page_title: Straddle carrier
section_title: Lumber carriers
hierarchical_section_title: Straddle carrier / Lumber carriers
caption_attribution_description: English: Early Valmet straddle carrier from the 1940s
context_page_description: A straddle carrier or straddle truck is a freight-carrying vehicle that carries its load underneath by "straddling" it, rather than carrying it on top like a conventional truck. The advantage of the straddle carrier is its ability to load and unload without the assistance of cranes or forklifts. The lifting apparatus under the carrier is operated by the driver without any outside assistance and without leaving the driver's seat.
context_section_description: The straddle carrier was invented by H. B. Ross in 1913 as a road-going vehicle that could easily transport lumber around mills and yards. Lumber was stacked on special pallets known as carrier blocks; the carrier would then straddle the stack, grasp and lift the carrier block, and drive off with the load. Because a straddle carrier is open at both front and rear, it can transport lumber much longer than the carrier itself, over 30 m (98 ft) in length.
  The Ross Carrier Company (now Northwest Caster & Equipment) was founded in Seattle to manufacture and market the carrier, and similar designs were later manufactured by Gerlinger, Hyster, Yale, Caterpillar, and other companies. These "straddles" or "timber jinkers" were a common sight in seaports around the world until the 1970s, but were phased out as larger and faster conventional trucks came into use. An example of these road-going straddle carriers can be seen in the 1950 comedy film Watch the Birdie.
caption: Early straddle carrier
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