Industries
Telecommunications crane services
The right crane for the lift, with NCCCO-certified operators and riggers for telecom towers and sites. Based in West Texas, working statewide.
Crane service for telecom towers and sites
Telecom work uses cranes on tower sites to lift antennas, equipment and structures.
Lifts we take on include:
- Lifting antennas and radio equipment
- Setting equipment shelters and cabinets
- Setting monopoles and tower sections
- Setting generators at tower sites
Cell tower antenna and monopole lifts
On tower sites the crane mostly works for the tower crew. Antennas, mounts, radios and line hardware are rigged at the base and hoisted to climbers at height, who make the connection before the load is released. Because the hook has to clear the top mount with room for rigging, height and reach usually decide the crane more than weight does.
On the ground, the work is setting equipment shelters, cabinets and generators on pads or platforms inside the compound. New monopoles go up in sections, starting with the base section on its anchor bolts. Rural sites often sit at the end of a caliche or gravel road with a fenced compound and little room to work, so access and setup get planned before anything else.
- Check the access road and compound gate for the crane and trucks.
- Locate guy wires, anchors and overhead lines before picking the setup.
- Tower crew confirms any antenna power-down before climbers go up.
- Rig antennas, mounts and line hardware at the base with taglines.
- Hoist to the climbers on radio and release only after they connect.
- Set ground equipment, rig down and close the compound gate.
Crane and operator for telecom towers and sites
Every job goes out with the right crane for the lift, an NCCCO-certified operator and a rigger.
Have the site drawings and the equipment list handy when you call dispatch, since tower lifts are planned piece by piece.
- Tower type and height, and the mount elevations
- Weights of antennas, radios, mounts or pole sections
- Compound layout, fence line and room for the crane
- Access road condition and any gate or turn limits
- Guy wire and anchor locations on guyed towers
- Power lines feeding or crossing the site
Rigging plans and safety plans for telecom towers and sites
Tower sites pack hazards into a small space. Guy wires on guyed towers run out in several directions, and the boom and load lines have to stay clear of them. Power lines often run right up to the compound. Climbers are on the structure during the lift, so signals run by radio and loads are tag-lined so they don't swing into the tower.
RF exposure from live antennas is handled by the tower crew, and carriers may power down sectors before climbers work near them. Wind at height also catches light, broad loads like panel antennas. We write rigging plans with the setup, radius and hook height for each pick, and safety plans that cover guy wires, power lines, radio signals and wind limits.
Book a crane
Call dispatch or send a lift request. Tell us the load, the location and the date.
FAQ
Questions about telecommunications crane services
Can a crane be used instead of a gin pole on a cell tower?
Often, yes. Where the site has room and access for a crane, it can lift antennas, mounts and other hardware to the climbers, often in less time than rigging a gin pole, and it can handle heavier pieces. Gin poles still make sense on sites a crane can't get into.
How is a new monopole set with a crane?
The base section is set over the anchor bolts on the foundation and bolted down. Upper sections follow one at a time, either slipped over the section below or bolted at a flange, depending on the pole design. The crane is planned for the heaviest section at the reach and hook height needed.
Can you set an equipment shelter at a tower site?
Yes. Equipment shelters and large cabinets are lifted off the truck and set on their pad or platform inside the compound. Because compounds are tight and fenced, we need the shelter weight, its lift points, the pad location, and whether the crane can set up inside the fence or has to reach over it.
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