Kranverleih Kunze has expanded its crane fleet with the delivery of the new Liebherr LTM 1055-3.3, becoming the first company in Germany to operate the mobile crane in combination with a dedicated ballast trailer configuration. The new setup allows the company to transport the crane’s complete 11-tonne ballast on German roads without requiring additional individual driving permits, significantly improving operational flexibility for nationwide projects.
The mobile crane and trailer combination has been developed by Liebherr in partnership with a regional transport solutions provider. According to the company, the transport arrangement complies with German road regulations relating to axle loads and vehicle dimensions, enabling simplified approvals for road movement across federal states.
Dirk Kunze said the new configuration offers major operational advantages by eliminating delays associated with obtaining special transport permits for ballast movement. He noted that the company can now mobilize the crane quickly across Germany while carrying the complete ballast package, enabling faster deployment and improved project efficiency.
The LTM 1055-3.3 is regarded as the lightest three-axle all-terrain crane currently available on the market. The crane has been engineered with a lightweight design that enables axle loads below nine tonnes and, depending on configuration, an overall vehicle weight of less than 26 tonnes.
The crane features a long telescopic boom and is designed to deliver strong lifting capacities, particularly at medium and larger working radii. Equipped with Liebherr’s VarioBase Plus technology, the crane can achieve lifting capacities of up to 3.3 tonnes at a 30-metre radius. At Kranverleih Kunze, the new crane replaces the earlier LTM 1055-3.1 model and joins an existing all-Liebherr fleet that includes the LTC 1050-3.1, LTM 1120-4.1, MK 88-4.1E, and MK 140-5.1E cranes.
The company plans to deploy the new 55-tonne crane primarily for industrial construction, steel and concrete projects, and energy infrastructure applications such as substations. The machine is expected to serve as a versatile taxi crane for short- and medium-duration lifting assignments.
The crane’s first assignment took place in Dresden, where it handled hollow-core prefabricated slabs weighing approximately 5.5 tonnes for the IMA Materials Research Institute. Shortly afterward, the crane was deployed at a former waste-to-energy facility in Dresden to assist in dismantling a chimney structure alongside an LTM 1120-4.1 crane. Founded through a partnership with Liebherr in 2005, Kranverleih Kunze today operates a fleet of mobile cranes, transport vehicles, and logistics equipment while serving customers across Germany in lifting and transport operations.
