but he may not sell or dispose of the goods in any way without the express consent of the owner. ### 14. Detention of Carrier's Property The Customer shall, except in the case of negligence by the Carrier, pay to the Carrier any cost or expense occasioned to it by the improper or excessive detention by the Consignor or Consignee of any vehicle, trailer, container or covering belonging to or under the custody or control of the Carrier without prejudice to any rights against any Third Party in respect of such detention. ### 15. Dispute Resolution 15.1 The parties will attempt, in good faith, to resolve any dispute or claim arising out of or relating to these Conditions promptly through negotiations between the respective representatives of the parties who have authority to settle the same. 15.2 If the matter is not resolved through negotiation the parties may attempt to resolve the dispute or claim through an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedure as recommended to the parties by the Freight Transport Association or the Centre for Dispute Resolution. 15.3 If the matter is not resolved by an ADR procedure or if either party will not or ceases to participate in an ADR procedure, the dispute may be referred to the arbitration of a single arbitrator or to an arbitrator appointed at the request of the parties by the President for the time being of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. The apportionment of the cost of any such arbitration between the parties shall be in the discretion of the arbitrator. The arbitration shall, unless otherwise agreed, be held in the town wherein the Carrier has its main administrative office. ### 16. Governing Law The parties agree that the contract shall be subject to and construed and interpreted in accordance with English law and shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England. All of the work Nortons Hiab Services Ltd undertakes is subject to these Standard Conditions for the Carriage of Goods by Road in the United Kingdom. These Conditions exist for the benefit of both our business and our customers. We are happy to discuss and agree terms where a contract calls for something different, but any variation has to be in writing and signed by a director. Privacy policy  ·  Health and safety  ·  Accreditations  ·  Contact us Nortons Hiab Services Ltd, Norton Street, off Hulme Hall Lane, Miles Platting, Manchester M40 8HD. Registered in England and Wales, company number 06140715. Load handling equipment manufacturers and their logo such as HIAB and the HIAB logo are registered trademarks. Nortons Hiab Services Ltd is not associated or affiliated with HIAB or other load handling equipment manufacturers, and expressly disclaims any and all rights to any such marks. --- # Sitemap | All Pages | Nortons Hiab Services Ltd URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/sitemap Sitemap Every page on this website, grouped the way the site is built. There is a page for each vehicle in the fleet, one for each type of load we carry, one for each town we cover and one for each year of finished work, so if your job is close to something we have already done there is usually a page about it. Underneath the list are the HIAB manufacturer data sheets: the same PDFs every lifting figure quoted on this site is read from, free to download with no form to fill in. The XML version, for search engines, is at sitemap.xml . ### Main The pages most people start on: what we do, what we run, and how to get a price for it. - Home - Services - Our Fleet - Contact - Request a Quote ### Hire Operated hire. A lorry, the crane on it and the driver who works the crane, by the half day, the day or the week. - Hiab Hire - Truck-Mounted Crane Hire - Hiab and Driver Hire - Lorry Loader Hire - Long Reach Hiab Hire - Low Loader Hire - Moffett Hire - What Hiab Hire Costs - Hiab Lifting Capacity Charts - What Is a Hiab? ### The vehicles One page per lorry, with the crane fitted to it, what it lifts and how far out it will still lift it. - 858 Hiab — 32t rigid - 855 Hiab — 32t rigid - 558 Hiab — 32t rigid - 658 Hiab — 44t artic - Volvo 622 Hiab — 44t artic - Wagon & Drag Hiab ### What we move The loads we handle every week, and what each one asks of the vehicle sent to it. - Container Transport - Portable Cabin Transport - Used Cabin Sales - Plant & Machinery Transport - Abnormal Loads - Wide Loads - Long Loads - Steel Beam Transport - Precast Concrete Transport - Glamping Pod Delivery - Stillage Transport - Statue & Sculpture Transport ### Haulage and storage Work beyond a single lift: contract runs, nationwide deliveries, return journeys and space in the Manchester yard. - Event & Festival Haulage - Contract Haulage - UK Nationwide Delivery - Manchester Storage & Distribution - Back Loads & Return Journeys - 2026 Back Loads - 2025 Back Loads - 2024 Back Loads - 2023 Back Loads - 2022 Back Loads - 2021 Back Loads - 2020 Back Loads - 2019 Back Loads - 2018 Back Loads - 2017 Back Loads - 2016 Back Loads - 2015 Back Loads ### Areas covered Where we run from, and the towns and cities we are in most often. - Areas Covered - Hiab Hire Manchester - Hiab Hire North West - Hiab Hire Liverpool - Hiab Hire Birmingham - Hiab Hire Blackpool - Hiab Hire Derby - Hiab Hire Ripon - Hiab Hire Lancashire - Hiab Hire Bolton - Hiab Hire Blackburn - Hiab Hire Preston - Hiab Hire Stockport - Hiab Hire Warrington - Hiab Hire Wigan - Hiab Hire Cheshire - Hiab Hire Trafford ### Portfolio Jobs already finished, with photographs, arranged by year and by site. - Portfolio - Anfield Site Setup - DIY SOS, Canada Street - Glastonbury - Helicopter Transport - Manchester City Academy Works - Photographs - Videos - 2026 Portfolio - 2025 Portfolio - 2024 Portfolio - 2023 Portfolio - 2022 Portfolio - 2021 Portfolio - 2020 Portfolio - 2019 Portfolio - 2018 Portfolio - 2017 Portfolio ### Company Who we are, what we are audited and accredited to, and the terms the work is carried out under. - About Us - Meet the Team - Accreditations - Clean Air Zones - Health & Safety - Clients - Reviews & Testimonials - Nortons Tyres - Trade Credit Account - Privacy Policy - Conditions of Carriage - Sitemap ### News Written pieces on hiab hire and haulage, by subject, with a new one every Monday. - News & Notes - News & Notes, page 2 - Job Stories - Hiring Guides - Fleet & Specs - Safety - Sectors - Regulations - Company - Canada Street, ten years on - Grass is not a standing position - A brewing tank, a back yard and one way in - How far ahead you actually need to book - Stadium work happens when nobody is there - The 658, and why it is on more of our lorries than anything else - One lorry twice, or two lorries once - Lifting over a hoarding you cannot see past - What the man in the orange coat is actually doing - Access decides the vehicle, not the load - Clean air zones and what they mean for your delivery - Two cranes, one load, and one person in charge - Rigid or artic: which one turns up matters - What a backload is, and when it saves you money - Modular buildings arrive in the wrong order - What a lift plan is, and what it is not - How much notice an abnormal load needs - What the 858 will actually do - The first container off the bed at Anfield - The six things to tell us when you ring - Reach against capacity: the trade-off nobody explains ### Careers Driving and yard vacancies, what each one involves, and how to apply for it. - Careers - Class 1 Wagon & Drag HIAB Driver - Class 2 Rigid HIAB Driver - Commercial Tyre Fitter - Cabin Fitter / Plumber - Cabin Painter ### Crane data sheets The manufacturer sheets every lifting figure on this site is read from. Free to download, no form. - HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8 data sheet (PDF) - HIAB 855 E-8 HiPro data sheet (PDF) - HIAB 855 E-8 outrigger ground pressure data (PDF) - HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro data sheet (PDF) - HIAB 622 E-6 HiPro data sheet (PDF) - HIAB X-HiPro 558 EP-5 data sheet (PDF) - HIAB 422 EP-5 lifting data (PDF) - HIAB 700 XS specification (PDF) - HIAB 600 lifting data (PDF) - HIAB 700 XS brochure (PDF) - Application for a trade credit account (PDF) - Standard conditions for the carriage of goods by road (PDF) - Application for employment (PDF) ### Cannot find what you are after? Email us. Somebody who knows the answer will read it, and you will not be put through a menu. Get a Quote Email Us --- # News and Notes on Hiab Hire and Haulage | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news Notes from the yard Real jobs, straight answers about what a lorry crane will and will not do, and the regulations that decide when a load can move. - All (21) - Job Stories (5) - Hiring Guides (6) - Fleet & Specs (2) - Safety (2) - Sectors (2) - Regulations (2) - Company (2) ### The latest (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. 5 October 2026 (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. 28 September 2026 (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a stainless steel brewing vessel in from the street, clear of a brick yard wall) Job Stories #### A brewing tank, a back yard and one way in The tank was not heavy. It simply had to reach a yard whose gateway was built for barrels, which is the most common shape of job we do. 21 September 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid with an empty flat bed parked on a city street beside a large wheel) Company #### How far ahead you actually need to book Sometimes the answer is this afternoon. Sometimes it is three weeks, and the three weeks are nothing to do with whether a lorry is free. 14 September 2026 (photograph: A Nortons flatbed trailer parked outside a large football stadium at dusk) Sectors #### Stadium work happens when nobody is there We have worked at grounds across the North West and beyond. Almost none of it happened on a day anybody was playing, and that is the whole character of the work. 7 September 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid lifting a portable cabin on a bright day with blue sky behind) Fleet & Specs #### The 658, and why it is on more of our lorries than anything else More of our lorries carry a 658 than any other loader crane. It is not the biggest crane we run, and that is exactly why it does the most work. 31 August 2026 (photograph: Two Nortons rigids parked together, one loaded with a refurbished cabin) Hiring Guides #### One lorry twice, or two lorries once Two units to move and one lorry available. Whether that is one lorry going twice or two lorries going once depends almost entirely on the distance. 24 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a red site container clear of a trailer beside a stadium hoarding) Job Stories #### Lifting over a hoarding you cannot see past A site hoarding is two and a half metres of solid plywood. Going over it is easy. Knowing what is on the other side is the job. 17 August 2026 (photograph: Site operatives and a Nortons crane working inside a warehouse with a cherry picker alongside) Safety #### What the man in the orange coat is actually doing On most of our jobs the driver cannot see the load land. Somebody else can, and the whole lift runs on what that person tells him. 10 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a steel frame between a tower block and a hoarding on a city street) Hiring Guides #### Access decides the vehicle, not the load The question is never really how heavy it is. It is where a lorry can stand, how it gets there, and how it gets out again. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Scania rigid with crane extended lifting a container on a city street) Regulations #### Clean air zones and what they mean for your delivery A charging zone is only a problem if the lorry turning up does not meet the standard. Ours do. Here is what is actually going on. 3 August 2026 (photograph: Two Nortons lorry cranes rigged either side of a long load on a construction site) Job Stories #### Two cranes, one load, and one person in charge Some loads are too long for one crane rather than too heavy. Then you need two, working to one voice, and the planning triples. 3 August 2026 Page 1 of 2 Next Twelve pieces went up when this section opened and there is a new one every Monday. Follow it by RSS ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Page 2 | News and Notes on Hiab Hire and Haulage | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/page/2 Notes from the yard Real jobs, straight answers about what a lorry crane will and will not do, and the regulations that decide when a load can move. - All (21) - Job Stories (5) - Hiring Guides (6) - Fleet & Specs (2) - Safety (2) - Sectors (2) - Regulations (2) - Company (2) ### More posts (photograph: A Nortons Scania artic carrying portable cabins on a motorway) Hiring Guides #### Rigid or artic: which one turns up matters Two vehicles, both with a crane on the back, and a world of difference on a narrow site. The choice is nearly always made by the access, not the load. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Volvo eight-wheel rigid loaded with a white unit parked in a yard) Company #### What a backload is, and when it saves you money Our lorries finish jobs a long way from Manchester and have to come home. What they carry on the way back is a backload, and it is the cheapest space on the road. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Scania rigid with crane extended beside a modular school building under installation) Sectors #### Modular buildings arrive in the wrong order Offsite construction moves the difficulty from the site to the road. What arrives is finished, heavy, awkward, and has to go in the order the building goes together. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid working inside a steel-framed warehouse with a crane extended) Safety #### What a lift plan is, and what it is not Every site asks for RAMS. Fewer sites know what a good one contains, or why the useful part is the bit about the ground. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons rigid carrying a wide load on the M6 with a following vehicle behind) Regulations #### How much notice an abnormal load needs The lorry is rarely the problem. The notice periods are. Here is who has to be told about an oversized load and how far ahead. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons eight-wheel rigid with a folded 858 hiab crane and a loaded trailer behind) Fleet & Specs #### What the 858 will actually do The biggest crane on our fleet, and the one people ask for by name without always knowing what it does. Here are the figures off the manufacturer sheet. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons rigid with its crane extended beside red site containers at the Anfield stadium compound) Job Stories #### The first container off the bed at Anfield A stadium redevelopment needs somewhere for everybody to work out of before it needs anything else. That is our part of it, and it happens before the interesting bit starts. