Recent deliveries by Isoloader have included four Transporter straddle carriers to Dartline’s terminal (now owned by Cobelfret) on the Thames, and two 50-ton pre-cast handling machines to Bangkok.

“We are building a different type of straddle carrier compared to our competitors – much more manoeuvrable with lower capital price and low running and maintenance cost,” says Mr Ronco.

Isoloader’s range of models is adapted to the size of the client operation, from one-high to three-high, using toplift spreader or chains only with the option of having telescoping masts. “Our straddle carriers are in fact in competition with forklift and reachstacker with many advantages, like significantly less running and maintenance cost, lower-to-equivalent capital price, the advantage of very low wheel loading (below 15 tonnes), and all the logistics advantages of using straddle carriers,” he says.

The company’s three main models are the EconoLifter, using chain lift spreader and designed to handle up to 30 containers a day, aimed at relatively small operations such as a warehouse; the ContainerHandler, to handle 60-100 containers where two-high stacking is necessary, for small and medium-size operations; and the Transporter, a heavy-duty machine for operation of up to 200,000 containers a year.

Mr Ronco says customers are looking for “anything that can reduce maintenance and running costs”.

Isoloader also builds straddle carriers for industrial customers to handle various types of products including aluminium ingots and precast concrete.

“We have experienced a continuous growth of our container handling market in the first half of 2006 but it looks as if in 2007 we will do better in the industrial load handling in terms of straddles,” says Mr Ronco.