Truck Mounted Log Loaders Upcoming Auctions

About Truck-Mounted Log Loaders

A truck-mounted log loader is typically a knuckle boom crane designed to be attached to a suitable heavy- or medium-duty truck, where it can load logs into or unload them from the truck bed or dump body. It’s also called a “grapple loader,” while its carrier vehicle is variously referred to as a “grapple truck” or “self-loading log truck.” A log loader may have an open operator’s station or a cab near the base of the boom with an elevated view of the work.

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2023 Serco 8500 Truck-Mounted Log Loader

Tree care companies use self-loading log trucks to pick up and transport fallen trees, limbs, and pruned branches from customers’ yards. Contractors and landscaping companies use log loader trucks to handle trees they remove during lot clearing operations and site preparation. Truck-mounted loaders also work well in logging and general forestry applications near roads and are handy for handling utility poles.

Top 5 Benefits Of Self-Loading Log Trucks

Compared with other types of mobile log loaders on tracks, trailers, and wheels, truck log loaders offer several advantages. Here’s a brief look at a few of their benefits.

1. All-in-one logging solution - Log loader trucks combine transportation, loading, and hauling capacity all in one vehicle. 
2. The only street-legal log loaders - Grapple trucks are the only type of log loader that can drive at highway speeds on public roads. Unlike heavy truck log loaders, medium-duty log loader trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,000 pounds (11,793 kilograms) or less don’t require a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to drive. 
3. Superior mobility and maneuverability - Because the knuckle boom is mounted on the truck, no trailer is required, allowing the vehicle to get on the road quickly. It sis also easier to move into position than a trailer-mounted or stationary log loader.
4. Cost-effective - By replacing a specialized log loading machine on jobs where rough terrain is not a factor, a truck model can reduce fuel expenses.
5. Vehicle choice - Unlike a wheel log loader with a dedicated carrier vehicle, a truck-mounted unit can be added to any suitably heavy truck from your choice of manufacturer, allowing you to choose the features and options you prefer.

Log Loader Truck Characteristics

A log loader crane can be mounted either just behind the truck’s cab or at the rear of the chassis. Most are designed to integrate with the frame of the truck for greater strength, as opposed to simply bolting them on top. On-site, before using the log loader, the operator extends the loader’s hydraulic outriggers —often configured in an A-shape—to ground level for added stability while lifting and moving loads. 

Truck-mounted log loaders get power for their hydraulic systems from the vehicle’s power take-off (PTO) or a dedicated engine of their own. Models with load-sensing hydraulics can improve fuel economy by matching power output to the weight of the load. 

Truck-mounted log loaders come in a range of maximum lift capacities and boom lengths. For example, Serco 8500 Series loaders can lift up to 8,900 lbs (4,037 kg) and extend its maximum reach to 29 feet (8.8 meters) with an optional Extenda-Boom. The 8500’s platform can rotate continuously at 10 rpm, and it features an open operator’s station with available heated seat and controls.

Where To Buy & Finance Truck-Mounted Log Loaders

Explore TreeTrader.com and the pages of Tree & Landscape Equipment Trader magazine to find new and used truck-mounted log loaders for sale from industry-leading manufacturers such as Pac-Mac, Palfinger, Prentice (by Weiler), Rotobec, Serco, and others.

If you have already found your ideal truck-mounted log loader for sale, explore your tree and landscaping equipment financing options with CurrencyFinance. Currency can also help you get competitive landscaping truck loans.