Port Equipment: Definition, Types & Examples
Port equipment is the collective term for the machinery and vehicles used to load, unload, move, and stack cargo at seaports, container terminals, and inland depots. It spans quayside cranes that lift containers on and off ships and the yard machines, like reach stackers and straddle carriers, that transport and stack that cargo on land.
Portneeds is a dedicated marketplace for port equipment, so every category below links to live listings and a full definition of the machine.
Main types of port equipment
| Type | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mobile harbour crane (MHC) | Self-propelled quayside crane that loads and unloads vessels and can reposition between berths |
| Ship-to-shore (STS) crane | Large rail-mounted quay crane that unloads containers directly from ships |
| RTG & RMG gantry cranes | Yard gantry cranes that stack and retrieve containers in the storage block |
| Reach stacker | Wheeled machine that lifts, stacks, and moves containers in terminals and depots |
| Straddle carrier | Tall vehicle that straddles a container, lifts it, and drives it across the yard |
| Container spreader | The attachment that grips a container at its corner castings |
| Terminal tractor | Short yard truck that moves trailers and chassis within the terminal |
| Empty container handler | Lift truck specialised in stacking empty containers |
| Grab | Crane attachment for loose bulk cargo such as coal, grain, and ore |
Quayside versus yard equipment
Port equipment is usually grouped by where it works. Quayside (waterside) equipment, such as STS cranes and mobile harbour cranes, handles the ship-to-shore transfer. Yard (landside) equipment, such as reach stackers, straddle carriers, RTGs, and terminal tractors, then moves, stacks, and stores the cargo. The spreader is the shared link: it is the attachment most container-handling machines use to actually grip the box.
Where port equipment is used
- Container terminals: STS cranes, RTGs/RMGs, straddle carriers, and reach stackers move boxes between ship, yard, and truck.
- Bulk and general cargo ports: mobile harbour cranes with grabs or hooks handle coal, grain, scrap, and project cargo.
- Inland depots and rail terminals: reach stackers and empty container handlers stack containers where space is tighter.
Browse used and new port equipment for sale on Portneeds, the B2B marketplace built specifically for terminals, dealers, and suppliers.
