Transtainer

What Is a Transtainer?

A transtainer is a large gantry crane used to load and unload containers onto trucks or railway wagons or to store the containers on top of each other in stacks in a container yard.

Gantry cranes consist of parallel frame bars with cross-bars that hold the crane mechanism over the container stacks. Transtainers may be used on rails or pneumatic tires. When on rails, the transtainer can only operate directly above the rails. On tires, it has a broader field of movement and may be called an RTG, which is short for rubber-tyred gantry crane.

How do transtainers fit into terminal operations?

Terminals use transtainers to stack containers in the yard and to load them onto trucks and trains. Operators plan stacks around expected departure times, but a container buried under others may need to be moved before it can leave. That extra handling can add time to a pickup. It's one reason to book your trucking appointment early and to track the Last Free Day.

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