World Crane Championship winner

Andreas Öhman from freight and transportation company Gansta Åkeri AB in Sweden has won the World Crane Championship (WCC) – a loader crane operating competition run by on-road load handling specialist Hiab. The competition took place on 22 and 23 September in connection with the IAA Commercial Vehicles exhibition in Hannover, Germany.

Among 15 finalists, Öhman won the championship final with a time of 2:32:89. Jani Väisänen from Finland came in second place with a time of 2:38:95. And Tim Hansen from Denmark came in third place with a time of 2:33:18 after winning the bronze final.

In the finals of the third World Crane Championships, the crane drivers had to move water cans along a predefined path in the shortest possible time using a Hiab X-HiPro 232 mid-range loader crane.

“I was very nervous during the competition. I had a high heart rate but now it feels so good,” Öhman said after the race. “The WCC competition was a lot of fun – you meet people from all over the world!”

Öhman returned home with a EUR 5,000 travellers cheque and a EUR 20,000 voucher to help purchase a new Hiab loader crane.