Side-lifter, Side Loader,
Self-loading Trailers

The world’s best-valued side lifter 

Cost-effective solutions for logistics container transportation & placement.  Industries we supply: Worldwide Transportation, Trucking, Rail, Defence, Mining, Forestry, Intermodal

Steelbro supplies Sidelifters (also known as side loaders, swing lifts or self-loading trailers), which provide superior container handling equipment. Worldwide delivery of products, support and parts. See our equipment below!

transport container lifting solutions using sidelifters and swinglifts
container handling transport solutions using sidelifters and swinglifts

Looking for an efficient and reliable container lifter for your operations?

Look no further than the Steelbro Container sidelifter. Steelbro has a variety of models that can handle any size or weight of container being used in the world today, making it ideal for a range of logistical applications in any place on Earth.

Transport Industry Experience

With over 140 years of transport industry experience, Steelbro knows that the best way to construct their Container Lifters is for maximum strength and durability. The Steelbro sidelifter features a proven combined hydraulic and control system that ensures smooth precise operation day in, day out. What’s more, the Steelbro Container Lifter comes with a variety of safety features to protect your operator, your load and your lifter.

Best-valued side lifters

Built to last, the Steelbro sidelifter will earn value for your business for years to come. So if you need a safe, dependable way to move containers the Steelbro Container Lifter is the Lifter for you.

Products

Side-lifters
12-45 tonne and add-ons.

Side Loaders & Swinglifts

45 TONNE SB450 Standard Sidelifter

45 TONNE

LIFTING CAPACITY SIDELIFTERS

SB450 Standard Sidelifter is the ticket when you need to safely and efficiently transfer heavy loads.

36 TONNE SB362 Standard Sidelifter side-loader

36 TONNE

LIFTING CAPACITY SIDELIFTERS

SB362 Standard Sidelifter is a durable self-loading trailer with a rigid chassis.

30-36 TONNE SB303 Standard Sidelifter side-loader

LIGHTWEIGHT 30-36 TONNE

LIFTING CAPACITY SIDELIFTERS

The SB303 standard Sidelifter is a light, fast and precise Sidelifter. Ideal for urban environments

12 TONNE SB121 Standard Sidelifter side-loader

12 - 45 TONNE

LIFTING CAPACITY SIDELIFTERS

SB121 Standard Sidelifter provides an economical solution for low-weight containers.

12 TONNE SB121 truckmount Sidelifter side-loader

Truck-mount Side-lifters

Add on to 30-45 tonne side lifters

SB362 STEELBRO Side Loader truck mounts are ideal for light to medium-weight transport solutions.

12 TONNE SB121 Bridge-Leg Sidelifter side-loader

Bridge Leg

Add on to 30-45 tonne side lifters

The SB363 and SB362 side lifter model. It provides fast stable operation.

Rail Solutions

Solutions for rail-bound containers

New & Used

View Current Used Sidelifter Stock List

Parts

We supply lifter parts globally

Container Lifter Video

See world’s best-valued side lifter in action

STEELBRO Sidelifter Video - 2 X 20' Container Lift - You (1)
Reasons to choose us for your container handling transport solutions

Why us?

Reasons to choose us for your container handling transport solutions

  • The worlds’ best-valued side lifter 
  • Versatile –  Solutions for many industries
  • Worldwide delivery of products, support and parts. 

Our Testimonials

Hear what our customers have to say.

Steelbro are easy to deal with, helpful and knowledgeable, and have assisted us in developing a new line of business opportunity. Boroko Motors would recommend Steelbro to any organisation that is looking for a value-added business solution.

-Boroko Motors, Papua New Guinea

Steelbro Sidelifters offer a high degree of flexibility in a region with little infrastructure and logistics support for the container. They have also shown great versatility, especially the Trombone, to access different places in Punta Arenas and the surrounding areas. This allowed us to make a significant difference in the market, being able to cover the entire chain of transport to and from the region.

- Ultramar, Chile

We found that the unit reduced operating times, and is easy to manoeuvre in tight spaces like the pits where a conventional crane often has limitations of both space and weight.

- Cargolive, Mexico

LATEST NEWS

Steelbro’s New Next Generation SB363 Sidelifter

Read about Perth based Goldstar Transport who recently received the delivery of Steelbro's new...

