Serbian crane and heavy haulage company RT Trans has added a major upgrade to its fleet, the Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 mobile crane. It’s now the largest and strongest crane the company owns.
RT Trans says the purchase was driven by growing demand for higher lifting capacities, both in Serbia and across the region. The LTM 1650-8.1, which can handle loads up to 700 tonnes, is their second 8-axle crane from Liebherr in three years.
Company co-owner Duško Tadić said, “We’re seeing more need for stronger cranes — especially for work in industrial construction, wind farms, and wind turbine repairs.”
Liebherr designed the LTM 1650-8.1 with various transport and axle load options to help it move efficiently, even under stricter weight limits. The crane’s telescopic boom is also a major plus — it can be assembled and dismantled quickly with a small crew.
Tadić adds that RT Trans has a long-standing relationship with D.S. Inženjering, Liebherr’s local partner in Serbia, which helped reinforce their trust in the brand.
The crane’s debut job was at the Kovačica wind farm, replacing a damaged wind blade. The blade and lifting equipment together weighed nearly 30 tonnes, and the lift had to be performed from 32 metres away and 120 metres high.
For this task, the crane was fitted with a 51-metre telescopic boom, Y-guying system, and a 59.5-metre luffing jib. It also got help from a smaller Liebherr crane, the LTM 1120-4.1, during setup.
Despite tight space and soft ground, everything went smoothly, thanks to support from both Liebherr Germany and D.S. Inženjering.
“The LTM 1650-8.1 is excellent to work with. Although it has such a high lifting capacity and a wide range of boom options, it is very easy to set up. The quick dismantling of the telescopic boom is also very commendable.” RT Trans now operates 24 cranes, 20 of which are Liebherr models.