All-Terrain Crane Rental in Amarillo, TX
An all-terrain crane is a telescopic crane on a multi-axle carrier that runs at highway speed and still handles rough site roads, and around Amarillo it earns its rate when a pick (one lift) is too heavy or too far out for a truck crane, or the setup sits off the pavement. Tadano says its AT cranes "feature all-wheel steering and advanced suspension systems" for "smooth highway travel, tight cornering, and excellent off-road capability." The catch is logistics: larger models haul part of their counterweight on separate trucks; moving the crane and those loads can involve TxDMV permits and escorts; and FAA notice can apply when the boom tops out close to an Amarillo runway. Below: specs, rates, rules and what a quote needs.
$500 to $1,500 an hour for large cranes, national figures from a rental marketplace's April 27, 2026 guide · full pricing guide
All-terrain carriers are built to use every wheel: Manitowoc lists independent hydropneumatic suspension with hydraulic lockout on all wheels of its Grove AT cranes, and pitches them on lifting performance, off-road mobility and fast highway speeds. Tadano's December 2024 datasheet gives the AC 3.055-1 a 60-US-ton maximum capacity, a main boom of 33.8 to 164 feet and a 52.8 mph top speed that Tadano says depends on tires and country rules; Grove's GMK3060L-1 puts 65 US tons and a seven-section boom on a compact three-axle carrier; and the five-axle Grove GMK5250XL-1 is rated 300 US tons with a 257.5 ft main boom. That range spans plant equipment, tanks, steel and power-site picks across the Panhandle.
Published prices for this class are national and sorted by tonnage, not by carrier. On April 27, 2026, a national equipment-rental marketplace's crane cost guide put the average large crane at $500 to $1,500 per hour and, in its bare-versus-operated figures, at $400 to $1,200+ bare against $750 to $1,200+ with an operator, and gave day rates of $1,500 to $3,500 for 100 tons and $2,500 to $12,000 for 200 tons. It adds that rates can rise when cranes are booked out in busy seasons or during major local projects. ThePricer (November 12, 2025) calls four to eight hour minimums common for truck and all terrain cranes and names escort trucks for counterweights and crane mats as separate costs. Each range sits with its source on our Amarillo crane cost page.
Moving an AT is a TxDMV matter before it is a lifting one. The annual permit for unladen lift equipment is capped at a width of 10 feet and a gross weight of 120,000 pounds; TxDMV also issues single-trip mileage permits for lift equipment over legal limits, good for up to seven consecutive days, and a lift unit heavier than 175,000 pounds needs an escort at each end to cross a bridge. On site, OSHA puts assembly and disassembly under an A/D (assembly/disassembly) director and lists struck-by counterweights and loss of backward stability among the hazards to address (section 1926.1404). A qualified person inspects the configuration once assembly is done (29 CFR 1926.1412(c)(1)), and the operator's evaluation takes in "counterweight set-up" (29 CFR 1926.1427(f)).
Several large industrial sites are within a highway drive of Amarillo. Fermi America's home page (modified October 13, 2026) says Project Matador "will be a 17GW private power and AI campus in the Texas Panhandle," on about 8,400 acres in Carson County next to what it calls the Pantex DOE complex, and the company's September 18, 2026 note on the first turbines puts each at "more than 480,000 pounds," brought in under heavy-haul permits behind escorts. The City of Amarillo says the site is outside its city limits; our Panhandle and Carson County page covers work there. In Hutchinson County, Phillips 66 lists its Borger refinery at 175 MBD of crude throughput on about 6,000 acres, and the Chevron Phillips Chemical plant in Borger makes specialty chemicals and plastics; see crane work around Borger.
An AT quote needs the site as much as the load. Send the heaviest pick and its rigging weight, the radius and hook height at the set point, the route in and the ground where the outriggers and counterweight trucks will stand, any overhead lines, the distance to the nearest runway, the address and your dates. The written quote costs you nothing and names the crane and its configuration, operated or bare, the hour minimum, travel, counterweight trucks, escorts, permits, mats and rigging, each on a separate line with any tax. Heavy or complex picks may also need a formal plan: ASME P30.1 sorts plans into standard and critical lift plans, and our rigging and lift planning page explains both.
