Kalmar Straddle Carriers, for North American ports of the future
Kalmar straddle carriers provide flexible, high-performance container handling for the demands of modern American and Canadian marine terminals. Designed to support the evolving needs of North American ports, they combine operational flexibility with automation readiness, advanced safety features and efficient powertrain options.
Also known as straddle trucks, straddle carrier cranes or shuttles, Kalmar straddle carriers can operate across your yard, regardless of its layout. Their flexibility allows a single equipment solution to support multiple container handling processes, helping North American terminals make better use of available space and reduce infrastructure requirements.
Proven Performance Across American Ports & Terminals
Leading container terminals throughout North America rely on Kalmar equipment to maintain fluid, high-throughput yard
operations focusing on safety, efficiency and sustainability:
Reduce collisions, accidents, and damage with the collision warning system for straddle carriers
One carrier, every job in the yard
A straddle carrier drives over the container instead of beside it, which sounds like a small design detail until you see what it allows. One machine can lift a box off a truck chassis at the gate, carry it to the stack, and set it down without handing it to anyone else. When a vessel schedule shifts and the work moves to another part of the terminal, your fleet moves with it.
(60 metric tons)
single lift
up to
What one carrier can do in a shift
- Gate: load and unload trucks.
- Stack: transport containers and build rows up to four high.
- Berth: work with ship-to-shore (STS) and yard cranes.
- Rail: serve the on-dock rail ramp.
- Reefers: move containers to and from the reefer racks.
- Off-dock: run between the warehouse and the main yard.
Straddle carriers for end-to-end terminal operations
If you want one flexible machine handling containers from the gate to the berth, a straddle carrier can work across your whole terminal. It isn't tied to one area or one yard layout, so when your container flows change, you move capacity to where it's needed instead of rebuilding around the equipment. And because one carrier combines several handling functions, you make better use of the space and infrastructure you already have.
Straddle carriers for shuttle operations
Carriers can also shuttle containers between the berth and the landside, keeping your ship-to-shore (STS) cranes supplied and supporting continuous cargo flow. Because they pick up and set down containers directly on the ground, they act as flexible buffering between different areas of the terminal, and you rely less on additional yard equipment. That suits terminals that want better container flow and productivity while their operations keep changing.
Pick a powertrain, then decide how automated you want to be
These are two separate decisions, and you can make them on different timelines.
Powertrain |
How it works |
|---|---|
| Kalmar Electric Straddle Carrier | Zero emissions at the point of use. Lithium-ion batteries, CCS plug-in charging as standard, and Kalmar FastCharge™ or Megawatt Charging System for faster charging. |
| Kalmar Hybrid Straddle Carrier | Recovers energy through regenerative braking and shuts the engine off automatically when it isn't needed, cutting fuel use and emissions by up to 40%. |
| Kalmar Diesel-Electric Straddle Carrier | An efficient diesel engine paired with an electric drive, which keeps fuel economy high and maintenance low. |
Then choose your pace of automation
Whichever powertrain you choose, the carrier can be driven by an operator or automated with the Kalmar One Automation System. Kalmar AutoStrad™ lets you add automation in stages, starting where it pays back fastest, rather than converting the whole terminal at once.
What makes it hold up
Most of what keeps a carrier working for years comes down to having fewer parts that can go wrong, and making the ones that remain easy to reach.
Feature |
What it means in daily operation |
|---|---|
| Rigid frame | A single chassis that needs no external bracing, so there are fewer joints and braces to flex, loosen and inspect over the years. |
| Active Stability Control | Watches speed, turning radius and spreader position, and eases back acceleration before the carrier gets near a tip-over. |
| Eight-pulley winch hoist | A winch rope system with just eight pulleys, so there is less to wear and less to service. |
| Ground-level service points | Key components sit inside the chassis and are reached from the ground, so technicians stay off ladders and out of the weather. |
| Long service intervals | Up to 1,000 hours between services, which keeps carriers working instead of waiting in the shop. |
| Operator cabin | For manual operation, controls and sightlines sit where an operator can reach them comfortably through a long shift. |
See what a carrier would do in your yard
Tell us about your layout and your flows, and we'll talk through which powertrain and which pace of automation fit.
Our Offering
Electric Straddle Carrier
AutoStrad™
Hybrid Straddle Carrier
Diesel-Electric Straddle Carrier
Collision Warning System
Midlife refurbishment
Maintenance of Straddle Carriers
Frequently asked questions:
What does a straddle carrier do?
Kalmar Straddle Carriers are able to pick and place containers around your yard independently of other cranes and equipment, allowing you to decouple your operations between your quayside and landside operations.
What does a straddle carrier cost?
The cost of a Kalmar Straddle Carrier is dependent on your requirements and specifications, to receive an estimated cost please speak directly to us.
How long does an electric straddle carrier take to charge?
If you have chosen to have your straddle carriers fitted with Kalmar FastCharge then you can charge your equipment while it is working in your yard. If using the standard CCS charger your straddle carrier is ready to operate for up to 4 hours after 45 minutes charging.
Have you discontinued using the name Kalmar Shuttle Carrier?
Yes, we have decided that all our equipment previously referred to as Kalmar Shuttle Carriers will now be uniformly known as Kalmar Straddle Carriers. We differentiate between the two types of operations: end-to-end operations and shuttle operations.
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator
How would it impact your total cost of ownership (TCO) if you switched to hybrid or fully electric straddle carrier.
Simply enter your current energy and diesel cost to find out.
Results
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