The UK World Crane Championships are just around the corner and former champion Trevor Tack is set to try his luck again and go for the hattrick.
Designed to celebrate the expertise of the world’s top crane operators, the popular event sees contestants from the UK compete at local level, before the UK winner heads off to the global final at the International Automobile Exhibition (IAA) Transportation fair in Hanover on 24-25 September.
The event this year takes place on 2 July during the Road Transport Expo at NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire and the registrations are already rolling in. We spoke to Trevor to get his thoughts on how he found himself participating in the Crane Championships, how he’s going to tackle the new course and what winning the previous UK championship meant to him.
“I first participated in 2016, I was buying a new truck and the salesman at the time mentioned the event to me. It was being held at Silverstone which is only 10 minutes up the road, and he said it would make a good day out, so I headed up with my family and to my surprise ended up getting the quickest time of the weekend!
"Being a Hiab driver of 27 years definitely helped, I had a quick practice and thought I could get the hang of this, and it just happens it went right for me on the day. Went back two years later in 2018 and the same thing happened again!
“Everyone uses the same equipment provided by Hiab but there’s a huge step up in quality when entering the global competition. Andreas, the previous world champion, uses cranes like that in that way daily. It’s hard to get used to the responsiveness of the crane when it isn’t your day-to-day equipment.
“Once you’re at the competition the atmosphere is great, there’s a lot of banter between the contestants and it’s a great chance to meet similar people to you. You’re with the opponents for the whole weekend. In 2016 Hiab took all of the finalists to a German Beer Festival and the whole restaurant were up on the table dancing! It’s a great way to make memories.
“I love my job and the Crane Championships are a great way to meet likeminded people, do something you enjoy and see what’s coming from Hiab. It’s an eyeopener to the brand and great opportunity to use the equipment.
“My work mates were so pleased for me. They had no idea you could do all of that with a crane, and my company manager messaged on the Monday after the competition to say how proud he was! I’m definitely going to enter this year, I’m all registered and I’m going for the hattrick. It would mean a lot to get it for a third time and it would be good to see some old, rivalled faces and try my luck at the World Championship again.
“It’s a brand-new course this year, so it’ll be fresh for us all. You can download a diagram of the track to have a practice prior to the event, one of the developers we work for is based on an old army base so I can set up there to have a practice beforehand, nothing physical, just getting used to manoeuvres of the crane and how the barrel will swing at certain speeds.
"The competition is always so close, last time it was only 20-25 seconds apart, I’m excited to get to the event and hopefully see some decent crowds.
“When you’re watching it, it looks so easy. Come and give it a go, watch how much that barrel swings at the end of the crane and see what you can do, it’s not as easy as it looks.
"I’m really looking forward to the event and I’m hoping for some tough competition.
"After the 2020 championships were cancelled, it killed the buzz slightly, so hopefully we can bring it back this year and go for the hattrick!”
You can take part in the excitement of the Hiab World Crane Championship by heading along to the Road Transport Expo at NAEC Stoneleigh from 30 June to 2 July. It's completely free to attend and combines a vast expo, with business seminars, driver talks and a whole lot more! Book today
