Hi all. I am looking for a bit of advice. I drive a rear mounted hiab lorry and was told on my lorry loader course to always unload facing down hill on a steep slope/ hill, my boss insists it should be uphill. Who is correct and why. Many thanks
The only thing I can think of is that with a suspended load it will swing towards the crane when you lift it off the bed when you are pointed uphill. If you are downhill it will swing away from the crane (but potentially towards the cab)
If its a very steep hill and you are facing up hill and want to set something heavy down behind it could potentially overload the crane as it will land that bit further away.
Unless someone could convince me otherwise I’d unload facing up or down as I saw most appropriate for the situation.
Hi thanks. As I live in wales most of the deliveries are on a hill lol. I was taught to face down hill cos if you need to drop it behind there is no chance of the front lifting.
Marc0770:
Hi thanks. As I live in wales most of the deliveries are on a hill lol. I was taught to face down hill cos if you need to drop it behind there is no chance of the front lifting.
i’ve not done a hiab course, so might be ■■■■■■■■, but…
in that scenario the the weight of the load will be effectively closer to the back of the truck and it’ll take more weight or distance on the hiab to lift the front.
i’d imagine in practise you’ll have to park it where you can
When unloading on a hill I always keep the extension in so the load is as close to centre post as pos this makes it easier for slewing,then boom out when in line with the landing point of the load.
Thanks all. When facing down hill I can lower the back end to level the truck out therefore making for a flatter lift surely this is correct. If I face uphill I’d have to extend the legs more to level the truck. Anybody disagree
In an ideal world with a rear mounted crane you unload with the lorry pointing downhill and with a front mounted crane uphill.
ask for a mid mounted one then …
TAXI 
Saaamon:
In an ideal world with a rear mounted crane you unload with the lorry pointing downhill and with a front mounted crane uphill.
Don’t you mean the other way .
Used to drive one with a front mounted crane always better if truck was facing uphill as theres more control, say its a heavy generator or container lifting it off will remove the weight on the bed and if slung to fast or far in front will lift the back wheels off the ground.
Course if like me the slew on the crane would struggle going uphill then some carefull nudging was required. If facing downhill the slew might go out of control with gravity as well as the weight of the lift.
Probably best i don’t recollect some of the riskier crane manouvers we used to do back in the day. i.e travelling into low height building with a goods hoist slung over the front of the cab and some pallets on the back to keep the back wheels on the ground.
Any Tarmac plant boys out their might know what i mean.
Found out guys. With a rear mounted crane you face the lorry down hill as I thought. The main reason being is if you lift the load and begin to slew if anything goes wrong with the crane ie snaps etc then gravity will take it back to the front rather than towards the back where you are stood.
I’ve not taken a refresher course for my 5-year old hiab ticket because I don’t enjoy it any more
I would say facing downhill because the centre of gravity of the vehicle is forward of the mid point. Facing downhill would put the c.o.g at its lowest point thereby increasing stability.
Customer: I say, driver, would you mind placing the pallets of bricks over the other side of the Bentley
Me: Er, no. Would you mind moving your car a bit please Sir
Customer: (sighs)
true story
Marc0770:
Found out guys. With a rear mounted crane you face the lorry down hill as I thought. The main reason being is if you lift the load and begin to slew if anything goes wrong with the crane ie snaps etc then gravity will take it back to the front rather than towards the back where you are stood.
Sounds right to me, for steep inlcines- rear mounted face downhill, front mounted face uphill, if something goes pearshaped gravity will take over and I would rather be above it than below it.
Marc0770:
Thanks all. When facing down hill I can lower the back end to level the truck out therefore making for a flatter lift surely this is correct. If I face uphill I’d have to extend the legs more to level the truck. Anybody disagree
Unfortunately, I do:
The “legs” you refer to are “stabilisers” and are not designed to take the weight of the vehicle plus it’s load. They should be extended only enough that the weight just begins to lift off the road springs. Any attempt to level, or indeed, lift the vehicle will put excess strain on the legs, arms and hydraulic system.
But then, you would have known that if you had successfully passed a proper Lorry-mounted Loader course. Let’s hope that you learn this lesson before you kill yourself or anyone else.
P.S. If you just wreck the vehicle, it won’t matter to anybody except your employer!
Are we talking hills here or just slight slopes,as unloading on a proper hill you wouldn’t slew round a rear mount when facing down hill.
Have you ever seen one of those Russian hammer-throwers, Dan? 
Retired Old ■■■■:
Unfortunately, I do:
The “legs” you refer to are “stabilisers” and are not designed to take the weight of the vehicle plus it’s load. They should be extended only enough that the weight just begins to lift off the road springs. Any attempt to level, or indeed, lift the vehicle will put excess strain on the legs, arms and hydraulic system.But then, you would have known that if you had successfully passed a proper Lorry-mounted Loader course. Let’s hope that you learn this lesson before you kill yourself or anyone else.
P.S. If you just wreck the vehicle, it won’t matter to anybody except your employer!
Harsh . . . but true. My current cranes legs are fitted with sensors that cut out when they’ve landed on firm ground, you cannot use the legs to ‘level’ the vehicle.
It’s also fitted with a tilt alarm, it won’t you let me power the thing up unless it’s within a few degrees of level on both axis.
These are safety features !
I’ve done my course 5x & I’ve never heard the park it uphill or downhill argument. The crane is designed to be used on stable, level ground & you are encouraged to use it as such at all times.
Think its steep hills, slight slopes aren’t so bad still good to follow the guidelines though.
Yes slight slopes can be evened out with putting the legs down a bit further/altering suspension (carefull not to lift the entire weight of the truck though) even if the crane is attached to the chassis by 4 massive bolts and plate washers it can buckle under high stress and a leg failure is going to cause real problems if your too high in the air.
Our moto used to be if you need a ladder to operate the levers or the levers are by your knees its time to abandon ship.
Dan Punchard:
Are we talking hills here or just slight slopes,as unloading on a proper hill you wouldn’t slew round a rear mount when facing down hill.
Depends on the weight you’re asking it to slew uphill, I can fool mine with light loads on gentle slopes, but give it something like a ton bag on a 20% gradient & it laffs at you.
Chas:
Retired Old ■■■■:
Unfortunately, I do:
The “legs” you refer to are “stabilisers” and are not designed to take the weight of the vehicle plus it’s load. They should be extended only enough that the weight just begins to lift off the road springs. Any attempt to level, or indeed, lift the vehicle will put excess strain on the legs, arms and hydraulic system.But then, you would have known that if you had successfully passed a proper Lorry-mounted Loader course. Let’s hope that you learn this lesson before you kill yourself or anyone else.
P.S. If you just wreck the vehicle, it won’t matter to anybody except your employer!Harsh . . . but true. My current cranes legs are fitted with sensors that cut out when they’ve landed on firm ground, you cannot use the legs to ‘level’ the vehicle.
It’s also fitted with a tilt alarm, it won’t you let me power the thing up unless it’s within a few degrees of level on both axis.
These are safety features !
I’ve done my course 5x & I’ve never heard the park it uphill or downhill argument. The crane is designed to be used on stable, level ground & you are encouraged to use it as such at all times.
Probably a few generations of cranes after the ones I used but this sounds ideal, in the old days it was pull the PTO and away you go, hell we where lucky if some drivers bothered to extend the legs let alone do both sides (course I always did).