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AT Crane Examples: Published Maker Figures
Five all-terrain models from four manufacturers, from a 60-US-ton class to a 300-US-ton five-axle crane. Where a maker prints only metric figures, the figure is shown as printed, in metric.
| Example model (maker) | Max capacity | Main boom | Max road speed | Carrier and transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tadano AC 3.055-1 | 60 US tons | 33.8-164 ft | 52.8 mph (tire dependent) | not listed |
| Grove GMK3060L-1 (Manitowoc) | 65 US tons | 31.3-157.5 ft, seven sections | not listed | Compact three-axle carrier |
| Liebherr LTM 1090-4.2 | 90 t (metric) at 3.00 m radius | not listed | 85.00 km/h (metric) | not listed |
| Grove GMK5250XL-1 (Manitowoc) | 300 US tons | 257.5 ft | not listed | Five-axle carrier |
| Link-Belt 175AT | not listed | not listed | not listed | 81,000 lb counterweight in two overflow loads |
Figures are the published maximums each manufacturer prints for the named model; not listed means we cite no figure for that cell. A lift's real capacity comes from the load chart for its boom, radius and counterweight. We cite these models to show the class and do not own them.
When the Job Calls for an AT Crane
Look at the AT class when the lift needs more crane than a truck crane offers, or the setup sits where a highway carrier struggles, and the work still runs days rather than months. Any of these conditions on a Panhandle job points that way.
- The set point lies across a lease road, plant yard or farm field, where all-wheel steering and independent suspension count for more than top road speed.
- The piece is heavy at a long radius, such as a vessel, transformer or turbine part that a mid-size truck crane's chart cannot hold that far out.
- The lift needs counterweight beyond what travels on the crane, so the site must have room for a laydown area and the counterweight trucks.
- One crane has to work several sites in a week, from Amarillo to Borger, Dumas or Carson County, driving itself between moves.
- A tall boom will stand near the runways at Rick Husband Amarillo International or Tradewind Airport, where FAA notice can apply under 14 CFR 77.9.
Counterweight Trucks, Escorts and TxDMV Permits for an AT
The bigger the AT, the more of it rides on other trucks. Link-Belt's 175AT page says that crane travels with "a full 81,000 pounds of counterweight in just two overflow loads," and ThePricer lists "escort trucks for counterweights" as their own cost. Each of those trucks is measured against TxDMV's legal limits: 80,000 pounds gross, 20,000 on a single axle, 34,000 on a tandem, 8 feet 6 inches wide and 14 feet high. Beyond them a non-divisible load needs a permit.
TxDMV's general single-trip permit costs $60, plus a $150 to $375 highway maintenance fee scaled to gross weight on loads over 80,000 pounds, and reaches loads up to 254,300 pounds; heavier moves need a superheavy permit, applied for three to four weeks ahead. TxDMV's escort and equipment rules call for one escort past 14 feet wide (front on a two-lane highway, rear on a multi-lane one), front and rear escorts past 16 feet, a front escort with a height pole past 17 feet, and front and rear escorts whenever a load exceeds escort limits in two dimensions. On TxDMV's listed holidays, "Vehicles and loads exceeding 14 feet wide, 16 feet high, or 110 feet long may not be moved," barring a TxDMV exception, and under 43 TAC section 219.11 a permitted vehicle moves only in daytime unless an exception applies. The time-permit curfew list, effective September 30, 2025, lists nothing for Amarillo or for Potter or Randall County.
FAA Notice for a Tall AT Boom Near Amarillo's Airports
An AT boom can count as construction under the FAA's airspace rules. Under 14 CFR 77.13 the obstruction standards reach "permanent or temporary construction or alteration," "including equipment or materials used and any permanent or temporary apparatus," and the FAA's Part 77 page lists "Cranes, Boom Trucks" among its examples of temporary construction. Notice is due under the FAA's criteria in 14 CFR 77.9 for anything "more than 200 ft. AGL at its site," and for anything above a 100-to-1 slope out to 20,000 feet from the nearest runway of an airport whose longest runway is more than 3,200 feet.
Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, which the City places six miles east of downtown, has a 13,502-foot primary runway and a 7,901-foot crosswind runway, and Tradewind Airport (TDW) also appears in the FAA's Chart Supplement. The filing is Form 7460-1, at least 45 days before work under 14 CFR 77.7, and the FAA's airports office recommends 45 to 60 days. Its answer is a determination, and under 14 CFR 77.31 a no-hazard finding may add "Limitations necessary to minimize potential problems," "such as the use of temporary construction equipment," or "Marking and lighting recommendations, as appropriate." The City's Airport Overlay, tied to Chapter 4-9 of its code, marks where height limits apply near the airport. Our Amarillo permit, power line and FAA guide walks through the filing, and before any lift near a runway we check the criteria and tell you whether a 7460-1 is needed.
Panhandle Wind and an All-Terrain Crane's Load Chart
Liebherr's wind guide ties each crane's permissible wind speed to its load chart, and Amarillo tests such limits. The guide says crane operation must halt when the current wind exceeds that permissible speed, says up to two wind sensors can be fitted, one on the main boom, and defines a gust as the average speed over 3 seconds. Liebherr adds that the crane's own sensor reading "must not be used as the sole basis" for the load calculation. The National Weather Service's 22-year study of Amarillo names April the windiest month and August the calmest.
