A chance conversation in a pub in New Zealand fifteen years ago between Containerlift’s Managing Director, Doug Baker, and a friend started the Sidelifter revolution in the UK.

The conversation centred about the problems associated with an employee who fell from the back of a vehicle whilst the shipping container was being unloaded. ‘Why was the container not put on the ground?’ was the obvious question asked. ‘How can a loaded shipping container be lifted to the ground at an importer’s premises without expensive container handling equipment?’ ‘Use of Sidelifter of course!’

Sidelifters have been in regular use for almost thirty years throughout Australia and New Zealand. But in the UK and most of Europe the machines were unheard of. An opportunity existed to introduce the equipment and the associated services to the British shipping and road transport industry.

Fifteen years later and Containerlift is leading the Sidelifter way in Europe. As the representative of the world’s leading Sidelifter manufacture, Steelbro, Containerlift own their own fleet of Sidelifter equipment and rent, lease or sell machines to the market. Steelbro equipment is backed up in the UK with dedicated workshop facilities, extensive spare parts held in stock, mobile service units, Steelbro trained technicians and instructors and replacement equipment at hand. Containerlift is now the largest privately owned Sidelifter operator and supplier in the European market.

Containerlift’s service to the marketplace has been continually developing and has matured from a simply service and equipment supplier to a complete solution provider. ‘Container Movement Solutions’, offering the equipment, the service, the support; using road, rail and deep sea; controlling the documentation and managing the supply chain; offering the solution the customer requires.

‘Container Movement Solutions’