This is the first delivery of this configuration to a customer in Germany: Kranverleih Kunze takes delivery of a new LTM 1055-3.3 mobile crane – including trailer, which allows the complete ballast to be carried on German roads without restrictions. The new combination is a decisive advantage for the Saxony-based company, which operates throughout Germany: “We can move the crane with a full ballast across federal states without having to wait for individual authorisations,” says Managing Director Dirk Kunze.
The LTM 1055-3.3 is redefining mobility as the lightest 3-axle all-terrain crane on the market. Thanks to its lightweight design, driving configurations with axle loads of under 9 tonnes and – depending on the configuration – a gross vehicle weight of less than 26 tonnes are possible. With its long telescopic boom this mobile crane can handle high load capacities, especially with medium and large radii.
A taxi crane that fits perfectly into the application portfolio
The LTM 1055 3.3 replaces its predecessor model, the LTM 1055-3.1, and joins the LTC 1050-3.1, LTM 1120 4.1, MK 88-4.1E and MK 140-5.1E in Kunze’s all-Liebherr fleet. “The main areas of application for our new 55-tonne crane are industrial building construction, concrete and steel construction as well as energy facilities such as substations. As the LTM 1055-3.3 will serve as a modern and versatile taxi crane for short and medium operations in future, it was essential that the overall concept fitted. We had to be able to move the crane and 11 tonnes of ballast without having to apply for additional driving authorisations,” explains the managing director.
This is made possible by the new transport solution with a ballast trailer that Liebherr has developed with an external local partner: with its dimensions and axle loads, the LTM 1055-3.3 is within the so called “exempt-from-consultation” area under VwV-StVO §29 – both for the crane as a single vehicle (max. 27.5 tonnes total weight) and for the towing combination with trailer (max. 41.8 tonnes total weight).
The responsible licensing authority issues a general permanent licence for both driving conditions within the entire scope of the StVO. “As we only have to reapply for this licence every three years, this saves us unnecessary costs. We’re also able to operate flexibly throughout Germany: we can reach any site without special driving authorisations. In just one lift, our crane picks up the 11 tonnes of ballast from the trailer and is immediately ready for operation – delivering lifting capacities of up to 3.3 tonnes at a 30‑metre radius thanks to VarioBase® Plus,” Kunze adds.
First assignment in Dresden
The first deployment of the new LTM 1055-3.3 took place in early April in Dresden. For the IMA materials research institute, the 3-axle crane lifts hollow-core prefabricated slabs including tongs with a total weight of 5.5 tonnes. Including assembly and dismantling, the mobile crane was on site for two days. The subsequent crane job took place just a few kilometres away: at the former waste‑to‑energy plant of the Saxon state capital, the LTM 1055‑3.3 dismantled a chimney together with an LTM 1120‑4.1. The crane was rigged with a double folding jib and 9 tonnes of ballast. The additional 2‑tonne ballast plate remained on the trailer.
The partnership between Liebherr and Kunze stretches back to 2005: at that time, Liebherr made it possible for the current managing director to take over Eisner, a company steeped in tradition. Today, Kranverleih Kunze employs nine people and combines crane work and transport logistics from a single source – in addition to five mobile cranes, the fleet also includes a loader crane and three lorries. This time too, the choice for Kunze was clear: “With Liebherr, we have a strong partner at our side – whether uncomplicated processing for new purchases or trade-ins, financing solutions via Südleasing, or service in day-to-day operations.”