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Volvo eight-wheel rigid with a rear-mounted hiab parked on a road in autumn) Hiring Guides #### The six things to tell us when you ring Most enquiries arrive missing the same handful of facts. Here is the list, in the order it is useful, so you can get a straight answer first time. 3 August 2026 (photograph: The boom and hydraulic rams of a HIAB X-HiPro 855 truck-mounted crane inside a warehouse) Hiring Guides #### Reach against capacity: the trade-off nobody explains A lorry crane lifts less the further out it reaches, and the drop is steeper than most people expect. This is the single most useful thing to understand before you book one. 3 August 2026 Previous Page 2 of 2 Twelve pieces went up when this section opened and there is a new one every Monday. Follow it by RSS ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Job Stories | Hiab and Haulage Notes | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/category/job-stories Job Stories Real lifts on real sites, named by place. - All - Job Stories (5) - Hiring Guides (6) - Fleet & Specs (2) - Safety (2) - Sectors (2) - Regulations (2) - Company (2) Every piece in this section is a job that actually happened, with the place named and the lorry that did it named too. We write them up because the questions people ask before booking — will it reach, where will the lorry stand, what happens if the gateway is too narrow — are answered better by one real site than by any amount of general description. Between them they cover stadium compounds, city-centre streets with a hoarding in the way, farm tracks and yards you can only get out of backwards. If you would rather have the photographs than the words, the portfolio is sorted by year, and the fleet page lists the vehicle and crane behind each one. ### Job Stories posts (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. 5 October 2026 (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a stainless steel brewing vessel in from the street, clear of a brick yard wall) Job Stories #### A brewing tank, a back yard and one way in The tank was not heavy. It simply had to reach a yard whose gateway was built for barrels, which is the most common shape of job we do. 21 September 2026 (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a red site container clear of a trailer beside a stadium hoarding) Job Stories #### Lifting over a hoarding you cannot see past A site hoarding is two and a half metres of solid plywood. Going over it is easy. Knowing what is on the other side is the job. 17 August 2026 (photograph: Two Nortons lorry cranes rigged either side of a long load on a construction site) Job Stories #### Two cranes, one load, and one person in charge Some loads are too long for one crane rather than too heavy. Then you need two, working to one voice, and the planning triples. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons rigid with its crane extended beside red site containers at the Anfield stadium compound) Job Stories #### The first container off the bed at Anfield A stadium redevelopment needs somewhere for everybody to work out of before it needs anything else. That is our part of it, and it happens before the interesting bit starts. 3 August 2026 Twelve pieces went up when this section opened and there is a new one every Monday. Follow it by RSS ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiring Guides | Hiab and Haulage Notes | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/category/hiring-guides Hiring Guides Choosing the right vehicle, reach and access. - All - Job Stories (5) - Hiring Guides (6) - Fleet & Specs (2) - Safety (2) - Sectors (2) - Regulations (2) - Company (2) These are the pieces to read before you ring. They cover the things that decide a hiab job and that a price on its own will not tell you: how far a lorry crane reaches and what it can still lift once it is out there, what site access does to the choice of vehicle, and what we need from you to quote firmly rather than roughly. Start with what a hiab is if the word is new to you, the lifting capacity charts if you already know the weight, and what hiab hire costs if you are putting a budget together. Every guide is written off our own load charts and our own working week. ### Hiring Guides posts (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. 28 September 2026 (photograph: Two Nortons rigids parked together, one loaded with a refurbished cabin) Hiring Guides #### One lorry twice, or two lorries once Two units to move and one lorry available. Whether that is one lorry going twice or two lorries going once depends almost entirely on the distance. 24 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a steel frame between a tower block and a hoarding on a city street) Hiring Guides #### Access decides the vehicle, not the load The question is never really how heavy it is. It is where a lorry can stand, how it gets there, and how it gets out again. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Scania artic carrying portable cabins on a motorway) Hiring Guides #### Rigid or artic: which one turns up matters Two vehicles, both with a crane on the back, and a world of difference on a narrow site. The choice is nearly always made by the access, not the load. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Volvo eight-wheel rigid with a rear-mounted hiab parked on a road in autumn) Hiring Guides #### The six things to tell us when you ring Most enquiries arrive missing the same handful of facts. Here is the list, in the order it is useful, so you can get a straight answer first time. 3 August 2026 (photograph: The boom and hydraulic rams of a HIAB X-HiPro 855 truck-mounted crane inside a warehouse) Hiring Guides #### Reach against capacity: the trade-off nobody explains A lorry crane lifts less the further out it reaches, and the drop is steeper than most people expect. This is the single most useful thing to understand before you book one. 3 August 2026 Twelve pieces went up when this section opened and there is a new one every Monday. Follow it by RSS ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Fleet & Specs | Hiab and Haulage Notes | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/category/fleet-specs Fleet & Specs Vehicles, cranes and what they will do. - All - Job Stories (5) - Hiring Guides (6) - Fleet & Specs (2) - Safety (2) - Sectors (2) - Regulations (2) - Company (2) Vehicles and cranes, in figures. Each piece takes one crane off our own fleet — the HIAB 858, the 658, the 558 — and sets out what it lifts, how far out it will still lift it, and the sort of job that suits. The numbers come off the manufacturer data sheets and off the load charts we quote from, not off a brochure. Those data sheets are free to download, with no form, at the foot of the sitemap . For the whole list rather than one vehicle at a time, the fleet page has every lorry and trailer we run, and the capacity charts put the cranes side by side. ### Fleet & Specs posts (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid lifting a portable cabin on a bright day with blue sky behind) Fleet & Specs #### The 658, and why it is on more of our lorries than anything else More of our lorries carry a 658 than any other loader crane. It is not the biggest crane we run, and that is exactly why it does the most work. 31 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons eight-wheel rigid with a folded 858 hiab crane and a loaded trailer behind) Fleet & Specs #### What the 858 will actually do The biggest crane on our fleet, and the one people ask for by name without always knowing what it does. Here are the figures off the manufacturer sheet. 3 August 2026 Twelve pieces went up when this section opened and there is a new one every Monday. Follow it by RSS ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Safety | Hiab and Haulage Notes | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/category/safety Safety RAMS, lift planning and preparing a site. - All - Job Stories (5) - Hiring Guides (6) - Fleet & Specs (2) - Safety (2) - Sectors (2) - Regulations (2) - Company (2) Lift planning, method statements, exclusion zones and the rest of the work that happens before anything leaves the ground. These pieces explain what a lift plan actually contains, what the banksman is there for, what outriggers do to soft ground and new block paving, and what a site manager needs from us in writing before the date is confirmed. They are written for the person who has to sign the job off as much as for the person booking it. Our policies, insurance and the way we run a lift are set out on the health and safety page , and the schemes we are audited under are on the accreditations page . ### Safety posts (photograph: Site operatives and a Nortons crane working inside a warehouse with a cherry picker alongside) Safety #### What the man in the orange coat is actually doing On most of our jobs the driver cannot see the load land. Somebody else can, and the whole lift runs on what that person tells him. 10 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid working inside a steel-framed warehouse with a crane extended) Safety #### What a lift plan is, and what it is not Every site asks for RAMS. Fewer sites know what a good one contains, or why the useful part is the bit about the ground. 3 August 2026 Twelve pieces went up when this section opened and there is a new one every Monday. Follow it by RSS ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Sectors | Hiab and Haulage Notes | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/category/sectors Sectors Construction, modular, events, plant and utilities. - All - Job Stories (5) - Hiring Guides (6) - Fleet & Specs (2) - Safety (2) - Sectors (2) - Regulations (2) - Company (2) The industries we lift for, and what changes from one to the next. Modular and offsite building, stadium and event work, university campuses, glamping and leisure, plant, utilities and airports — each has its own sequence, its own access problem and its own hours. Construction wants the units in the order they are being built. Stadiums want the work done when nobody is there. A campus has more rules than a city centre, and an airport has two different jobs with a fence between them. These are the sector notes behind the service pages: portable cabin transport , precast concrete , glamping pod delivery , event and festival haulage and plant and machinery . A new one goes up every Monday. ### Sectors posts (photograph: A Nortons flatbed trailer parked outside a large football stadium at dusk) Sectors #### Stadium work happens when nobody is there We have worked at grounds across the North West and beyond. Almost none of it happened on a day anybody was playing, and that is the whole character of the work. 7 September 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Scania rigid with crane extended beside a modular school building under installation) Sectors #### Modular buildings arrive in the wrong order Offsite construction moves the difficulty from the site to the road. What arrives is finished, heavy, awkward, and has to go in the order the building goes together. 3 August 2026 Twelve pieces went up when this section opened and there is a new one every Monday. Follow it by RSS ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Regulations | Hiab and Haulage Notes | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/category/regulations Regulations Abnormal loads, notification periods and clean air zones. - All - Job Stories (5) - Hiring Guides (6) - Fleet & Specs (2) - Safety (2) - Sectors (2) - Regulations (2) - Company (2) Abnormal loads, notification periods, Special Types and clean air zones — the paperwork that decides when a load can move, and quite often when it cannot. These pieces set out who has to be told, how long before, and why the notice period rather than the driving is usually the long pole in the job. We do the notifying ourselves; it should never land on you. The service pages that go with them are abnormal loads , wide loads , long loads and clean air zones . ### Regulations posts (photograph: A Nortons Scania rigid with crane extended lifting a container on a city street) Regulations #### Clean air zones and what they mean for your delivery A charging zone is only a problem if the lorry turning up does not meet the standard. Ours do. Here is what is actually going on. 3 August 2026 (photograph: A Nortons rigid carrying a wide load on the M6 with a following vehicle behind) Regulations #### How much notice an abnormal load needs The lorry is rarely the problem. The notice periods are. Here is who has to be told about an oversized load and how far ahead. 3 August 2026 Twelve pieces went up when this section opened and there is a new one every Monday. Follow it by RSS ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Company | Hiab and Haulage Notes | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/category/company Company Backloads, seasonal notes and news from the yard. - All - Job Stories (5) - Hiring Guides (6) - Fleet & Specs (2) - Safety (2) - Sectors (2) - Regulations (2) - Company (2) Notes from the yard. Back loads and return journeys, seasonal work, how seven acres in Miles Platting is run and what that changes about the way a job gets planned. Less technical than the rest of the section, and where anything about the business itself ends up. If you are moving something that is not urgent and would rather not pay for an empty leg, back loads lists lorries already going your way. About us and meet the team cover the company itself, and careers has anything we are hiring for. ### Company posts (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid with an empty flat bed parked on a city street beside a large wheel) Company #### How far ahead you actually need to book Sometimes the answer is this afternoon. Sometimes it is three weeks, and the three weeks are nothing to do with whether a lorry is free. 14 September 2026 (photograph: A Nortons Volvo eight-wheel rigid loaded with a white unit parked in a yard) Company #### What a backload is, and when it saves you money Our lorries finish jobs a long way from Manchester and have to come home. What they carry on the way back is a backload, and it is the cheapest space on the road. 3 August 2026 Twelve pieces went up when this section opened and there is a new one every Monday. Follow it by RSS ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # DIY SOS Canada Street, Manchester: Our Part | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/canada-street-ten-years-on Job Stories A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. Published 5 October 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) (photograph: Canada Street, finished) In September 2015 a terraced street in east Manchester was rebuilt as housing for veterans, over a fortnight, by trades and suppliers who donated the work. The television version is the fortnight. The real version starts months earlier and involves a great deal of storing things. ### What a haulier gives to a job like that Not lifting, mostly. Space. When forty suppliers all donate materials, those materials arrive when the supplier can send them, not when the site needs them, and a street with no room on it cannot take delivery of anything. So it went to Miles Platting: seven acres of yard, and things came off it in the order the build wanted them rather than the order they turned up. ### Then the fortnight Vehicles in and out of a street with houses on both sides and no turning space, which is why the photographs are all of tractor units nose-first between terraces. A rigid can turn in a street like that. An artic reverses the length of it, in front of a crowd, which is a particular sort of pressure. ### Why it stayed on the website Because it is the best story in the archive, and because the letter afterwards from the main contractor is the only piece of paper in this business we have ever framed. We claim no relationship with the broadcaster or the charities. We moved things and we stored things, alongside a lot of other companies who did the same. The whole Canada Street job · The yard and what it holds · About Nortons Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a stainless steel brewing vessel in from the street, clear of a brick yard wall) Job Stories #### A brewing tank, a back yard and one way in The tank was not heavy. It simply had to reach a yard whose gateway was built for barrels, which is the most common shape of job we do. