Hiab geared up for the 2018 World Crane Championship

Hiab, part of Cargotec, is preparing for the finals of the third World Crane Championship, which will be held at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Germany from 22-23 September 2018. Qualification rounds are taking place to determine the best cr

Hiab, part of Cargotec, is preparing for the finals of the third World Crane Championship, which will be held at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Germany from 22-23 September 2018. Qualification rounds are taking place to determine the best crane operators from 15 different countries.

"We are very excited about organising the World Crane Championship for the third time and are delighted to see interest among operators in participating in the local competitions. These events bring qualified crane operators together, not just to compete, but also to share their extensive knowledge with each other. We learn a lot from the operators about how to develop the cranes further to make their job easier, safer and more efficient," says Joakim Andersson, Senior Vice President, Hiab Cranes.

The idea of the contest is to move water cans along a predefined path, in the shortest possible time, using a HIAB X-HiPro 232 crane. From each country, one finalist will travel to Hannover in September. The operator with the lowest time and least number of errors will be crowned the winner and will take home a prize worth €25,000 - and the title of World Crane Champion 2018.

Best of luck to the finalists!

Michael Graf from Niederstätter will be representing Italy in the final this year. "I'm really happy and satisfied about my performance in the qualifications. When practicing for the final, I will try to set up my own race track," says Graf. 

Juan López Fernández, representing Spain in the final, came second in the Spanish qualifications in 2016. This year, Spain had a record number of skilled contestants, which gives Fernández' success thus far even more value. 

"I feel really proud of my achievement and this makes me confident that I'm doing a good job for my customers. I have been practicing by building a swimming pool and changing the weights and dimensions. The secret of success in the final will be perfect concentration," says Fernández, from Grúas y Transportes Juan López.

Tim Hansen, representing Denmark, is the ruling World Crane Champion and also a finalist for this year. Hansen's performance in the semifinals was very promising and he is aiming to win this year, too. 

"I have the same feeling as last year - I want to win!" says Hansen, of Tim S Hansen ApS. "I won't be making any special preparations for the final. I will just keep working with my Hiab," he concludes.