How to hire a crane operator: tower, mobile or overhead crane
The type of crane decides who you need
A tower crane operator on a building site, a mobile crane driver, an overhead (EOT) crane operator in a workshop and a loader-crane operator are different jobs with different qualifications. A tower crane works at height, with a signalman and radio contact. A mobile crane moves around and depends on boom reach and stable ground. An overhead crane in a workshop calls for constant attention to people on the floor. So don't just write “crane”: give the type and the capacity.
What to include in the vacancy
- Crane type — tower, mobile, crawler, overhead, loader crane.
- Capacity — for example 25 tonnes, or the crane model.
- Licence and certificates — a certificate for exactly this type of crane, training or qualification, a medical fitness certificate.
- Where to work — a residential project site, factory, warehouse, port, crane-rental company.
- Salary — monthly pay or per shift.
- City and area — where the site is.
- Schedule and shifts — day, night, five days a week, alternating shifts, 12-hour shifts.
- Experience — in years, and on this very type of crane.
- Employment terms — on the company's payroll or otherwise.
Example request
“A Central developer needs a tower crane operator for a residential project site. The crane has an 8-tonne capacity, 12-hour alternating shifts. Certificate for tower cranes, at least 3 years' experience on tower cranes specifically. Salary from HK$4,200 a month, on the company payroll.”
How to hire through BlaBlaPrice
You write your request once. It is checked for ads and contact details, and you are prompted to add the important details. Then operators in your area reply in the chat: which cranes they have worked on, what certificates they hold and when they can start. BlaBlaPrice shows the strongest replies first, with the candidate's reviews next to each. Your phone number stays hidden, and you pay nothing for the search. More on the page “How it works”.
Safety and checks
Ask separately whether the candidate has had a medical check-up and is comfortable working at height in a tower crane cab: it doesn't suit everyone.
Crane work is high-risk, so check documents carefully: the certificate must match the type of crane, not just say “operator”. Ask whether the candidate has worked with a signalman or a rigger, and how they check slings and limit switches before a shift. Agree who keeps the shift logbook and who is responsible for the crane's technical inspection.
Night shifts demand alertness, so be honest about the schedule from the start. If you also need people on the ground, look for a general labourer or an installer.
If you are looking for work
Register as a service provider on BlaBlaPrice, choose the category and your area, and you will receive vacancies for crane operators. For other building trades see the section “Construction / finishing works”.