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a red site container clear of a trailer beside a stadium hoarding) #### Lifting over a hoarding you cannot see past A site hoarding is two and a half metres of solid plywood. Going over it is easy. Knowing what is on the other side is the job. (photograph: Two Nortons lorry cranes rigged either side of a long load on a construction site) Job Stories #### Two cranes, one load, and one person in charge Some loads are too long for one crane rather than too heavy. Then you need two, working to one voice, and the planning triples. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Ground Conditions for Lorry Crane Outriggers | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/ground-conditions Hiring Guides An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. Published 28 September 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) (photograph: Working off grass) We do work off grass. We do it having thought about it first, and that is the whole of this article. ### The numbers Our 855 puts up to 220 kN through a single stabiliser leg — call it twenty-two tonnes through one point. The manufacturer's ground data tells you how much pad that needs on different ground: - Compacted crushed stone: about 0.88 square metres. A 940 mm square pad. - Asphalt or coarse sand and gravel: about 1.10 square metres, a 1,050 mm square. - Firm cohesive ground or unconsolidated fill: about 2.20 square metres, a 1,484 mm square. - Soft cohesive ground: about 5.50 square metres. That is a 2.35 metre square pad, under one leg. - Mud, peat and marshy ground: nothing. There is no figure because the answer is no. The spread between the best case and the workable worst case is a factor of six. It is not a detail. ### What gets damaged, and what gets dangerous Two different problems. Damage is block paving, resin drives, new tarmac in warm weather and lawns in wet weather. All of it is avoidable with enough pad and honest expectations, and all of it causes arguments when nobody mentioned it beforehand. Danger is a void: a basement, a cellar light well, a drainage run, a soakaway, a service trench backfilled last month, an old coal chute under a pavement. These do not look different from the surface and they are the reason we ask. ### What to tell us What the surface is. Whether anything has been dug and refilled in the last year. Whether there is a cellar. Whether the drive is new. If you have a drainage drawing, that is better than anything you could say. ### What we bring Pads as standard, and bigger ones when the ground calls for it. If the ground genuinely will not take the machine, the answer is a different standing position or a different job — not a bigger pad and some optimism. The ground bearing data in full · Lift planning · Pod deliveries Next ### More like this (photograph: Two Nortons rigids parked together, one loaded with a refurbished cabin) Hiring Guides #### One lorry twice, or two lorries once Two units to move and one lorry available. Whether that is one lorry going twice or two lorries going once depends almost entirely on the distance. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a steel frame between a tower block and a hoarding on a city street) #### Access decides the vehicle, not the load The question is never really how heavy it is. It is where a lorry can stand, how it gets there, and how it gets out again. (photograph: A Nortons Scania artic carrying portable cabins on a motorway) Hiring Guides #### Rigid or artic: which one turns up matters Two vehicles, both with a crane on the back, and a world of difference on a narrow site. The choice is nearly always made by the access, not the load. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Lifting a Brewing Tank Over a Yard Wall | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/a-brewing-tank-over-the-yard-wall Job Stories The tank was not heavy. It simply had to reach a yard whose gateway was built for barrels, which is the most common shape of job we do. Published 21 September 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a stainless steel brewing vessel in from the street, clear of a brick yard wall) (photograph: Out at radius from the street) A brewery buys a vessel. The vessel arrives at the front of the premises, on a street with double yellows and a footway barely wide enough for two people to pass. The vessel needs to be in the yard behind the wall. There is a gateway, and it has never been wide enough, because the yard was laid out for barrels rather than for a tank the size of a small car. ### Through is not an option, so it goes over the wall Which sounds dramatic and is in fact routine. The crane picks the vessel off its own bed at the front, lifts it clear of the boundary wall, slews it round and lowers it into the yard. From the pavement it looks a good deal more alarming than it is. What makes it work is not height. It is radius: the distance from the crane's column out to the landing point. Add the width of the footway, the standing offset and the depth of the yard behind the wall, and it is a long way out before you have gone anywhere at all. That is the number the job is planned around, and it is the first thing we ask about. ### What gets checked before anything moves The obvious one is what is overhead on the street side: cables, phone lines, aerials, dishes, the corner of the neighbouring gable. All of it sits in the arc of a boom that has to swing through it. The less obvious one is what happens if the lift has to be abandoned halfway. A load out at radius is a load that cannot simply be set down anywhere. So there is a plan for putting it back on the bed it came off, and the lift does not start until everybody on the job knows what that plan is. ### Blind, at both ends The operator cannot see into the yard. The people in the yard cannot see the lorry. That is two banksmen and one radio channel, with the discipline that only one of them talks at a time. ### Why not a mobile crane On a street like this one a mobile crane needs a road closure and a much larger footprint, and it still needs the tank delivered to it separately. The lorry crane brings the tank, lifts it and leaves. The road is occupied for the length of the lift rather than the length of the day. ### What we would need from you Not a load chart, and not a set of measurements. Tell us what the vessel is, roughly how heavy it is, and what sits between the road and where it has to end up - a wall, a gateway, a fence, a drop. Describing the gateway in a sentence is enough for us to start; we will come back and ask if we need anything more precise. More of the 2024 work · Long reach lifting · Plant and vessel movements Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a red site container clear of a trailer beside a stadium hoarding) #### Lifting over a hoarding you cannot see past A site hoarding is two and a half metres of solid plywood. Going over it is easy. Knowing what is on the other side is the job. (photograph: Two Nortons lorry cranes rigged either side of a long load on a construction site) Job Stories #### Two cranes, one load, and one person in charge Some loads are too long for one crane rather than too heavy. Then you need two, working to one voice, and the planning triples. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # How Far Ahead to Book a Hiab | Nortons Hiab Services URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/how-far-ahead-to-book Company Sometimes the answer is this afternoon. Sometimes it is three weeks, and the three weeks are nothing to do with whether a lorry is free. Published 14 September 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid with an empty flat bed parked on a city street beside a large wheel) (photograph: Between jobs) We would rather tell you this than have you assume it, so here it is roughly as it works. ### Same day and next day Possible more often than you would think, particularly on local work where something has fallen out of the diary. If it is straightforward, in the North West, and does not need notification, ring and ask. The worst answer is no. ### A few days The normal booking. Enough time to look at the access, pick the right vehicle, write the RAMS and give you a lift plan you can put in front of a site manager. ### A week or more Anything that needs a specific vehicle rather than any vehicle. The 858 rigids and the extendable trailers are in demand and there are not many of them. If your job needs full reach or full deck length, a week is realistic and two is comfortable. ### Three weeks and up Notifiable loads. Not because of us — because the notice period is a legal minimum that cannot be shortened by anybody. See the piece on notice periods . Also anything requiring a road closure, since traffic management is booked through the highway authority and has its own queue. ### The seasons Late spring and early summer are the busiest weeks of our year, because that is when the school modular jobs, the festival builds and the stadium close-season works all happen at once. If your job is in that window and it moves at all, moving it a fortnight either way makes it easier for everybody. December is quieter for lifting and busier for storage. January is quiet full stop. ### What we will not do Take a booking we do not think we can honour. If the diary is tight we will say so and give you a date we can stand behind, rather than a date you would prefer to hear. Get a date · Ring the traffic office · What is available Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons Volvo eight-wheel rigid loaded with a white unit parked in a yard) Company #### What a backload is, and when it saves you money Our lorries finish jobs a long way from Manchester and have to come home. What they carry on the way back is a backload, and it is the cheapest space on the road. (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Stadium and Event Lifting Work | Nortons Hiab Services URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/stadium-and-event-work Sectors We have worked at grounds across the North West and beyond. Almost none of it happened on a day anybody was playing, and that is the whole character of the work. Published 7 September 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons flatbed trailer parked outside a large football stadium at dusk) (photograph: Outside the ground, out of hours) Grounds and arenas need things moved constantly: catering kiosks, media units, hospitality cabins, storage containers, ground equipment, temporary structures for a concert that is coming in three weeks and going out four days later. ### The timing is not negotiable None of it can happen on an event day and most of it cannot happen during the working day either, because the concourses are being used for something else. So the work runs early mornings, evenings, and the dead midweek days between fixtures. That has practical consequences. Drivers' hours have to be planned around a start that is not nine o'clock. Site access is through a gate that has a person on it who may or may not have been told you are coming. And the lighting is whatever the ground has, which on a concourse at six in the morning in January is not much. ### Concourse floors The surfaces around a modern stadium are finished, drained, and frequently sitting on top of something. A concourse slab over a service void will not take an outrigger without spreading the load, and nobody thanks you for cracking it. This is where the ground bearing data earns its place in the lift plan rather than sitting in the appendix. ### Everybody wants the same fortnight Close season, and the two weeks either side of a big event. Every ground in the country is doing its capital works in the same window, and so is every haulier who does this work. Book early is trite advice but it is the only advice. ### Where we have worked Manchester and Liverpool mostly, and one cricket ground with a very large number of grey cabins. The photographs are on the site where the permission allows it. We do not claim any relationship with any club beyond having done work at the ground. Manchester and the venues · The Anfield compound · Festival work Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons Scania rigid with crane extended beside a modular school building under installation) Sectors #### Modular buildings arrive in the wrong order Offsite construction moves the difficulty from the site to the road. What arrives is finished, heavy, awkward, and has to go in the order the building goes together. (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # The HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro: Real Figures | Nortons Fleet URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/the-658-explained Fleet & Specs More of our lorries carry a 658 than any other loader crane. It is not the biggest crane we run, and that is exactly why it does the most work. Published 31 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid lifting a portable cabin on a bright day with blue sky behind) (photograph: The 658 placing a cabin) The HIAB 658 EP-6 HiPro sits on our wagon-and-drag outfits and on one of the artics. That makes it, by a distance, the crane most likely to turn up at your job. ### The figures - 51.2 tonne-metres , or 55.5 tm with automatic duty control - 17.0 metres of hydraulic outreach - 19.5 metres of lifting height - Eight hydraulic sections - Continuous slewing - Crane weight 5,545 kg — nearly two tonnes lighter than the 858 ### At radius 10,900 kg at 5.1 metres. 8,000 kg at 6.7. 6,000 kg at 8.6. 4,750 kg at 10.6. 3,850 kg at 12.7. 