Featured in Lift Line Summer 2026
The crane industry seems to be emerging from the capacity arms race that has dominated for more than a decade. While ALL Crane has never based its equipment purchasing decisions strictly on size, industry trends can’t help but impact capital investment. The move away from bigger-is-better is reflected in acquisitions slated for 2026.
Josh Bacci, Ohio sales manager for ALL, says today’s focus is on expanding the upper-end capabilities of existing weight classes.
“We’re seeing heavy-lift equipment that fills the gaps between two weight classes or adds enough capacity to expand reach within a class,” said Bacci.
One example is ALL’s recent purchase of the Tadano GR-1600XL, which features a 160-ton capacity, a 200.1-foot main boom, and 59.1-foot jib.
“We’re not chasing gigantic iron,” said Bacci. “We’re staying within the classes we know best—the machines where we’re the experts. These cranes allow us to handle more material on a jobsite while giving customers greater reach through longer booms and specialized attachments.”
That emphasis on flexibility extends beyond lifting performance. Interchangeability across product lines has become increasingly important for fleet efficiency and deployment speed.
“With booms and counterweights that work across multiple models, we can ship just the crane and boom to a branch while using locally available counterweights and accessories,” said Bacci. “It keeps costs down for the customer and gets cranes into service faster.”
Bacci pointed to the Manitowoc MLC250 as a prime example of that strategy.
ALL also relies heavily on field intelligence from its sales team when making purchasing decisions.
“Our sales force understands market demand,” said Bacci.
“We use the data they collect to guide our investments and position our branches for success.”
Among the company’s newest additions is the Liebherr LTM 1400-6.1 mobile crane, which debuted this spring. Its chrome-inspired paint scheme quickly earned it the nickname “The Silver Bullet.” It went straight from the cargo ship to ALL Crane Rental of Alabama. “Even before it was delivered, the branch had already prepared lift plans for the first job it would be used on,” said Bacci. “It’s now part of their daily rental fleet.”
The rapid growth of data center construction is also influencing fleet strategy across the company.
“It’s staggering how much data center work has come our way,” said Bacci. “These projects are happening nationwide, and we need equipment capable not only of building the facilities, but also installing transformers, setting climate-control systems, and servicing older sites.”
As demand evolves, ALL’s strategy remains focused on balancing innovation with operational expertise.
“We want to stay true to our core business while anticipating our customers’ future needs,” said Bacci. “That’s the name of the game.”