Jib vs. Bridge vs. Gantry Cranes: Choosing the Right Fit

The question isn't which crane type is best. It's which one fits the specific conditions of the application. Each does something the others don't, and each has limitations the others avoid.

Jib Cranes

A jib crane is a horizontal boom that rotates around a vertical mast. Floor-mounted jibs provide 200 degrees of rotation. Wall-mounted jibs provide 200 degrees. Full-gantry articulating jibs provide 360 degrees.

Jibs are workstation-level tools. They serve a single operator at a single station. Typical capacities range from 250 pounds to 2 tons. Boom lengths run from 8 to 20 feet.

The advantage is cost and simplicity. A floor-mounted jib with a manual hoist can go in within a day for $3,000-$8,000 depending on capacity and span. No runway, no building modification, no electrical work if the hoist is manual or pneumatic.

The limitation is coverage. A jib serves only the area within its boom radius. Material flow that requires moving loads across the full bay — receiving dock to workstation to shipping — is outside its scope.

Bridge Cranes

A bridge crane spans the full width of a bay on elevated runways. The bridge travels the length of the bay. The hoist travels the width of the bridge. Full rectangular coverage of the entire bay floor.

Capacities range from 1/4 ton (workstation bridge cranes on enclosed track) to 100+ tons (heavy-duty overhead bridge cranes with open structural runway). Light-duty workstation systems run $15,000-$50,000 installed. Heavy-duty systems: $50,000-$500,000+ depending on capacity, span, and runway length.

The requirement is runway support — either from building columns or from freestanding support structure. Buildings not designed to carry crane loads need structural analysis and potentially reinforcement, which adds significant cost.

Gantry Cranes

A gantry crane carries its own support structure. Instead of runways mounted to the building, the crane bridge sits on legs that run on floor-mounted rails or rubber tires.

Gantries solve a specific problem: bridge crane coverage where the building structure can't carry the load. Common in older facilities, pre-engineered metal buildings, and outdoor applications.

Capacities match bridge cranes. The tradeoff is floor space — the legs and rails consume area that a building-mounted bridge crane doesn't. Tire-mounted portable gantries offer maximum flexibility but lower capacity and precision.

Choosing by Material Flow Path

The starting point is the material flow path. Where do loads originate, where do they need to go, and how many stations do they touch along the way?

Flow from a fixed point to one workstation and back: a jib crane covers it.

Flow across the full bay — loading dock to multiple stations to shipping: bridge crane territory.

Building can't support a bridge crane, or the application is outdoors: gantry.

As a rough guide: if the coverage area is under 400 square feet, a jib is typically sufficient. Over 400 square feet, bridge or gantry options come into play.