2,820 kg at 16.9. Compare the far end with the 858 and the gap is smaller than the model numbers suggest: 2,820 kg at 16.9 metres against 2,900 kg at 19.4. The 858 buys you two and a half more metres of reach, not a step change in capacity. ### Why it is the workhorse Two tonnes less crane is two tonnes more payload, every single day. On a wagon and drag carrying cabins or containers, that is the difference between two units and three. It is also physically smaller when folded, which matters more than people expect on a tight site — the stowed crane is the bit that fouls a gate. ### When it is not enough When the radius is over seventeen metres, which does happen: a load going right across a site, or over a wide verge. Then it is the 858, and the conversation changes to whether the bigger vehicle can get there at all. The 658 artic · The wagon and drags · The manufacturer data sheet Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons eight-wheel rigid with a folded 858 hiab crane and a loaded trailer behind) Fleet & Specs #### What the 858 will actually do The biggest crane on our fleet, and the one people ask for by name without always knowing what it does. Here are the figures off the manufacturer sheet. (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # One Hiab or Two? Planning Multiple Loads | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/one-lorry-or-two Hiring Guides Two units to move and one lorry available. Whether that is one lorry going twice or two lorries going once depends almost entirely on the distance. Published 24 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: Two Nortons rigids parked together, one loaded with a refurbished cabin) (photograph: Two vehicles on the same job) This comes up constantly and people usually guess wrong, because the instinct is that one lorry must be cheaper than two. ### The arithmetic A lorry costs money by the day, more or less. Send it out twice and you have paid for two days, plus the running between. Send two out once and you have paid for two days with no second journey. So the question is really: how long is the round trip? If the site is forty minutes away, one lorry doing two runs is comfortably a day and is usually the answer. If it is in Aberdeen, two lorries in convoy is not just faster, it is cheaper, because the alternative is four days of driving instead of two. ### The bit the arithmetic misses Site time. Every arrival costs a site induction, a set-up, a permit, sometimes a road closure window. If the site charges you for a closure by the day, or the traffic management is booked by the day, a second visit can cost several times what the lorry costs. That is why on constrained city jobs we will often recommend more vehicles than you expected. Not to sell lorries — because one closure with three lorries in it beats three closures. ### When one lorry is definitely right When the site can only take one vehicle at a time, which is more common than people think. A yard with one turning space, a residential street, a compound with a single gate. Two lorries queueing in the road is worse than one lorry going twice. ### Just ask Tell us how many units, where they are going and what the site can hold, and we will tell you which way round it works out. It takes about a minute and it is the sort of thing we get right by having done it a lot rather than by being clever. Send the details · Regular multi-load work · Long-distance jobs Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a steel frame between a tower block and a hoarding on a city street) #### Access decides the vehicle, not the load The question is never really how heavy it is. It is where a lorry can stand, how it gets there, and how it gets out again. (photograph: A Nortons Scania artic carrying portable cabins on a motorway) Hiring Guides #### Rigid or artic: which one turns up matters Two vehicles, both with a crane on the back, and a world of difference on a narrow site. The choice is nearly always made by the access, not the load. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Blind Lifts Over Site Hoardings | Nortons Hiab Services URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/lifting-over-a-hoarding Job Stories A site hoarding is two and a half metres of solid plywood. Going over it is easy. Knowing what is on the other side is the job. Published 17 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a red site container clear of a trailer beside a stadium hoarding) (photograph: Container clear of the bed) Site hoardings are solid for good reasons and they are exactly the wrong height — too tall to see over from a control station, too short to matter to a boom. Every compound job involves at least one lift where the operator is working entirely on what somebody else tells him. ### What is set up before the first lift Somebody walks the landing area and clears it. Not glances at it — walks it, because a pallet of blocks or a length of ducting that has appeared since the site visit is invisible from the road. The banksman takes a position where he can see the landing point and the operator without moving, and that position is checked against where the boom will be, because standing under it is not an option. The radio channel is agreed and tested. So are the hand signals, in case it is not. ### Landing blind The load comes down slowly and stops a foot above where it goes. Everything is checked at that point: is it square, is it in the right place, is anybody near it. Then the last foot, at a speed that looks almost comically slow to anybody watching. That pause is not indecision. A container landed a hundred millimetres out on a compound is a container that will not stack, and lifting it again means unslinging, re-rigging, and doing the whole thing twice. ### The Anfield version At the stadium the hoarding ran the length of the compound with a public footway on our side of it. So the exclusion zone had to include pavement, which means cones, barriers and somebody whose whole job is asking people to wait fifteen seconds. Most of them do. The ones who do not are the reason the zone is bigger than it looks like it needs to be. The Anfield job · Container transport · City centre lifting Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a stainless steel brewing vessel in from the street, clear of a brick yard wall) #### A brewing tank, a back yard and one way in The tank was not heavy. It simply had to reach a yard whose gateway was built for barrels, which is the most common shape of job we do. (photograph: Two Nortons lorry cranes rigged either side of a long load on a construction site) Job Stories #### Two cranes, one load, and one person in charge Some loads are too long for one crane rather than too heavy. Then you need two, working to one voice, and the planning triples. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # What a Banksman Does on a Crane Lift | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/what-a-banksman-does Safety On most of our jobs the driver cannot see the load land. Somebody else can, and the whole lift runs on what that person tells him. Published 10 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: Site operatives and a Nortons crane working inside a warehouse with a cherry picker alongside) (photograph: Working to a banksman indoors) A lorry crane operator stands at a control station on the side of the vehicle. From there he can see the boom, and often he cannot see the place the load is going — because it is over a wall, round a building, or on the far side of the load itself. ### The job The banksman is the operator's eyes. He stands where he can see the landing point and the operator at the same time, and he gives the movements: up, down, slew, extend, stop. One person, one set of signals, agreed before anything moves. He also owns the exclusion zone. Nobody walks under a suspended load and nobody walks into the area the load could swing into. On a live site with other trades and, often, members of the public, that is most of the work. ### The rule that surprises people If the operator loses sight of the banksman, the lift stops. Immediately, load in the air, no discussion. It is not caution for its own sake — the operator has just lost the only information he has about what is happening at the other end. So when a site manager walks between the two of them mid-lift and everything freezes, that is the system working. ### Radios and hand signals Both. Hand signals are the standard set and every operator and banksman knows them, which matters when radios fail or when there are two conversations on one channel. Radios come out for longer distances and for lifts round corners. The convention is that hand signals win: if the radio says one thing and the hand says another, the lift stops. ### Who provides one We do, on our own lifts, and our drivers are trained for it. What we ask of a site is that its own people stay out of the zone and that somebody with authority is available if the plan has to change. A banksman cannot also be the person deciding whether the job goes ahead. Operated hire, with our own crew · How we run a lift · Training and accreditation Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid working inside a steel-framed warehouse with a crane extended) Safety #### What a lift plan is, and what it is not Every site asks for RAMS. Fewer sites know what a good one contains, or why the useful part is the bit about the ground. (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # How Site Access Decides Which Hiab You Need | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/access-decides-the-vehicle Hiring Guides The question is never really how heavy it is. It is where a lorry can stand, how it gets there, and how it gets out again. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a steel frame between a tower block and a hoarding on a city street) (photograph: A tight standing position in the city) We have turned down jobs with a 400 kg load and taken jobs at eight tonnes on the same day. The difference was never the weight. ### The four measurements Width of the approach. Not the width of the road on a map. The width between the parked cars, the bollards, the skip and the tree. An eight-wheeler needs a shade over 2.5 metres of body plus mirrors, and mirrors are what actually hit things. Height on the way in. Bridges, canopies, car park entrances, low branches, and the one everybody forgets, cables crossing a lane at the point it dips. Somewhere to stand. A flat, level place to set outriggers, with room for the legs to come out. A crane on half its leg spread is a much smaller crane, and on some machines it will simply not permit the lift. Somewhere to turn. Or a plan for reversing out, which on a long unadopted road with cars on both sides is a genuine consideration and not a small one. ### The measurement people forget How the load gets from the lorry to where it goes. Everybody measures the gate. Fewer people measure the distance from where the lorry will stop to where the thing lands, and that is the number that decides which crane comes. ### What we would rather have than a description Photographs. Three of them: one standing in the road looking at the property, one from where you think the lorry will stand looking at where the load goes, and one looking straight up. That last one has saved more jobs than anything else on this page. ### When the answer is no Sometimes it is. Ground that will not take an outrigger, a standing position with cables directly overhead, a radius nothing on the fleet will reach. We would rather say so on the phone than send a lorry two hundred miles to find out. Operated hiab hire · When the reach is the problem · Get a price Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. (photograph: Two Nortons rigids parked together, one loaded with a refurbished cabin) #### One lorry twice, or two lorries once Two units to move and one lorry available. Whether that is one lorry going twice or two lorries going once depends almost entirely on the distance. (photograph: A Nortons Scania artic carrying portable cabins on a motorway) Hiring Guides #### Rigid or artic: which one turns up matters Two vehicles, both with a crane on the back, and a world of difference on a narrow site. The choice is nearly always made by the access, not the load. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Clean Air Zones and HGV Deliveries | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/clean-air-zones-explained Regulations A charging zone is only a problem if the lorry turning up does not meet the standard. Ours do. Here is what is actually going on. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons Scania rigid with crane extended lifting a container on a city street) (photograph: Working inside a city centre) Several UK cities operate clean air zones, and more of them cover heavy goods vehicles than cover cars. The mechanism is the same in each: a vehicle that meets the required emissions standard drives in normally, and one that does not either pays or is turned away. ### The standard that matters For diesel lorries it is Euro VI. A Euro VI HGV is compliant in every UK charging zone currently operating. Older vehicles are not, and the difference in daily charge between the two is large enough that it changes who can afford to quote for city work at all. The wagons we take into charging zones are Euro VI. The exception is a 7.5-tonne flatbed on Euro V, and it stays out of them. ### Why we are not printing the charges Because they change, they differ by city and by vehicle class, and a figure copied off a website two years ago is worse than no figure. If your job goes into a zone, ask us and we will tell you what applies on the day. ### What this should mean for you Nothing. That is the point. A compliant fleet means a clean air zone is a routing question we deal with rather than a line on your invoice or a lorry that does not arrive. It is worth asking any haulier you use, though, and worth asking specifically. "We are compliant" and "our vehicles are Euro VI" are not the same sentence, and the difference shows up on somebody's bill. ### The other reason it matters Increasingly, main contractors ask for it directly. A tier one job in a city centre will often specify the emissions standard of every vehicle coming to site, alongside the other fleet requirements. Turning up with the wrong lorry is a gate refusal, not a charge. Our clean air zone position in full · The fleet, vehicle by vehicle · Accreditations Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons rigid carrying a wide load on the M6 with a following vehicle behind) Regulations #### How much notice an abnormal load needs The lorry is rarely the problem. The notice periods are. Here is who has to be told about an oversized load and how far ahead. (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Dual Lifts With Two Truck-Mounted Cranes | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/two-cranes-one-load Job Stories Some loads are too long for one crane rather than too heavy. Then you need two, working to one voice, and the planning triples. