Gantry crane

A rubber tyred gantry crane — commonly called an RTG crane — earns its keep in exactly the situation where a rail-mounted crane can’t: a yard or terminal where the crane needs to reposition between rows, steer around obstacles, or cover a layout that changes as operations grow. Buying an RTG without confirming your surface rating, steering requirements, and duty cycle is one of the more expensive mistakes a terminal or yard operator can make — these are large capital purchases with long service lives, and the wrong configuration is difficult to correct after installation.

Weiyuan supplies rubber tyred gantry cranes from general-duty yard configurations through container-handling specifications, engineered around the specific operating pattern of your site rather than a generic catalogue spec.

What Makes a Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane Different

Unlike a rail-mounted gantry crane (RMG) or a fixed-rail full gantry crane, an RTG crane travels on rubber tyres across a paved surface — no rail infrastructure required. This gives an RTG crane a flexibility that neither a rail-mounted gantry nor an indoor overhead crane can match: it can reposition between yard rows, and steering-equipped models can even turn to work a different lane entirely.

That flexibility comes with trade-offs worth understanding before you buy: tyre wear is an ongoing operating cost that rail-mounted wheels don’t carry, achievable travel speed is typically lower than an equivalent RMG crane, and the paved surface itself needs to be engineered to the crane’s tyre-load rating — a cost that’s easy to underestimate during initial budgeting.

Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane Types

Container-Handling RTG

Built to the dimensional and lifting-capacity standards used across container terminals, with a spreader-compatible hoist and a span sized for standard container stack widths.

• Capacity: 35–65 tons under the spreader
• Stacking height: typically five to seven containers high
• Best for: container terminals and intermodal yards

General-Duty Yard RTG

A lighter-capacity configuration for general cargo, steel, or bulk-material yards that don’t require container-spec dimensions or stacking heights.

• Capacity: 10–35 tons
• Best for: general-cargo ports, steel yards, and industrial material yards needing flexible positioning without container-terminal-scale investment

Steering vs. Non-Steering Configuration

A non-steering RTG crane travels in a straight line along its operating lane; a steering-equipped RTG can turn to reposition between lanes entirely, at added mechanical complexity and cost. Steering capability is worth specifying only where your actual yard layout requires cross-lane repositioning — many single-lane operations don’t need it.

Featured Product: Weiyuan RTG-Series Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane

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The Weiyuan RTG-Series is available in 20, 35, and 50-ton configurations, with optional steering axles and a control cab or remote-operation package. Each unit is engineered to the customer’s specific yard layout and paved surface rating rather than a fixed catalogue span.

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How to Choose the Right Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane

1. Confirm your actual container or load weight range, not an assumed industry-standard figure — general cargo and container specs differ significantly.
2. Map your yard layout to decide whether steering capability is genuinely needed or whether a non-steering configuration covers your operating pattern.
3. Verify your paved surface rating against the crane’s tyre-load specification before finalizing an order — this is a common and costly oversight.
4. Decide on cab vs. remote operation, based on your staffing model and whether operator sightlines across the yard are adequate for remote control.
5. Confirm span and stacking height against your actual yard dimensions, not a generic container-terminal standard, if you’re not running container-spec operations.

Red Flags When Shopping for a Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane

• No stated tyre-load rating — this determines your paved-surface requirement and is essential for budgeting site preparation correctly.
• Vague duty-cycle classification — an RTG crane specified for occasional use will wear out fast under continuous port operations; confirm the quoted duty class matches your actual usage pattern.
• Steering capability bundled in without asking whether you need it — a needless added cost if your yard layout doesn’t require cross-lane repositioning.
• No commissioning or load-testing plan included — an RTG crane of this scale should never go into service without documented load testing across its full travel range.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What’s the difference between an RTG crane and an RMG crane? An RTG (rubber tyred gantry) crane travels on rubber tyres across a paved surface, allowing it to reposition or steer between lanes without fixed rail infrastructure. An RMG (rail-mounted gantry) crane travels on a fixed rail, offering more precise positioning and higher achievable speed, but less flexibility to reposition outside its rail path.

Q: Do I need a container-spec RTG crane for a general cargo yard? No — container-handling RTG cranes are built to specific dimensional standards for container stacking that general cargo, steel, or bulk-material yards don’t need. A general-duty yard RTG configuration is typically more cost-effective for non-container applications.

Q: What surface do I need for a rubber tyred gantry crane? A paved, load-rated travel surface across the crane’s full operating area, engineered to the crane’s tyre-load specification under full working capacity. This should be confirmed with a civil engineer against the crane manufacturer’s load data before construction.

Q: How often do RTG crane tyres need to be replaced? This depends heavily on duty cycle, load, and surface quality — high-cycle container terminal operations wear tyres faster than light general-duty use. Your supplier should be able to provide an expected service interval based on your specific operating pattern.

Q: Can an RTG crane be converted to rail-mounted operation later? Generally no — RTG and RMG cranes are different structural and mechanical designs from the ground up. If there’s a realistic chance you’ll want fixed-rail operation later, that decision is worth making before purchase, not after.