The hydraulic crane comes in the form of a truck and is classified as a truck-mounted crane, while the crawler crane is a type of crane in its own right and is enabled to move around the site from one place to another due to its caterpillar tracks.

Hydraulic cranes are powered by an internal hydraulic system in the form of the usual two sets of hydraulic pumps. The hydraulic pumps give it enough strength to lift a large amount of weight on a regular basis. A hydraulic crane can be manifested in different crane designs and types. The most common hydraulic crane design is the hydraulic truck crane. A hydraulic crane can have railroad wheels or caterpillar tracks as its method of locomotion.

Hydraulic truck cranes are different from other types of cranes because of the way they operate. Instead of using a winch to wind up cables to provide the force of lifting, hydraulic cranes rely on oil. Oil is a fluid that retains its volume. It is incompressible and thus one of the best fluids for pushing pistons towards the direction the force is going to be exerted. The hydraulic pump creates the pressure that will move the piston, an action that is maneuvered by controls in the operator’s cab. Hydraulic truck cranes typically use a two-gear pump.