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: Two Nortons lorry cranes rigged either side of a long load on a construction site) (photograph: A dual lift set up and ready) A dual lift is two cranes lifting one item at the same time. It looks like showing off. It is usually the opposite — it is what you do when a single crane would have to take the whole load at a radius where it cannot. ### Why two rather than one bigger one Length. A long, relatively light item picked at one point will bend, and a modular unit or a fabricated frame that bends is scrap. Picking it at two points, well spread, keeps it straight. That is the usual reason, and it has nothing to do with the total weight. The other reason is access. Two lorry cranes standing at opposite ends of a load will often fit where one large mobile crane and its outrigger spread will not. ### What gets harder Everything, but three things in particular. The load share is not fixed. As the item moves, weight shifts between the two cranes. The plan has to allow for that, which means neither crane is worked anywhere near its limit — a substantial de-rate is normal. The cranes must move together. Different machines, different operators, different hydraulic response. If one lifts faster than the other, the load tilts and the share shifts further. This is a skill, and it is why the same pairs of drivers tend to do these. One person is in charge. Not two. One appointed person, one banksman giving one set of signals, and both operators watching the same person. The moment there are two voices the lift stops. ### How the day runs Both vehicles on site early, positioned and levelled before anything is unstrapped. A walk-through with the site team. Slings on and checked by both operators. A trial lift of a few inches, held, checked, and only then the real one. It is slower than it looks and it is meant to be. The 2024 dual lift, in full · Abnormal and heavy loads · How we plan lifts Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a stainless steel brewing vessel in from the street, clear of a brick yard wall) #### A brewing tank, a back yard and one way in The tank was not heavy. It simply had to reach a yard whose gateway was built for barrels, which is the most common shape of job we do. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a red site container clear of a trailer beside a stadium hoarding) Job Stories #### Lifting over a hoarding you cannot see past A site hoarding is two and a half metres of solid plywood. Going over it is easy. Knowing what is on the other side is the job. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Rigid or Artic Hiab: Which You Need | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/rigid-or-artic Hiring Guides Two vehicles, both with a crane on the back, and a world of difference on a narrow site. The choice is nearly always made by the access, not the load. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons Scania artic carrying portable cabins on a motorway) (photograph: The artic on a trunk run) We run both. 32-tonne eight-wheel rigid lorries, artics at 44 tonnes, and wagon-and-drag outfits that sit between the two. Which one comes to your job is usually decided in the first two minutes of the conversation, and it is almost never decided by the weight. ### The rigid An eight-wheeler is one vehicle: cab, bed, crane, all on the same chassis. Around twelve metres long. Rear-steer axles, so it turns in a good deal less space than its length suggests. This is the vehicle for anywhere with a gate, a bend, a residential street, a city centre, a yard with parked cars in it. What you give up is bed length and payload. A rigid carrying a big crane has already spent a lot of its weight allowance on the crane itself — the 858 alone is nearly seven and a half tonnes. ### The artic Tractor unit plus trailer, up to 44 tonnes, with far more deck and far more payload. Our artics carry extendable trailers, so a long load is a booking rather than a problem. The crane sits behind the cab and lifts over the trailer. What you give up is manoeuvrability. An artic needs somewhere to turn round, and "there is a wide bit at the end" is not a turning circle. On a housing development with unadopted roads and parked cars, an artic that gets in may not get out. ### The wagon and drag A rigid with a drawbar trailer behind it. Uncouple the trailer and you have a rigid that can go up the difficult bit on its own, then come back for the rest. On sites where half the load has to go somewhere an artic could never reach, this is the one that saves the day. ### How to decide Tell us about the approach and the standing position — the width of the road, what the lorry can get past, and how far it is from there to where the load lands. If we need to see it, we will ask. The whole fleet · Wagon and drag · The 658 artic Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. (photograph: Two Nortons rigids parked together, one loaded with a refurbished cabin) #### One lorry twice, or two lorries once Two units to move and one lorry available. Whether that is one lorry going twice or two lorries going once depends almost entirely on the distance. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a steel frame between a tower block and a hoarding on a city street) Hiring Guides #### Access decides the vehicle, not the load The question is never really how heavy it is. It is where a lorry can stand, how it gets there, and how it gets out again. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # What Is a Backload? Return Loads Explained | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/what-a-backload-is Company Our lorries finish jobs a long way from Manchester and have to come home. What they carry on the way back is a backload, and it is the cheapest space on the road. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons Volvo eight-wheel rigid loaded with a white unit parked in a yard) (photograph: Loaded for the run home) Every load we deliver ends with a lorry somewhere it does not live. It has to come back to Miles Platting whether it is carrying anything or not, and an empty lorry earns nothing for anybody. A backload is the space on that return leg. ### Why it is cheaper Because the journey is already happening and already paid for. A dedicated load is priced on the whole movement: out, load, back. A backload is priced on the difference between running empty and running loaded, which is a much smaller number. ### What you give up Certainty of date. That is the entire trade. A dedicated lorry goes when you say. A backload goes when one of ours is finishing a job near you and heading in the right direction. That might be Tuesday. It might be the Tuesday after. So a backload suits a load that has to move but does not have to move by Friday. It does not suit a site that is waiting for it. ### What travels well as a backload Containers, cabins, plant, packaged goods, steelwork, anything that will sit on a flat and does not mind waiting. Our vehicles carry their own crane, so a backload does not need you to have a forklift at either end, which is usually what kills the idea on a general haulage lorry. ### How to get on the list Tell us what it is, where it is, where it is going and how flexible the date is. If something is passing, we will offer it. If nothing is, we will say so rather than let you wait. We have been publishing the loads we have carried this way since 2015, year by year, which is a longer record than most hauliers keep in public. The backloads archive · Where our lorries actually go · Regular and contract work Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid with an empty flat bed parked on a city street beside a large wheel) Company #### How far ahead you actually need to book Sometimes the answer is this afternoon. Sometimes it is three weeks, and the three weeks are nothing to do with whether a lorry is free. (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Modular and Offsite Building Transport | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/modular-and-offsite Sectors Offsite construction moves the difficulty from the site to the road. What arrives is finished, heavy, awkward, and has to go in the order the building goes together. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons Scania rigid with crane extended beside a modular school building under installation) (photograph: Installing a modular school building) The promise of offsite building is that the difficult work happens in a factory. That is true, and it is a good promise. What it does not remove is the day the factory output has to become a building, and that day belongs to the haulier and the crane. ### Finished units are fragile in a way that steel is not A modular unit arrives with its cladding on, its windows in, and often its kitchen fitted. It cannot be dragged, it cannot be landed hard, and it cannot be lifted on the wrong points. The lifting points are designed in, and the frame is only strong where they are. So the slinging is decided by the manufacturer, not the lifting company, and part of our job on a modular delivery is refusing to improvise when a lifting point does not match the drawing. ### Sequence is the whole job Units go together in an order, and the order runs from the far corner back towards the road. That means the last lorry to arrive holds the unit that goes nearest the gate, and the first one to arrive holds the one that goes furthest away. If the loads turn up in the order the factory finished them, the crane spends the day shuffling. Which is why the useful conversation happens a fortnight before delivery, with the installer, over a plan. Not on the morning. ### The ground has to be right first Modular units sit on prepared bases, and they sit level or they do not close properly. That is the installer's work, not ours, but we will not land a unit on a base that is not ready, and a wasted delivery is nobody's idea of a saving. ### What we bring to it Vehicles that carry the unit and place it, so one contractor does both. Extendable trailers for the longer units. Two cranes on the same job where a unit is long enough to need lifting at both ends. And drivers who have done a lot of these and will say so when something is not right. Cabin and modular transport · Glamping pods · The school job in the photograph Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons flatbed trailer parked outside a large football stadium at dusk) Sectors #### Stadium work happens when nobody is there We have worked at grounds across the North West and beyond. Almost none of it happened on a day anybody was playing, and that is the whole character of the work. (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Lift Plans and RAMS for Lorry Crane Work | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/what-a-lift-plan-is Safety Every site asks for RAMS. Fewer sites know what a good one contains, or why the useful part is the bit about the ground. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid working inside a steel-framed warehouse with a crane extended) (photograph: A planned lift inside a building) Ask for RAMS and you will get a document. Whether it is any use depends on whether anybody wrote it about your site or whether it is a template with your name typed into the header. ### The two documents A risk assessment lists what could go wrong and what is being done about it. A method statement describes, in order, what will actually happen on the day. They usually travel together, which is where RAMS comes from. On top of that a lift needs a lift plan , which is the specific engineering: this load, this crane, this radius, this ground. ### What a real lift plan contains - The weight of the load and how that weight was established, not assumed - The crane, the configuration, and the capacity at the radius being used — with the margin stated - Where the vehicle stands, where the outriggers land, and the spread - The ground bearing pressure under each leg and what pads are needed to keep it inside what the ground will take - The lifting accessories, their rating, and how the load is attached - Exclusion zone, who controls it, and what happens to pedestrians and other trades - Wind limit and the abort criteria — the conditions under which the lift does not happen - Who is the appointed person, who is slinging, who is the banksman ### The part that gets skipped Ground bearing pressure. An outrigger concentrates a very large force into a very small area. Our 855 puts up to 220 kN through a single stabiliser. On soft cohesive ground that needs something in the order of five and a half square metres of pad to stay inside what the ground will bear; on compacted crushed stone it is well under a square metre. Same crane, same load, seven times the pad. That is not a theoretical point. Basements, drainage runs, service ducts, fresh tarmac and recently backfilled trenches have all put lorries where nobody wanted them. ### What we do Site-specific RAMS and a lift plan for the actual job, turned round quickly, with the ground pressure worked for the ground you have told us about. Not a template. If you send us a site plan and tell us where the lorry will stand, that is usually enough to write it from. Health, safety and RAMS · Load charts and ground pressure data · What we are accredited to Next ### More like this (photograph: Site operatives and a Nortons crane working inside a warehouse with a cherry picker alongside) Safety #### What the man in the orange coat is actually doing On most of our jobs the driver cannot see the load land. Somebody else can, and the whole lift runs on what that person tells him. (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Abnormal Load Notice Periods Explained | Nortons Hiab URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/abnormal-load-notice-periods Regulations The lorry is rarely the problem. The notice periods are. Here is who has to be told about an oversized load and how far ahead. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons rigid carrying a wide load on the M6 with a following vehicle behind) (photograph: A notified load on the motorway) People assume the hard part of an oversized load is driving it. It is not. The hard part is that several organisations have a legal right to be told about it first, and each of them has its own clock. ### Who gets told Depending on the dimensions and the weight, some combination of the police forces whose areas the route crosses, the highway authorities, and the owners of any bridge or structure on the route. On a long run that can be a dozen separate bodies, and the notice does not start until the last one has it. ### The clocks Notice periods run from two clear days for the more ordinary movements up to several weeks where a structure has to be assessed. Clear days means clear — weekends and bank holidays do not count towards them, which is why a job that looks like it needs a week of notice can need eleven days over Easter. We are not going to print a table of thresholds here, because the categories interact and the wrong row copied off a website is worse than no row at all. What we will do is tell you, for your actual load and your actual route, what the notice period is and therefore the earliest date it can move. ### What changes the answer fastest Width, then length, then weight, roughly in that order for the sort of work we do. A load that comes in under the width at which notification bites is an ordinary delivery. The same load 200 mm wider is a notified movement with a lead time. That is worth knowing at the design stage, not at the booking stage. ### Why we would rather you rang early Because a notice period cannot be compressed. If you tell us on the Monday that something has to be in Aberdeen on the Wednesday and it needs a fortnight of notice, there is nothing anybody can do about that. Tell us at the point the load exists on a drawing and it is a diary entry rather than a crisis. We hold UK-wide movement orders for wide loads and run our own escort vehicles, so once the notice is in, the movement itself is ours to organise rather than another contractor's. Abnormal load haulage · Wide loads and escorts · Long loads Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons Scania rigid with crane extended lifting a container on a city street) Regulations #### Clean air zones and what they mean for your delivery A charging zone is only a problem if the lorry turning up does not meet the standard. Ours do. Here is what is actually going on. (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # The HIAB 858 X-HiPro: What It Lifts | Nortons Fleet URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/the-858-explained Fleet & Specs The biggest crane on our fleet, and the one people ask for by name without always knowing what it does. Here are the figures off the manufacturer sheet. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons eight-wheel rigid with a folded 858 hiab crane and a loaded trailer behind) (photograph: The 858 rigid loaded and folded) Our 32-tonne eight-wheel rigid lorries carry a HIAB X-HiPro 858 E-8. It is the crane people ring up and ask for by name, usually because somebody on a previous job told them it was the one that would reach. ### The figures Off the manufacturer's data sheet, not off a brochure: - 66.1 tonne-metres rated capacity, or 71.5 tm with automatic duty control engaged - 19.6 metres of maximum reach - 22.1 metres of lifting height - Eight hydraulic boom sections - Continuous slewing, so it will keep turning rather than stopping at a limit - The crane itself weighs 7,458 kg , which comes straight off what the lorry can carry ### What that means at radius Over 8 tonnes lifted, up to 5.5 tonnes carried, 19.6 metres of reach — and the manufacturer data sheet behind it showing exactly how the capacity falls away as the boom goes out. Those are the numbers that matter, and they are the ones we work from when we quote. Note the last one particularly. At full stretch the 858 is a three-tonne crane. It is a very long three-tonne crane, which is exactly the point — most jobs that need the 858 need it for the distance, not the mass. ### The thing the model number does not tell you An 858 is not an 85 tonne-metre crane. The number in the name is a model designation. We say this at every opportunity, because somebody planning a lift off the wrong figure is planning a lift that will not go. ### Where it earns its keep Over a wall or a fence rather than round it. Into a back garden from the road. Onto a flat roof. Across a live carriageway where the coning is the expensive part and one long reach saves a second closure. Anywhere the lorry cannot get close and a mobile crane would mean a second contractor. The 858 vehicle page · Every load chart on the fleet · The manufacturer data sheet Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons Volvo rigid lifting a portable cabin on a bright day with blue sky behind) Fleet & Specs #### The 658, and why it is on more of our lorries than anything else More of our lorries carry a 658 than any other loader crane. It is not the biggest crane we run, and that is exactly why it does the most work. (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Site Setup at Anfield: The First Container | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/the-first-container-at-anfield Job Stories A stadium redevelopment needs somewhere for everybody to work out of before it needs anything else. That is our part of it, and it happens before the interesting bit starts. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons rigid with its crane extended beside red site containers at the Anfield stadium compound) (photograph: Setting the compound at Anfield) Nobody photographs the site compound. It is a rectangle of red boxes behind a hoarding, and by the time anybody is interested in the building it has already gone. But it is the first thing on site and the last thing off, and getting it in is a proper job. ### What the constraint is At Anfield the yard sits tight against a public footway with houses on the far side of it. So the lorry cannot swing wherever it likes; it stands where it is told, on outriggers, with a working area that has to be roped and manned, and the containers go up and over the hoarding rather than through a gate. That is a reach problem before it is a weight problem. An empty twenty-foot container is a couple of tonnes. Two tonnes at fifteen metres is a different proposition from two tonnes at five, and the choice of vehicle follows from the distance, not the mass. ### Order matters more than you would think Containers stack, so the sequence is fixed before anything is lifted. The bottom row goes in the order the site wants the doors facing. Get that wrong and a unit that should have been opened from the yard side opens onto a wall, and moving it later means moving everything above it. So the first job on a compound is not lifting. It is standing in the space with the site manager and agreeing which box goes where, and which way round. ### Why a lorry crane rather than a mobile crane Because the lorry brings the load with it. A mobile crane is a crane and nothing else; it needs the containers delivered separately, which means two contractors, two site inductions and a sequencing problem if either runs late. Our vehicle arrives with the unit on the back, sets its legs, puts the unit where it goes and drives off for the next one. For a compound of six or eight units on a constrained city site, that is usually the difference between one day and three. The whole Anfield job, with the photographs · Container transport and craning · Working in Liverpool Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons MAN tractor unit on a newly finished residential street of white houses) Job Stories #### Canada Street, ten years on A whole street of veterans housing, built in a fortnight by people who all gave their time. Our part was the least visible and it started long before the cameras did. (photograph: A Nortons hiab lifting a stainless steel brewing vessel in from the street, clear of a brick yard wall) #### A brewing tank, a back yard and one way in The tank was not heavy. It simply had to reach a yard whose gateway was built for barrels, which is the most common shape of job we do. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a red site container clear of a trailer beside a stadium hoarding) Job Stories #### Lifting over a hoarding you cannot see past A site hoarding is two and a half metres of solid plywood. Going over it is easy. Knowing what is on the other side is the job. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # What to Tell a Hiab Company When You Book | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/what-to-tell-us-when-you-ring Hiring Guides Most enquiries arrive missing the same handful of facts. Here is the list, in the order it is useful, so you can get a straight answer first time. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: A Nortons Volvo eight-wheel rigid with a rear-mounted hiab parked on a road in autumn) (photograph: Ready for the next booking) We take a lot of enquiries that cannot be answered, not because the job is difficult but because the message says "how much for a hiab". Here is what we actually need, roughly in the order it changes the answer. ### 1. What the thing is, and what it weighs A twenty-foot container, a garden room, a packaged plant item, a steel beam. If you have the weight off a delivery note or a data plate, that beats an estimate every time. If you genuinely do not know, tell us that rather than guessing low — a guess that turns out to be forty per cent light is the single most common reason a lift stops. ### 2. Where the lorry can stand Not where the load has to end up. Where a 32-tonne eight-wheeler, or a 44-tonne artic, can physically get to and stop. Road width, gates, height restrictions, weight limits on a bridge or a private drive, and whether it can be there at all during working hours. ### 3. How far the load has to travel from there Measured flat along the ground, from where the crane will sit to where the load lands. This is the number that decides the vehicle. See the piece on reach against capacity for why. ### 4. What is in the way Overhead cables, trees, a conservatory, a canopy, scaffolding, a neighbour's roof. A crane can go over most things, but only if somebody knew about them before the lorry set off. ### 5. What the ground is Tarmac, block paving, hardcore, gravel, grass, a new lawn, a basement underneath. Outriggers put a great deal of force through a small area and the ground has to take it. Block paving and fresh tarmac both mark, and a customer who was not warned will not be pleased. ### 6. When, and how firm that is A date and a window. If it has to be a Saturday, or out of hours, or it depends on a crane hire company finishing first, say so at the start. It is easier to plan around than to discover. ### What you get back A named vehicle, a price, and a straight answer on whether the date works. If the job is not one for a lorry crane we will tell you that too, and usually why. Send the details · Or just ring the office Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. (photograph: Two Nortons rigids parked together, one loaded with a refurbished cabin) #### One lorry twice, or two lorries once Two units to move and one lorry available. Whether that is one lorry going twice or two lorries going once depends almost entirely on the distance. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a steel frame between a tower block and a hoarding on a city street) Hiring Guides #### Access decides the vehicle, not the load The question is never really how heavy it is. It is where a lorry can stand, how it gets there, and how it gets out again. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Hiab Reach vs Lifting Capacity Explained | Nortons URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/news/reach-against-capacity Hiring Guides A lorry crane lifts less the further out it reaches, and the drop is steeper than most people expect. This is the single most useful thing to understand before you book one. Published 3 August 2026 by Nortons Hiab Services Ltd (photograph: The boom and hydraulic rams of a HIAB X-HiPro 855 truck-mounted crane inside a warehouse) (photograph: The 855 boom at close quarters) Almost every awkward conversation about a lift starts the same way. Somebody has a weight, and they have a distance, and they have been told a lorry crane will do it. What they have not been told is that those two numbers are joined together, and that moving one of them moves the other a long way. ### What actually happens A truck-mounted crane is a lever. The load hangs on one end and the vehicle, sitting on its outriggers, holds down the other. The further out the load hangs, the harder it pulls, and the crane has to give ground somewhere. So the published capacity is never one number. It is a curve. Take the 858 on our two 32-tonne rigids. Nortons publish it as lifting over 8 tonnes, carrying up to 5.5 tonnes, with a maximum reach of 19.6 metres — and the point of this piece is that those three numbers do not all happen at once. Run the boom out and what it will hold falls away sharply. Same crane, same lorry, same day. The load has not changed; the geometry has. That is a drop of more than eighty per cent across the working range, which is why "it is only two tonnes" is not, on its own, an answer to anything. ### The number that describes the whole curve The single figure that describes a crane is the tonne-metre rating, written as tm. It is roughly the load multiplied by the radius, so a 66.1 tm crane will handle something in the order of six tonnes at ten metres or three tonnes at twenty. Roughly. The real chart is never a clean multiplication because the boom itself weighs something and that weight moves out with the load. A warning about tonne-metres, because it catches people out constantly: the model number is not the rating . An 858 is not an 85 tonne-metre crane. Off the manufacturer's data sheet it is 66.1 tm, or 71.5 tm with automatic duty control engaged. ### What to do with this When you ring, give us the weight and the distance together. Not "how big a crane do I need" but "it is 1,800 kg and it has to go fourteen metres from where the lorry can stand". That is a question with an answer. The distance that matters is from the centre of the crane's column to the middle of where the load lands, measured horizontally along the ground. Not the length of the driveway. Not how far the building is. The horizontal radius. Height matters too, but usually less. Every one of our cranes will lift eighteen metres or more into the air, which is more than most jobs need. It is the sideways distance that runs out first. ### Where the numbers are We publish the capacity-at-radius tables for every crane on the fleet, straight off the manufacturer's sheets, along with the original PDFs. No competitor we know of publishes theirs in a form you can read on a phone. The load charts · The fleet and what is on each vehicle · When you need genuine long reach Next ### More like this (photograph: A Nortons lorry crane lowering a timber glamping pod onto a grass field) Hiring Guides #### Grass is not a standing position An outrigger can put over twenty tonnes of force through a plate the size of a dinner tray. What is underneath it decides whether that is fine or a very bad afternoon. (photograph: Two Nortons rigids parked together, one loaded with a refurbished cabin) #### One lorry twice, or two lorries once Two units to move and one lorry available. Whether that is one lorry going twice or two lorries going once depends almost entirely on the distance. (photograph: A Nortons crane lifting a steel frame between a tower block and a hoarding on a city street) Hiring Guides #### Access decides the vehicle, not the load The question is never really how heavy it is. It is where a lorry can stand, how it gets there, and how it gets out again. Everything we have written ### Tell us what needs lifting Tell us what you need lifting or transporting and we will come back with a vehicle and a price. