Crane Truck Hire Rates in Melbourne
If you don’t use crane truck hire services often, and aren’t familiar with the industry prices, it can be hard to figure out what hire rates are reasonable and what has a bit of mayo slapped onto the final cost.
So let’s talk all about crane truck hire rates in Melbourne, why rates differ, and what goes into a crane truck operator’s cost.
Why do hire crane truck rates differ so much?
You’ll find that every industry has its spectrum of prices.
Let’s take coffee for example.
You might buy a $1 latte from the servo if cafes are shut, you’re on a super tight schedule, or you’re in the middle of nowhere.
Then, you might indulge in a $9 mug of oat latte with your Instagramable, inner-city Sunday brunch as a little self care.
So things like distance from the city, quality, time, and reputation all impact just how much a cup of coffee costs.
But as you may have noticed, coffee and crane trucks are worlds apart. So, where’s the common ground?
They both have factors.
And when it comes to crane trucks, there are three main factors that’ll impact crane truck hire rates in Melbourne.
These are:
Your crane truck operator’s hourly rates
Your crane truck operator’s terms of service
Your unique job requirements.
So, grab your steaming cup of coffee and let’s unpack them.
Hire crane truck hourly rates
Crane truck hire rates in Melbourne can start from as little as $120 an hour and can increase to as high as $220 an hour.
But where does this price difference come from?
While skill and industry experience may come into play, oftentimes a crane truck operator’s hourly rates are dictated by the overheads they need to cover (just like any other business!).
Overhead expenses include:
Petrol
Business insurance
Regular repairs and maintenance
Rigging equipment
Secure truck parking (as trucks can’t be parked in built-up areas)
Truck registration and certification, and
Employee wages.
Generally, the larger the crane truck, the more overheads an operator will need to factor into their hourly rate.
For example, a larger crane truck will guzzle much more fuel than their smaller counterparts.
Hire crane truck terms of service
Crane truck hire rates in Melbourne are also impacted by an operator’s terms of service.
There are three terms of service in particular, and these are: minimum fees, depot-to-depot charges, and additional costs and levies.
Minimum fees
Similar to call-out fees, most crane truck operators charge a minimum fee for the jobs they take on.
For example, an operator may charge a minimum of four hours per job, regardless if the job at hand takes less time.
Charging a minimum fee covers the time and effort needed to prepare for your job, and protects a crane truck operator from losing the bulk of their working day for a job that may not cover their overhead expenses.
At Cope Crane Trucks, we charge a minimum of 3 hours for our services. If you aren’t familiar with our services, you can learn more about them on our Services page.
Depot-to-depot charges
It’s also common for crane truck operators to charge from depot-to-depot.
What this means is the driving time to and from your location will be included in crane truck hire rates in Melbourne.
There’s one main reason for this: crane trucks consume a lot of petrol.
Unlike regular vehicles which generally consume 12 litres of petrol every 100 kms, crane trucks can consume around 40 litres per 100 kms when the truck tray is empty.
Even more petrol is used when a crane truck is hauling a heavy load.
In some cases, the cost of driving to and from a job can be greater than the amount a crane truck driver actually earns from the job.
So, more often than not, crane truck hire rates include depot-to-depot charges in order to cover all of the costs involved in completing a job.
That’s the case at Cope Crane Trucks, too. The time taken to drive to and from your site will be included in the hours taken to complete your job.
To find out more about our rates and terms of service, contact us today and we’d be more than happy to chat.
Additional costs and levies
Some crane truck operators choose to include additional costs and levies to their final invoice to cover things like tolls and petrol price spikes.
But at Cope Crane Trucks we keep things simple. You won’t find additional costs and levies in our crane truck hire rates!
Your unique job requirements
Lastly, crane truck hire rates in Melbourne will also be impacted by your job requirements.
Namely, the services you’re looking for and the complexity of your job.
Services
If you’re after onsite installation support, you’ll find that your final invoice will be less than if you required transportation too.
As a general rule of thumb, the more transportation required for a job, the more costs involved.
For example, interstate jobs like our February Feature Job in South Australia will not only include the cost of petrol for the round trip, but also accommodation and meal allowances.
But if you’re simply looking to lift a spa lift into your backyard, you can expect a much smaller cost.
Complexity
Transportation isn’t the only factor that can impact crane truck hire rates in Melbourne, the complexity of your job can, too.
For example, hard-to-reach or hard-to-access jobs may require more time and support to get the job done.
They may require more complex lifts, additional equipment or additional professional support, like doggers, riggers and spotters.
You can learn more about additional support in our blog post What Your Crane Truck Operator Needs To Know Before Booking You In.
So, how much is it to hire a crane truck in Melbourne?
Crane truck hire isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ service, and so you won’t find a ‘one size fits all’ price!
Crane truck hire rates in Melbourne differ based on the size of the crane truck, the overheads an operator must cover, their additional terms of service, and your unique job needs.
The best way to find out each crane operator’s rates is to call them up!
Contact us any time to chat about our rates and we’ll happily give you an estimate for your job.
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