Borger Crane Hire and Rigging’s recent order is set to mark 100 Liebherr cranes in the Borger fleet.
The relationship between Borger Crane Hire and Rigging and Liebherr dates all the way back to 1999, when the Borger family purchased their very first Liebherr mobile crane, an LTM 1080/1. Fast forward 27 years later and Borger’s fleet of Liebherr cranes sits at an impressive 83 machines!
In amongst all these Liebherr cranes are some models which have enabled Borger’s to stay a few steps ahead of competitors. A significant crane model which set Borger’s on its way was the LTM 1500-8.1 – the first unit purchased in 2010 – followed by a second LTM 1500-8.1 in 2012.
Over the years Borger’s has gone from strength to strength, with a keen eye on innovation, safety and reliability. In 2020, an LTM 1750 9.1 joined the fleet, followed in 2021 by an LR 1600 W lattice boom crawler crane with a telescopic undercarriage, and Borger’s first LTM 1650 8.1. These additions expanded the company’s opportunities and supported its entry into the renewable energy sector.
Never to rest on their laurels, Shawn and Nathan Borger continued to explore new opportunities with Liebherr crane models which would suit their ever-growing fleet.
In 2023, Borger’s purchased a second LTM 1650-8.1, along with its first LG 1750. A second LG 1750 was purchased in 2024, further strengthening the company’s capabilities.
Earlier this year Shawn Borger placed an order for 17 more Liebherr cranes, consisting of nine LTM 1060-3.1s, five LTM 1120-4.2s and three LTM 1150-5.4 cranes. While the scale of the purchase was noteworthy in its own right, its wider significance only became clear when the numbers were tallied – upon delivery, the Borger’s fleet of Liebherr cranes will reach the landmark figure of 100 machines.
Reaching 100 Liebherr machine purchases makes Borgers the first company in Australia to achieve the milestone, a success that will be jointly celebrated by Borger’s and Liebherr when the 100th crane is delivered.
Shawn Borger, Chief Financial Officer for Borger Crane Hire and Rigging provides some background to the purchases.
“Some time ago, we purchased approximately 35 Liebherrs over a three to four-year period, but last year the exchange rate between the Australian dollar and Euro didn’t work in our favour and we also saw an increase in the pricing of European brands, so we shied away from purchasing any new all terrains,” he said.
“But we have been looking to renew areas of our fleet and also expand the capabilities of our operations and so we sat down with Liebherr to examine costings and see if we could come to some sort of arrangement. We know the local team at Liebherr really well and we have developed a good working relationship over many years.
“The Liebherr brand has been good for our business, and we have always received good service and support from the team. The negotiations went well with Liebherr, and combined with the dollar being a little stronger against the Euro, we decided to order the 17 cranes. It’s good to be reinvesting in the Liebherr brand.”
With a maximum load capacity of 60 tonnes and a 48 metre telescopic boom, the Liebherr LTM 1060-3.1 is one of the most powerful and capable cranes in its class. Safety and comfort configurations ensure greater operability and the hydro-pneumatic axle suspension and pneumatic disc brakes provide greater control and stability.
Its five steering programs enable the operator to adapt to different environments with the touch of a button. Both the driver’s cab and crane cab are modern, spacious and dependable and ergonomic features help prevent operator fatigue.
Other key features with the Liebherr LTM 1060-3.1 include:
• VarioBase which is designed to make the crane’s support system variable. It enables each outrigger to be extended to a different length. This enhances safety – especially in constricted spaces. The crane’s lifting capacities are significantly increased particularly over the outriggers and depending on the configuration.
• ECOmode minimises both fuel consumption and noise emissions when operating the crane superstructure. The crane operators can set the required working speed using the control lever. The LICCON2 control system calculates the perfect engine speed for the diesel engine.
• ECOdrive makes the mobile crane significantly more comfortable and quieter by reducing the engine speed. Faster gear shifting delivers greater dynamic and traction off-road. On the road, the torque from the Liebherr diesel engine is used efficiently to minimise fuel consumption.
The Liebherr LTM 1120-4.2 four axle 120-tonne crane is characterised by the new future-oriented crane design and is equipped with the TraXon DynamicPerform oil-cooled starting clutch and new driver assistance systems for increasing driving safety on the road.
As far as boom length is concerned, the LTM 1120-4.2 is on a par with 200-tonne class cranes: its 66-metre telescopic boom is the longest ever to be installed on a four-axle mobile crane. The LTM 1120-4.2 delivers outstanding lifting capacity values, particularly with the boom fully raised. Its lifting capacity of nine tonnes on the 66 metre telescopic boom makes it suitable for erecting tower cranes and radio masts. Lattice extensions enable the 120-tonne crane to achieve hook heights of up to 91 metres and radii of up to 64 metres.
The compact design of a four-axle crane makes the LTM 1120.4.2 the ideal choice for applications where there is simply no room for larger cranes. Liebherr’s VarioBase® and VarioBallast® innovations come into their own on tight construction sites and ensure increased performance, flexibility and safety.
With its VarioBallast system, the crane’s ballast radius can be adjusted between 3.83 and 4.77 metres. Thanks to the standard, mechanically swivelling ballast cylinders, the radius can be easily reduced by 940 millimetres – ideally suited for confined spaces. The larger ballast radius, on the other hand, increases performance and often reduces costs, as many operations can be carried out with less counterweight, eliminating the need for additional ballast transport.
Borger’s took a large contingent of staff to ConExpo where they visited the Liebherr stand.
“The Liebherr stand was impressive as always and we were made to feel very welcome,” Shawn said. “We had a very positive conversation with Hansi, Sophie Albrecht and Christoph Kleiner and it was great to see everyone in Las Vegas.”