The Amarillo Airport sensor measured 83 mph on March 14, 2025, and the Aug. 2, 2025 storm brought likely 90 to 100 mph straight-line winds toward Cactus, Sunray and Dumas and damage consistent with 70 to 80 mph winds in Fritch and parts of Borger. OSHA leaves the call on site: the competent person adjusts for wind, ice and snow under 29 CFR 1926.1417(n), decides whether to secure the crane when a local storm warning is issued under 29 CFR 1926.1417(h), and wind and weather sit on the list of assembly hazards in 29 CFR 1926.1404(h). We follow the forecast through the job; when the operator or competent person halts a pick for wind, as OSHA's section 1926.1417 and the crane's maker require, it is rescheduled, and standby is billed the way the quote sets out.
Truck Crane, All-Terrain or Crawler for a Panhandle Lift
Three carriers can make many of the same Panhandle picks. Ground, travel distance, the weight at radius and the time on site decide which one you rent, and whether the crane comes operated or bare sets the tax line on the quote.
Truck crane on paved, open sites
When the crane can stand on pavement or a hard pad and the pick fits a truck crane's chart, start there: Grove lists 65 mph for its TMS9000-2, and the national cost guide says more reach or capacity can call for "a larger class crane, which raises overall crane rental pricing." Compare classes and sizes on our mobile crane rental page.
All-terrain for road plus rough ground
An AT drives the highway and then the site road. Tadano lists 52.8 mph for the AC 3.055-1, and Grove's GMK5250XL-1 carries 300 US tons of headline capacity on five axles. It suits jobs of hours to weeks where the crane moves between sites, the access is unpaved, or the pick outgrows a truck crane; large models add counterweight trucks and escorts to the bill.
Crawler for long, heavy jobs
A crawler stays for the long haul and can travel with a load: Link-Belt says its 298 Series 2 can "Pick and carry all 360 degree capacities on level ground" and rates it at 250 US tons at 15 ft. The cost is transport and assembly, since that crane's main transport load is 89,440 pounds of a 416,538-pound working weight, with overflow loads under 45,000 pounds. See crawler crane rental.
Whichever carrier fits, Texas tax follows the Comptroller's Rule 3.294: "Receipts from the lease of tangible personal property without an operator are taxable," a crane billed with its operator on one charge is presumed a service unless the work is taxable, and separate crane and operator charges are presumed a lease. Amarillo's combined rate is 8.25 percent.
All-Terrain Crane Rental FAQs
How much does it cost to rent an all-terrain crane?
Published guides price large cranes by size, and only nationally. The April 27, 2026 guide from a national equipment-rental marketplace gives $2,500 to $12,000 per day for 200 tons and $6,000 to $13,300+ per day, or $1,685 per hour, for 500 tons. Counterweight trucks, escorts, permits and mats come on top, and ThePricer notes four to eight hour minimums for truck and all terrain cranes. Our written quote prices each item for your lift.
What is the difference between an all-terrain crane and a rough-terrain crane?
An AT is built for highway miles and the site; a rough-terrain crane is built mainly for the site. Tadano lists a 52.8 mph top speed for its AC 3.055-1, while Manitowoc lists 18.5 mph for the Grove GRT540 rough-terrain model, and Tadano says its rough-terrain cranes use "a single cab for both driving and lifting operations." Both classes steer all wheels, so the deciding question is how far the crane must travel on public roads.
Does a crane near Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport need FAA notice?
It can. Under 14 CFR 77.9 the FAA wants notice when a structure, crane included, would stand over 200 feet above the ground where it sits, or would break a 100-to-1 slope reaching 20,000 feet out from a runway at an airport whose longest runway exceeds 3,200 feet; the airport's primary runway is 13,502 feet. The FAA's Part 77 page names cranes among temporary construction. The 7460-1 form has to be filed 45 days or more before work, and we run the criteria for any lift near a runway.
Why does a big all-terrain crane need extra trucks?
Because large models move part of their counterweight on separate trucks: Link-Belt says its 175AT travels with 81,000 pounds of counterweight in two overflow loads. Each of those trucks must stay within TxDMV's legal size and weight limits or run on a TxDMV permit, and ThePricer's cost guide lists escort trucks for counterweights as a separate charge. Our quote shows each truck, permit and escort.
How much weight can an all-terrain crane lift?
As much as its load chart allows at your radius, which shrinks as the reach grows. Grove rates the GMK5250XL-1 at 300 US tons and Liebherr rates the LTM 1090-4.2 at 90 t at a 3.00 m radius, both headline figures; a Manitowoc capacity chart says operating radius governs capacity in all cases. Fermi America's September 18, 2026 post says "Each turbine weighs more than 480,000 pounds," and a pick of that kind is planned from charts and a lift plan, not from tonnage alone.
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