The short answer
A boom truck is a crane mounted on a commercial truck, usually with a flatbed. It's quick to set up, fits into tight sites, can often haul its own load, and costs less. A mobile crane (a hydraulic truck crane, rough terrain crane or all-terrain crane) is a dedicated lifting machine with more capacity and reach.
If your load is light to moderate and the truck can park reasonably close to where it's going, a boom truck is usually the better value. If the load is heavy, the reach is long, or the lift is high, you need a crane. The deciding numbers are always the same: total weight, radius and height.
Boom truck vs crane at a glance
| Boom truck | Mobile crane | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Telescoping crane on a commercial truck, usually with a flatbed | Dedicated crane carrier: truck crane, rough terrain or all-terrain |
| Capacity | Lighter end of the range | Wide range, up to very heavy lifts |
| Reach and height | Moderate | Longer booms, more capacity at radius |
| Setup | Fast: outriggers down and lifting in minutes | Longer, especially for large cranes with counterweight |
| Hauling | Can often carry the load on its deck | Load usually arrives on a separate truck |
| Site footprint | Smaller; fits driveways and small lots | Larger; needs more room for outriggers and swing |
| Typical cost | Lower hourly rate and minimum | Higher, rising with capacity |
When a boom truck is the right choice
A boom truck usually makes sense when:
- The load is moderate: trusses, small and mid-size rooftop units, generators, signs, hot tubs, building materials.
- The truck can park close to where the load goes, so the radius is short.
- The set height is modest, such as a one- or two-story roof.
- The site is tight, like a residential driveway or small parking lot.
- You'd like the same truck to pick up the load and deliver it.
- The job is short and you want the lowest minimum charge.
When you need a crane
Step up to a mobile crane when:
- The load is heavy for its size: steel beams, precast concrete, transformers, large equipment.
- The set point is far from where any truck can park, such as over a building or deep into a site.
- The lift is high: multi-story buildings, tall structures, or long reaches past a roof edge.
- There are many heavy picks over several days, such as steel erection.
- It's industrial work that calls for a specific crane configuration or capacity margin.
Why radius matters more than you'd think
Every crane, boom truck included, can lift much more close in than far out. The load chart lists capacity at each radius, the horizontal distance from the center of rotation to the load, and capacity falls quickly as that distance grows. A boom truck that easily lifts a load sitting beside it may not be able to place that same load over the far side of a house.
That's why the first question a provider asks isn't just "how heavy?" but "how far?" Measure from where the truck or crane can park to where the load will be set, and include anything in between such as roofs, fences or power lines. The crane sizing guide explains load charts in more detail.
Job-by-job examples
| Job | Usually | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Residential roof trusses | Boom truck | Light picks, short reach, quick setup |
| Small or mid-size rooftop unit | Boom truck | Moderate weight on a low roof |
| Large rooftop unit or air handler | Either, often crane | Weight and setback from the curb decide it |
| Hot tub over a house | Either | Depends on reach over the roof |
| Standby generator | Boom truck | Can haul and set in one trip |
| Pole sign | Boom truck | Moderate weight and height |
| Structural steel erection | Crane | Heavy members, long reach, many picks |
| Precast panels | Crane | Heavy loads at radius |
| Tree removal over a house | Either, often crane | Section weight and reach over the roof |
| Plant equipment change-out | Crane | Weight, site rules and capacity margins |
These are general patterns. Your weights and distances decide it.
Cost comparison
Boom trucks usually cost less. Published rate sheets put cranes with an operator at est. $155–$595 per hour, with $465–$3,200 minimums (RiggingForce), with boom trucks toward the lower end and large cranes toward the top. By the day, a boom truck runs est. $1,650–$3,200 per day (EquipNearby), while an operated crane runs est. $1,000–$4,000 per day (CraneCompare) depending on its size. Local prices vary. See crane rental cost for more on what drives a quote.
The cheapest machine is the smallest one that can do the lift safely. Sending a crane that's too small wastes the trip, and sending one far bigger than needed wastes money, so accurate numbers pay off.
Machines that get confused with boom trucks
- Knuckle boom cranes (articulating cranes) fold at joints instead of telescoping. They're common on delivery trucks for building materials and can reach over obstacles at awkward angles, but they work differently from a telescopic boom truck.
- Bucket trucks and aerial lifts lift people, not loads. They're for working at height, such as trimming trees or fixing lights, not for setting heavy equipment.
- Telehandlers are forklifts with a telescoping boom. They place pallets and materials on job sites but aren't a substitute for a crane on most lifts.
If you're not sure what you need, describe the job rather than the machine and let the provider recommend one.
What to tell the provider
- Load weight, including rigging and any crate or pallet
- Distance from the closest setup spot to the set point
- Set height, and anything the load has to clear
- Site access: driveway width, gates, ground, overhead lines
- Whether the load needs to be picked up somewhere first
With that, a provider can tell you quickly whether a boom truck will do or you need a mobile crane.
Frequently asked questions
Is a boom truck a crane?
Yes. A boom truck is a type of mobile crane, built on a commercial truck chassis, usually with a flatbed. In everyday use, people say boom truck for these lighter truck-mounted cranes and crane for larger dedicated machines.
Is a boom truck cheaper than a crane?
Usually. Boom trucks sit at the lower end of published hourly rates, which run est. $155–$595 per hour, with $465–$3,200 minimums for cranes with an operator, while large cranes sit toward the top. Source: RiggingForce.
Can a boom truck lift a hot tub over a house?
Sometimes. It depends on the hot tub's weight and how far it has to travel from the truck, over the roof, to where it's set. If the reach is long, a larger mobile crane may be needed.