At what weight does a crane become necessary instead of manual handling?

There is no fixed threshold. It depends on access, on what the floor will carry, and on the placement accuracy required. Machines of several dozen tonnes are still moved by hand when a crane cannot reach them.

Can you work while the plant is still in production?

Yes, and it is the common case. The work is broken into steps that can be stopped safely and scheduled into the windows the plant allows, rather than requiring a long shutdown.

Who is liable if equipment is damaged during the move?

Condition is inspected and recorded before and after the move. The extent of liability is agreed in the contract according to the value and nature of the equipment — raise it at the quotation stage.

Stevedoring, relocation & equipment lifting

The last stretch a machine travels is often only a few dozen metres — from the plant gate to the foundation — and it is the hardest one. The crane cannot get in, the floor will not take the load, and the plant is still running. This is where big equipment stops helping and experience decides the outcome.

What usually goes wrong

The crane cannot reach the installation position: Substations, roofed workshops, a narrow aisle between two running lines — places a mobile crane simply cannot get to.
The floor will not take a point load: Crane outriggers or forklift wheels concentrate more load on one point than a suspended floor or workshop slab can carry, cracking or settling it.
Production cannot be stopped for the move: The plant allows only a short window, or a maintenance shutdown. Any method that needs a long stoppage is ruled out before it is considered.

How we run it

Survey the floor and the access route

Entry width, headroom, the load capacity of ground and floors, and where equipment could stand if mechanical handling is possible at all.

Why businesses trust Bee Transportation

We get in where a crane cannot: Manual relocation into the exact installation position in substations and plants — a capability most transport contractors do not have.
The lifting equipment is ours: A Kato 45-tonne crane, two 3–5 tonne forklifts, four electric forklifts and ten hand pallet trucks, dispatched on the project’s schedule.
40 skilled workers: A permanent crew rather than labour hired per job, so safety procedure and method stay consistent between projects.

Scope of service

Loading, lifting and relocation of machinery and equipment
Manual relocation into installation position in confined spaces
Safety supervision at every stage of lifting and lashing
Full on-site support

Frequently asked questions

At what weight does a crane become necessary instead of manual handling?: There is no fixed threshold. It depends on access, on what the floor will carry, and on the placement accuracy required. Machines of several dozen tonnes are still moved by hand when a crane cannot reach them.
Can you work while the plant is still in production?: Yes, and it is the common case. The work is broken into steps that can be stopped safely and scheduled into the windows the plant allows, rather than requiring a long shutdown.
Who is liable if equipment is damaged during the move?: Condition is inspected and recorded before and after the move. The extent of liability is agreed in the contract according to the value and nature of the equipment — raise it at the quotation stage.

Lifting & relocation

Where a crane cannot reach

Alongside crane and forklift work, we move machinery into its installation position by hand — able to work in confined spaces a crane or forklift cannot get to, such as substations or a plant that is still running.

Manual relocation in confined spaces

Placing machinery in its final position inside substations and plants where mechanical equipment cannot reach.

Technical packing for sensitive cargo

Container stuffing and unstuffing, vacuum sealing, lashing and bracing for cargo such as aircraft engines and microchips — meeting the technical requirements of export freight.

Lifting equipment

1 × Kato 45-tonne crane2 × forklifts, 3–5 tonnes4 × electric forklifts10 × hand pallet trucks

Have a shipment to move?

Send us the cargo specifications — we respond with an approach and a quotation within 24 hours.

Get a quote