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Careers | HIAB Driver, Tyre Fitter & Cabin Jobs, Manchester URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/careers (photograph: Nortons driver in the cab of an eight wheel hiab lorry at the Manchester yard) Miles Platting, Manchester · No agencies A family firm where the driving team averages over fifteen years’ service. 4 jobs are open now, on the wagons, in the tyre depot and in the cabin workshop. See the Vacancies Email Your CV Why people stay ### Fifteen years is the average, not the record The average length of service across our driving team is over fifteen years. In this industry that is unusual, and it is the single most honest thing we can tell you about working here. Nortons has been running out of Miles Platting since 2007. It is a family business: the vehicles are our own rather than hired in, the fleet is replaced to a programme rather than run into the ground, and the person who decides what you drive is on site. The driving work is regional and nationwide — cabins, containers, steel, plant, abnormal loads and city-centre lifts — so it is varied, and the crane is a real skill rather than a button. If you want the same run every day, this is not the job. Not everything here is a driving job. The tyre depot on Norton Street fits and repairs truck, plant and car tyres for our own fleet and for customers across the North West, and the cabin workshop strips, re-plumbs, repairs, refurbishes and repaints portable buildings until they are fit to stand on a site again. Both are on the same ground and both take people on. 15+ Years, average driver service 4 Vacancies open now 2007 Established 0 Agencies used Now hiring ### Open vacancies All of them are based at Miles Platting in Manchester and all of them are permanent. Apply directly — no agencies. - #### Class 1 Wagon & Drag HIAB Driver / Operator An experienced Class 1 Wagon & Drag HIAB driver / operator, based in Greater Manchester, on regional and nationwide work. Greater Manchester Class 1 (HGV C+E) Full time, day work with nights out as required Competitive rates of pay Now hiring - #### Class 2 Rigid HIAB Driver An experienced Class 2 Rigid HIAB driver, based in Greater Manchester, on regional and nationwide deliveries. Greater Manchester Class 2 (Category C) Full time, with occasional nights out Competitive rates of pay Now hiring - #### Commercial Truck & Plant Tyre Fitter An experienced truck, commercial and plant tyre fitter for our own tyre depot on Norton Street, on workshop, mobile and roadside work across Manchester and the North West. Miles Platting, Manchester Commercial tyre fitting Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 8am to 1pm, plus call-out Competitive, plus call-out earnings Now hiring - #### Cabin Fitter / Plumber A plumber who can fit out the inside of a portable cabin, from the kitchen and shower to the water test at the end, in our refurbishment workshop at Miles Platting. Miles Platting, Manchester Plumbing and cabin fit-out Monday to Friday 7.30am to 4.30pm, overtime and Saturdays available Negotiable, depending on experience Now hiring (photograph: Nortons vacancy poster for a Class 1 wagon and drag HIAB driver in Manchester) Class 1 Wagon & Drag HIAB Driver (photograph: Nortons vacancy poster for a Class 2 rigid HIAB driver in Manchester) Class 2 Rigid HIAB Driver (photograph: Nortons Tyres vacancy poster for an experienced truck and commercial tyre fitter in Manchester) Commercial Tyre Fitter (photograph: Nortons Portable Cabins vacancy poster for a cabin fitter and plumber in Manchester) Cabin Fitter / Plumber Full details, the requirements and an application form are on each job page. There is no portal and no agency in the middle — the form emails us and somebody reads it. Whichever of the three companies the job sits in, the application lands in the same office. Roles we regularly recruit ### Not open today, but worth a CV These come up, and they rarely get as far as an advert. If one of them is what you do, send the CV now rather than watching this page. - #### Cabin Painter Preparation and painting of portable cabins in the workshop at Miles Platting. Not open at the moment, but it is the job that comes round most often. Miles Platting, Manchester Preparation and painting Currently closed One family, three companies ### Same yard, same office, three trades All three are Nortons, all three are at Miles Platting, and an application to any of them reaches the same desk. #### Nortons Hiab Services The wagons and the cranes. Class 1 and Class 2 HIAB drivers, regional and nationwide work, plus the yard crews and the traffic office behind them. The fleet #### Nortons Tyres Our own depot on Norton Street. Truck, commercial, plant and car tyres, in the bays and out on the road, with a seven day call-out. What the depot does  ·  nortonstyres.co.uk #### Nortons Portable Cabins The refurbishment workshop. Cabins and modular units stripped, re-plumbed, refurbished and repainted, including bespoke builds to a customer’s drawing. Refurbished cabins  ·  nortonscabins.co.uk Nothing that fits? ### Send it anyway What is advertised above is not everything. The yard crews, the traffic office and the workshop all take people on between adverts, and those jobs rarely get as far as one. (photograph: The traffic office at the Nortons yard in Miles Platting, Manchester) #### The traffic office Planning, routing and talking to customers. If you have moved loads for a living and want to stop driving them, this is the room where that happens. (photograph: A Nortons crew slinging a long timber panel from the crane on a Manchester job) #### On the ground Slinging, banksman work and site setup. Plenty of the people driving for us now started here. (photograph: The front of a Nortons Volvo unit with its stabiliser legs down on the yard and the crane behind) #### The yard and the workshop Joinery, welding, vehicle maintenance and general fit-out, all at Miles Platting. Several of the team have been here more than ten years. Email info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk with a CV and a line about what you do — your trade, your licence or your experience, whichever applies. It is read by a person, and it is kept. How it works ### Applying takes about ten minutes #### Send the CV Through the form on the job page, or straight to info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk . Tell us your licence, your trade and your experience — HIAB, ALLMI, CPCS, CSCS, tyre safety, whatever fits the job. #### We read it Not a portal, and not a scoring algorithm. #### Come and see the yard Meet the manager for the job you have applied for, look round the yard, the bays or the workshop, and ask what the work is really like. Drivers, bring your licence and your digi card. (photograph: A sheeted and strapped load on a Nortons trailer ready to leave) #### What the driving job actually involves Loading and securing it yourself, running it, and craning it off at the far end — often somewhere with no room and somebody watching. The crane work is the part that makes this different from general haulage, and it is the part we will train. Most of our drivers and crane operators are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified, several hold Rail Track PTS, and the cranes are worked by remote control so you stand where you can see the load. What you would be driving  ·  Training and accreditations Common questions ### Working here, answered #### What vacancies are open right now? Two HIAB driving jobs, a Class 1 wagon and drag and a Class 2 rigid; a commercial truck and plant tyre fitter at our own tyre depot; and a cabin fitter and plumber in the portable cabin workshop. All of them are at Miles Platting in Manchester and all of them are permanent. If a role is listed as closed on this page it genuinely is closed, and the page is kept current rather than left advertising a job that has gone. #### The tyre and cabin jobs are not driving jobs. Are they still Nortons? Yes. The tyre depot on Norton Street and the cabin refurbishment workshop are both Nortons and both a short walk from the hiab yard. They have their own websites, at nortonstyres.co.uk and nortonscabins.co.uk, but they are the same family business, the same site and the same office. Apply through either and it reaches the same people. #### Do I need a HIAB qualification already? For the driving jobs it is preferred, not essential. For the right candidate we will provide HIAB training if you hold the HGV licence but not the crane qualification, and several of the team came in that way. The tyre and cabin roles need their own trade instead, and that one we cannot teach from scratch. #### Can a Class 2 driver progress to Class 1 here? Yes, and we will support the training. If you want to move up to the bigger vehicles, say so when you apply. #### What is the pay? Competitive rates of pay. We would rather talk about the actual number with you than publish a bracket, because it depends on your licence, your qualifications and your experience. #### Are there nights out? On the Class 1 wagon and drag role, yes, when the work needs it. On the Class 2 rigid role, occasionally. It is regional and nationwide work, not trunking, so no two weeks look the same. The tyre depot and the cabin workshop are Manchester jobs and you are home every night, although the tyre role carries an out-of-hours call-out rota. #### What are the hours in the workshop and the tyre bay? The cabin workshop runs Monday to Friday, half past seven to half past four, with overtime and Saturday work available. The tyre depot is Monday to Friday eight until six and Saturday morning eight until one, with night and emergency call-outs on top when they come in. #### Do you take agency staff? No. Every one of our adverts says no agencies and we mean it. These are permanent jobs and we are hiring people who want to stay — the average length of service across the driving team is over fifteen years, and the tyre fitters average ten to fifteen. #### There is nothing suitable listed. Should I still send a CV? Yes. Send it to us and we will keep it on file. People leave rarely here, so vacancies come up without much warning and a CV already on the desk is the one that gets called. The painter role in the cabin workshop is the clearest example: it is closed today and it is the job that comes round most often. About the company  ·  How we work on site Find the yard ### No agencies. Send it to us directly. Your CV, your licence category and any HIAB qualifications. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Class 1 HIAB Driver Job Manchester | Nortons Hiab Services URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/job-wagon-drag-class1-driver (photograph: Nortons wagon and drag loaded with a modular building on a Manchester job) Greater Manchester · Now hiring An experienced Class 1 Wagon & Drag HIAB driver / operator, based in Greater Manchester, on regional and nationwide work. Apply Now Email Your CV The vacancy ### What the job is Nortons HIAB Services currently have a vacancy for an experienced Class 1 Wagon & Drag HIAB Driver / Operator based in Greater Manchester. We are a long-established family business that prides itself on looking after its employees. The average length of service across our driving team exceeds fifteen years, which reflects our commitment to providing stable, long-term employment. Due to continued growth and investment in our modern fleet, we are looking to recruit additional drivers to join our team. The role involves operating our wagon and drag HIAB vehicles on a variety of regional and nationwide projects throughout the UK. Nights out will be required when necessary. LicenceClass 1 (HGV C+E) BasedGreater Manchester, working out of our yard at Miles Platting, Manchester HoursFull time, day work with nights out as required PayCompetitive rates of pay — the actual figure depends on your licence, your qualifications and your experience, and we would rather discuss it with you than publish a bracket AgenciesNo agencies. This is a permanent job and we recruit direct. What we are looking for ### The person - Class 1 (HGV C+E) licence holder - HIAB experience and relevant certification preferred - Experience with wide and abnormal loads advantageous - Professional, reliable and safety-conscious attitude - Ability to work independently and use initiative - Excellent punctuality and attendance record Requirements ### The essentials - Class 1 (HGV C+E) licence - Day work, with nights out as required - Excellent reliability and punctuality Training and progression ### If the qualification is what is missing For the right candidate we are willing to provide HIAB training if you currently hold a Class 1 licence but do not yet have HIAB qualifications. Most of our drivers and crane operators are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified, several hold Rail Track PTS and we are LINK Up members. The cranes are worked by remote control, so you stand where you can see the load rather than sitting in a seat behind it. How we train and what we are accredited for What we offer ### The rest of it - Competitive rates of pay - Modern, well-maintained fleet - Regional and nationwide work - Long-term career opportunity - Supportive family-run company - New and modern vehicles The vehicles you would be driving Apply ### Send us your CV Or email it straight to info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk if you would rather. Both land in the same place. Leave this field empty Your name * Phone Email * Licence and qualifications * For example: Class 1, HIAB, ALLMI, CPCS. Your CV PDF, DOC or DOCX, up to 8MB. If it will not upload, email it instead. Anything you want to tell us Where you are driving now, what you have been running, and when you could start. I am happy for Nortons Hiab Services to hold these details so they can consider my application. * Send Application (photograph: Nortons vacancy poster for a Class 1 wagon and drag HIAB driver in Manchester) At a glance - Class 1 (HGV C+E) licence - Day work, with nights out as required - Excellent reliability and punctuality - No agencies #### Not quite right for you? Have a look at the other vacancies , or send a CV anyway. Drivers leave rarely here, so jobs come up without much warning. ### Apply direct. No agencies. Your CV, your licence category and any HIAB qualifications. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Class 2 HIAB Driver Job Manchester | Nortons Hiab Services URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/job-class2-rigid-hiab-driver (photograph: Chains and lifting gear on the deck of a Nortons rigid hiab lorry) Greater Manchester · Now hiring An experienced Class 2 Rigid HIAB driver, based in Greater Manchester, on regional and nationwide deliveries. Apply Now Email Your CV The vacancy ### What the job is Nortons Hiab Services are looking to recruit an experienced Class 2 Rigid HIAB Driver based in Greater Manchester. We are a long-established family-run company where employees are genuinely valued. In fact, our drivers stay with us for an average of over fifteen years. Due to continued growth and investment in a modern fleet, we are looking to welcome additional drivers to our team. LicenceClass 2 (Category C) BasedGreater Manchester, working out of our yard at Miles Platting, Manchester HoursFull time, with occasional nights out PayCompetitive rates of pay — the actual figure depends on your licence, your qualifications and your experience, and we would rather discuss it with you than publish a bracket AgenciesNo agencies. This is a permanent job and we recruit direct. The role ### Day to day - Operating Class 2 rigid HIAB vehicles - Regional and nationwide deliveries - Wide load experience preferred - Occasional nights out when required - Working with a modern, well-maintained fleet What we are looking for ### The person - HIAB experience and valid HIAB certification preferred - Class 2 (Category C) HGV licence - Excellent punctuality and reliability - A positive, can-do attitude - Ability to work independently and use initiative Training and progression ### If the qualification is what is missing For the right candidate we are willing to provide HIAB training if you currently hold an HGV licence but do not have HIAB certification. If you have ambitions to progress to larger Class 1 vehicles we are also happy to support further training and development, helping you gain the necessary qualifications and experience alongside our existing team. Most of our drivers and crane operators are ALLMI trained and CPCS qualified, several hold Rail Track PTS and we are LINK Up members. The cranes are worked by remote control, so you stand where you can see the load rather than sitting in a seat behind it. How we train and what we are accredited for What we offer ### The rest of it - Competitive rates of pay - Long-term career opportunities - Supportive family-run business - Modern fleet and equipment - Ongoing training and development The vehicles you would be driving Apply ### Send us your CV Or email it straight to info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk if you would rather. Both land in the same place. Leave this field empty Your name * Phone Email * Licence and qualifications * For example: Class 1, HIAB, ALLMI, CPCS. Your CV PDF, DOC or DOCX, up to 8MB. If it will not upload, email it instead. Anything you want to tell us Where you are driving now, what you have been running, and when you could start. I am happy for Nortons Hiab Services to hold these details so they can consider my application. * Send Application (photograph: Nortons vacancy poster for a Class 2 rigid HIAB driver in Manchester) At a glance - Class 2 (Category C) HGV licence - Regional and nationwide deliveries - Occasional nights out - No agencies #### Not quite right for you? Have a look at the other vacancies , or send a CV anyway. Drivers leave rarely here, so jobs come up without much warning. ### Apply direct. No agencies. Your CV, your licence category and any HIAB qualifications. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Commercial Tyre Fitter Job Manchester | Truck & Plant Tyres URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/mobile-tyre-fitter (photograph: The Nortons Tyres depot on Norton Street in Manchester with all three fitting bays open) Miles Platting, Manchester · Now hiring An experienced truck, commercial and plant tyre fitter for our own tyre depot on Norton Street, on workshop, mobile and roadside work across Manchester and the North West. Apply Now Email Your CV The vacancy ### What the job is Nortons run their own tyre depot on Norton Street, a couple of hundred yards from the hiab yard. It fits and repairs tyres on our own fleet and on plenty that are nothing to do with us — cars, vans, wagons, trailers and plant — and it runs a mobile service that goes out to roadside and site breakdowns across Manchester and the North West. We are looking for a fitter who has done commercial work before. That is the one thing we will not bend on. If your experience is car tyres only this is not the right vacancy, and we would rather say so here than have you spend an afternoon on an application. The rest of it is a mixture. Some days you are in the bays with a wagon up on the lift; some days you are out in the van on a call-out with the traffic going past your shoulder. The fitters here have been with us ten to fifteen years on average, which is the useful thing to know about the place. This job is in Nortons Tyres, Norton Street, Miles Platting , part of the same family business and the same yard. The company has its own site at nortonstyres.co.uk if you want to see the work before you apply. Apply here or there — it reaches the same office either way. TradeCommercial tyre fitting Part ofNortons Tyres, Norton Street, Miles Platting BasedMiles Platting, Manchester, working out of our yard at Miles Platting, Manchester HoursMonday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 8am to 1pm, plus call-out PayCompetitive, plus call-out earnings — the actual figure depends on your licence, your qualifications and your experience, and we would rather discuss it with you than publish a bracket AgenciesNo agencies. This is a permanent job and we recruit direct. The role ### Day to day - Truck, commercial, plant and car tyre fitting - Roadside, on-site and motorway call-outs - Fleet inspections and tyre maintenance - Workshop fitting and mobile fitting from a fully equipped van - Keeping the safety standards and the paperwork straight What we are looking for ### The person - Proven truck or commercial tyre fitting experience, essential rather than preferred - Experience of roadside and on-site work - Full UK driving licence - A sound understanding of tyre safety and health and safety practice - A customer-facing manner, because on a call-out you are the only one of us they meet - Able to work on your own and as part of the bay team Training and progression ### If the qualification is what is missing We cannot train somebody into commercial tyre fitting from nothing, which is why the experience has to be there before you apply. What we will do for the right person is put you through further tyre and safety qualifications, and open the out-of-hours call-out rota to you, which is where the extra earnings are. The depot carries a seven day call-out and a full mobile fitting service, so the out-of-hours work is real work rather than a line in an advert, and it is paid as such. How we train and what we are accredited for What we offer ### The rest of it - Competitive rates of pay - Extra earnings through the out-of-hours call-out rota - A busy, established depot with its own customer base - A settled team: the fitters here average ten to fifteen years - Permanent, direct employment What the tyre depot does Apply ### Send us your CV Or email it straight to info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk if you would rather. Both land in the same place. Leave this field empty Your name * Phone Email * Experience and qualifications * For example: truck and plant fitting, roadside work, any tyre safety qualifications you hold. Your CV PDF, DOC or DOCX, up to 8MB. If it will not upload, email it instead. Anything you want to tell us Where you are fitting now, what you have been working on, and when you could start. I am happy for Nortons Hiab Services to hold these details so they can consider my application. * Send Application (photograph: Nortons Tyres vacancy poster for an experienced truck and commercial tyre fitter in Manchester) At a glance - Commercial tyre fitting experience essential - Full UK driving licence - Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 8am to 1pm - Night and emergency call-out work as required - No agencies #### Not quite right for you? Have a look at the other vacancies , or send a CV anyway. The fitters here stay ten to fifteen years, so a place in the bays comes up without much warning. ### Apply direct. No agencies. Your CV, your commercial fitting experience and any tyre safety qualifications. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Cabin Fitter & Plumber Job Manchester | Nortons Cabin Workshop URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/cabin-fitter (photograph: A refurbished portable cabin slung on the crane over a garden fence from a Nortons eight wheeler) Miles Platting, Manchester · Now hiring A plumber who can fit out the inside of a portable cabin, from the kitchen and shower to the water test at the end, in our refurbishment workshop at Miles Platting. Apply Now Email Your CV The vacancy ### What the job is The cabin workshop is the other half of what happens at Miles Platting. Portable cabins and modular units come into the yard worn out and leave it fit to stand on a site again: stripped, repaired, re-plumbed, refurbished and repainted. Some are our own hire and sale units. A good number belong to customers who would rather send a unit to us than buy a new one. We need a plumber who can fit out the inside of one. Kitchens, toilets, showers, sinks, the pipework behind all of it, and the water test at the end that says the unit is right before it goes anywhere near a lorry. It is a workshop job with variety in it rather than a production line. No two units arrive in the same state, a fair number are bespoke builds to a customer’s drawing, and everybody in the workshop turns their hand to whatever the unit in front of them needs that day. This job is in Nortons Portable Cabins, the workshop at Miles Platting , part of the same family business and the same yard. The company has its own site at nortonscabins.co.uk if you want to see the work before you apply. Apply here or there — it reaches the same office either way. TradePlumbing and cabin fit-out Part ofNortons Portable Cabins, the workshop at Miles Platting BasedMiles Platting, Manchester, working out of our yard at Miles Platting, Manchester HoursMonday to Friday 7.30am to 4.30pm, overtime and Saturdays available PayNegotiable, depending on experience — the actual figure depends on your licence, your qualifications and your experience, and we would rather discuss it with you than publish a bracket AgenciesNo agencies. This is a permanent job and we recruit direct. The role ### Day to day - Fitting kitchens, toilets, showers and sinks into cabins and modular units - First and second fix pipework inside the unit - Water testing, and putting right whatever the test finds - Servicing and repair on units coming back off hire - General fit-out work alongside the rest of the workshop team What we are looking for ### The person - Sound practical plumbing experience: kitchen, toilet and shower installations - Confident carrying out water tests and signing a unit off - Your own full set of tools - Full UK driving licence - Good physical condition and stamina, because it is workshop work - Happy to turn your hand to other jobs in the workshop Training and progression ### If the qualification is what is missing The plumbing has to be there already. Everything that is particular to cabins, meaning how a unit is put together, what comes out and what goes back, and what a customer expects to see when it lands on their site, is learned here. We expect to teach it rather than expect you to arrive knowing it. The workshop takes on bespoke builds, external customer refurbishments and the servicing of our own hire and sale units, so the job in front of you changes week to week. How we train and what we are accredited for What we offer ### The rest of it - Salary negotiable depending on experience - Overtime available, and Saturday work if you want it - Bespoke and varied work rather than the same unit twice - A workshop where people stay: several of the team are past ten years - Permanent, direct employment What we do with cabins  · How we move them Apply ### Send us your CV Or email it straight to info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk if you would rather. Both land in the same place. Leave this field empty Your name * Phone Email * Trade and experience * For example: plumbing, joinery, fit-out, and any cards you hold such as CSCS. Your CV PDF, DOC or DOCX, up to 8MB. If it will not upload, email it instead. Anything you want to tell us What you have been fitting, whether you have worked on cabins or site accommodation before, and when you could start. I am happy for Nortons Hiab Services to hold these details so they can consider my application. * Send Application (photograph: Nortons Portable Cabins vacancy poster for a cabin fitter and plumber in Manchester) At a glance - Practical plumbing experience - A full set of tools - Full UK driving licence - Monday to Friday 7.30am to 4.30pm - No agencies #### Not quite right for you? Have a look at the other vacancies , or send a CV anyway. The workshop takes people on between adverts, and it rarely gets as far as one. ### Apply direct. No agencies. Your CV, your trade and a line about what you have been fitting. Get a Quote Email Us --- # Cabin Painter Job Manchester | Nortons Cabin Workshop URL: https://www.nortonshiabservices.co.uk/cabin-painter (photograph: A refurbished cabin lifted off the deck by the crane in the Nortons yard at Miles Platting) Miles Platting, Manchester · Currently closed Preparation and painting of portable cabins in the workshop at Miles Platting. Not open at the moment, but it is the job that comes round most often. Email Your CV The role ### Not open at the moment Every unit that leaves the cabin workshop has been painted, and it is painted the old way: prepared by hand, undercoated, and finished in a gloss external paint. It is the last thing that happens to a cabin and the first thing the customer sees when it comes off the lorry, so it is not a corner anybody here is willing to cut. The vacancy is not open at the moment. It is still worth a CV, because painting is the job this workshop recruits for most often and it rarely gets as far as an advert — when somebody moves on, the call goes to whoever is already in the drawer. When it is open it is a full-time workshop job at Miles Platting: Monday to Friday, half seven to half four, overtime and Saturdays available, and an early finish on a Friday if you have started early. This job is in Nortons Portable Cabins, the workshop at Miles Platting , part of the same family business and the same yard. The company has its own site at nortonscabins.co.uk if you want to see the work before you apply. Apply here or there — it reaches the same office either way. Send it anyway ### We keep CVs on file, and we use them There is no application form on this page because there is no vacancy, and a form that goes nowhere is worse than no form. Email your CV to info.nospam @nortonshiabservices.co.uk and it will be read and kept. What is open right now ### Nothing open, but send it anyway A CV already on the desk is the one that gets called when a job comes up. Get a Quote Email Us ---