Stock Units Available Now

Steelbro have a limited number of units available for immediate delivery.  Check out the list...

Steelbro’s Latest Malaysia Sidelifter Offers the Best of Both Worlds

Steelbro is excited to introduce the SB362 sidelifter to the Malaysian market. This new model...

Steelbro Keeping a Keen Eye on Safety

As more and more Malaysian operators place safety high on their priorities, Steelbro works hard to...

Superior quality container handling equipment.

FAQ’s

Frequently Asked Questions

WHO IS STEELBRO AND WHAT EXACTLY ARE SIDELIFTERS?

STEELBRO is a leader in the global market for Sidelifters, or self-loading trailer vehicles. Sidelifters are also known as Sideloaders, Swinglift, Swingthru and Self-loading container trailer. A Sidelifter is a purpose built semi-trailer, on which, a specially designed set of cranes are mounted, to lift and transport ISO shipping containers of various types, sizes and weights, up to 45’ and 40 tonnes. Sidelifter cranes can also be mounted on a truck deck for handling 20’containers. Most self-loading trailers can transfer containers to other trailers and trucks. Many are also engineered to ‘double stack’ i.e stack containers two high on the ground. STEELBRO have over 133 years of manufacturing success. Based in Christchurch, New Zealand, we have produced innovative and imaginative solutions for the transport industry since 1878. The company has evolved into one of the world’s most well respected, and long-lived, heavy transport engineering enterprises. STEELBRO has forged an international reputation for its design innovation and excellent workmanship.

WHO USES SIDELIFTERS AND WHY?

Customers using self-loading trailers include rail forwarders, trucking fleet operators and logistics companies. All our customers are realising the practical and economic advantages of Sidelifter technology. Sidelifters deliver a range of options. Operators have the ability to pick up and drop off fully loaded containers, without the need to wait for other machinery to arrive or become available. This eliminates the cost associated with leaving trailers on-site and increases the opportunities for the possible number of pickups and drop offs in each cycle. Containers can also be placed anywhere the Sidelifter unit can access. This eliminates the need for expensive ground preparation such as that required when using a reachstacker. The Sidelifter can work in conjunction with companion vehicles, improving standard container trailer utilisation and reducing total fleet sizes. Suitably specified Sidelifters can transfer containers on or off rail wagons. Sidelifters can transfer a container from a trailer to rail. It will also double-stack containers in adjoining depots and can shuttle containers to and from nearby exporters and importers; handling all operations without the need for reachstackers or other equipment. This is particularly useful in remote areas or situations where there is little infrastructure or other areas that can benefit most from inter-modal containerisation.

WHEN DID YOU START EXPORTING SELF-LOADING TRAILERS?

STEELBRO began exporting self-loading trailers and other transportation equipment to Australia in 1979, expanding to the Pacific and Caribbean Islands and further afield shortly after. The STEELBRO Sidelifter is now one of the world’s best-selling self-loading trailer systems, exported to over 100 countries. STEELBRO products are now also sold in several International markets: Europe, Africa, Middle East, South East Asia, and North and South America as well as Australasia.

WHAT ARE THE FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR SIDELIFTER TECHNOLOGY?

The worldwide growth in container transportation is ongoing. This growth is putting strain on traditional cargo hubs and road transport networks in many developed countries – particularly in Europe and North America, where congestion and associated environmental concerns are ever-increasing. The Sidelifter has been identified as an important intermodal solution for moving containers off the road and onto short-haul rail systems. The international trend towards door-to-door containerised shipments of bulk cargoes such as grains and fruit and the need to avoid cross-pollination of crop diseases is increasing the potential opportunities for Sidelifter applications. Increasingly shipping lines and domestic market container service providers are seeing the benefits of giving their small and medium sized customers the opportunity of door delivered, “on the ground” solutions. Rail network operators are seeing that by strategically adding self-loading trailers to their systems, they can provide a thorough handling, cost-effective capability, to compete with the overburdened highways. The growing focus on Occupational health and Safety in the workplace has also highlighted a need for controlled workplace safety. STEELBRO has developed a load monitoring system SMARTlift, as a platform for operators to work within safer parameters thus minimising the risk of workplace incidence.