Global ship-to-shore cranes market growth is expected to be driven by high costs of international cargo and the need to make goods available at the fastest pace

A ship-to-shore crane, also known as a floating crane, is a category of high dockside gantenna crane usually found at sea ports for loading and unload inbound cargo from ship-to-ship containers. It has a vertical mast that extends along the length of the crane's deck while two or more legs extend out in front, allowing it to be remotely operated. This crane system is one of the most important components of a large shipping container or other dock system. It is used to transfer large loads of freight or other heavy items vertically from one dock to another.

Many major ship-breaking yards and depots use these imported cranes to perform the majority of their dock maintenance activities. Such cranes can also be used to perform short notice unloading activities at small local ports. Some of these importers/importers are unable to meet the stringent international security requirements necessary to import their own crane systems, which often leads to them using Unscheduled Ship-to-shore Cranes or USCs, which may not be as dependable or as reliable.

The different types of these cranes include single-stage, twin-stage, spreader, and boom. There are also varying sizes ranging from four axles up to nine and a half ton counterbalance. Most cranes are able to handle different types of shipping containers ranging from light vans to oversized steel cases.

In most cases, these cranes is assembled at the port of call while the container is disassembled at the shipping terminal prior to departure. These cranes are usually used to service large ships and superstructures that are too large to fit on land, such as bridges. Most Ship-to Shore cranes are imported from suppliers that specialize in the design and production of crane units for both land and maritime applications. However, some importations may be necessary to source a special-sized crane, especially if the final destination is in a different continent.

The demand for these cranes is anticipated to increase as the global ship-to-shore cranes market grows. Global ship-to-shore cranes market growth is expected to be driven by a number of factors, including the high costs of international cargo and the need to make goods available at the fastest pace. International freight rates are forecast to increase over the next few years due to an increase in traffic between major ports around the world as well as an increasingly difficult economic climate in the United States, resulting in more goods being shipped internationally. Additionally, the tighter restrictions imposed on the transport of hazardous materials in the United States by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are expected to result in a rapid increase in the number of shipments of non-emergency medical and hazardous materials between the United States and Canada that are subjected to tighter EPA inspection.

Over the past decade, these cranes have played a large role in the container ship and trucking industry as well as the nationwide freight forwarders and brokerage firms. As a result of the increased demand for these specialized vertical cranes by both private and commercial sector customers, many businesses have begun purchasing these machines to use on a temporary or permanent basis. As more companies invest in these tools, the demand for portable and permanent vertical platform crane systems will continue to grow.