UK rental company Berry Cranes has taken delivery of a new six tonne Böcker AK 48 truck mounted crane - the latest addition to what has become one of the largest Böcker fleets in the UK, having purchased the country's first unit in the early 2000s.
The AK48
The AK 48 - launched at Bauma 2022 - features a four section main boom plus a three section telescopic jib for a tip height of 49 metres with a maximum radius of 40 metres. It can handle its maximum capacity of six tonnes at eight metres and 1.5 tonnes at a height of 27.5 metres and a radius of 24 metres. The unit can also be used as a working platform with a load capacity of 350kg, tools can be transported to a height of 45.7 metres.
In an interview with Cranes & Access magazine shortly after taking delivery of the UK's first Böcker aluminium truck crane in the early 2000s, managing director Neil Berry explained his reasons for choosing this typer of crane, in the case a 1.5 tonne AK 32/1500. The crane, weighing less than eight tonnes, proved ideal for sites with weight restrictions and offered significant advantages with its 30 metre lift height and relatively low fuel consumption, compared to All Terrains, as well as the ability to access sites with tough weight limits.
An AK 32/1500
The company said: “In 2009 we took the initiative to purchase the first Böcker Crane in the UK, since then we have watched and indeed purchased many more. Böcker has moved on with technology and addressed end user requirements, be it smaller areas to set up in, or their environmental impact. Fast forward to 2025 we run the most diverse fleet of Böcker Cranes in the UK, ranging range including the AK36, AK42, AK46 and the AK52, This AK48 joins the AK42, both with tower crane functionality and hybrid option yet again showing our commitment to both the environment and customer requirements.”
Established in 2000, Berry Cranes is based in Towcester, South Northamptonshire. Berry founded the company with a single 30 tonne Kato crane after working 17 years as an operator for several companies including Marsh Plant, Thames Crane Services, Davis Crane Hire, NMT and King Lifting. Its fleet currently consists of All Terrain cranes from Liebherr, Tadano and Grove.
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