Gatwick Group is a pioneering company that specialises in lifting payloads other companies say can't be done

which is why it demands the ultimate in truck-mounted cranes. And, for Managing Director Bob Toon, there is only one choice, HIAB.

The transport and load handling specialist, based on the doorstep of Gatwick Airport and with further depots

opening across the UK, has purchased a further nine HIAB cranes to form a sixteen-strong, all HIAB fleet that, in

Bob's opinion, is capable of anything.

Six trucks have already been delivered, all with cranes from the HIAB XS range - capable of lifting weights of up to

18 tonnes, and with spans ranging as far as 22m using a fly-jib. Coupled with its existing HIAB fleet, with reaches of up to 27.9m and winch capabilities, there is now a crane to answer any load handling situation that clients, which include British Airports Authority (BAA), Network Rail and a number of blue chip construction companies, may require.

With works that involve some of the world's busiest airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, the London

Underground and a notoriously complex rail network, the incredible dexterity and load bearing qualities of the HIAB units continues to set new benchmarks in efficiency for the rest of the industry to follow. One such example is when payloads need to be unloaded next to rail tracks.

While other transport companies require direct access to the tracks, often travelling miles out of the way to enter via an access point, Gatwick Group's fly-jib equipped HIABs simply reach across the tracks - often up to four at a time - to deliver the load precisely where it is needed.

It is a common sense solution that characterises the company's innovative approach to tackling complex jobs.

More importantly, the freedom and assurance offered by the HIAB cranes means Gatwick Group's clients

consistently enjoy significant time and cost savings, coupled with substantial health and safety benefits.

Bob Toon explained, "My policy is to go for the best of everything. That way, we have a team of drivers who take

pride in their work and are willing to go the extra mile to deliver. Plus we enjoy the reassurance of excellent

reliability. For me, HIAB is the very best by a long way. I see no constraints in what they can do.

"With our entire fleet of sixteen trucks running HIABs, it means our drivers can all operate any vehicle, due to the similarity between the various HIAB models. Plus, HIAB's intuitive control system is superior to any other crane."

Increasingly, Gatwick Group now provides a full turnkey installation package to many of its blue-chip clients, including risk assessment and method statements, thus providing more than just sheer lifting muscle. Backed by the reassurance of the HIABs' reliability, it is a business shift that promises to increase revenue by up to 400% per job.