Mobicon Systems builds compact straddle carriers for small ports and intermodal terminals that need real container handling capability without the cost or infrastructure of a full-sized port straddle carrier. No gantries, no fixed rails, just a machine that works on the yard surface you already have.
Small ports and intermodal terminals sit in an awkward gap. Volumes are real, but a full-sized port straddle carrier and its supporting infrastructure are hard to justify. Mobicon straddle carriers are built for exactly this gap.
A port straddle carrier can cost three to four times as much as a Mobicon, with a 300 horsepower-plus engine to match. For a small port or terminal, that outlay and running cost is often out of proportion to the actual container volumes moving through the site.
Gantries and rail-mounted equipment lock a terminal into a fixed layout. If volumes shift, cargo mix changes, or the site needs to expand, that infrastructure becomes a constraint rather than an asset, and relocating or reconfiguring it is expensive.
Large port equipment concentrates significant weight on fewer axles, which cracks and degrades yard surfaces over time. For a smaller terminal without a dedicated resurfacing budget, that ongoing damage is a real operating cost that is easy to underestimate.
Wire rope systems allow the load to swing during a lift. On a working terminal handling containers of varying weight and balance, that swing slows down every movement and adds an avoidable safety risk around personnel and stock.
Full-sized port equipment typically requires licensed operators. For a smaller terminal, sourcing and retaining licensed staff adds workforce planning complexity that is disproportionate to the container volumes actually being handled.
Whether new container handling equipment is worth the investment depends heavily on current volumes and the existing method of handling containers. Without a clear picture of that comparison, terminals can be left unsure whether to commit to new equipment at all.
The Mobicon handles the road, rail, and yard-side movements a small port or intermodal terminal needs day to day, all from a machine that works on the surface you already have.
The Mobicon lifts the container clear without a gantry crane or fixed rail-mounted equipment. Whether the container is arriving by road or by rail, the same machine and the same operator handle the movement.
A Mobicon can work on a normal yard of bitumen, concrete, or compacted gravel. There is no need to install gantries or rails before the machine can start operating, which keeps site setup costs down for a small port or terminal.
Depending on the model, containers can be stacked one, two, or three high. A terminal with limited footprint can increase yard density without expanding its physical boundary, using the same range of Mobicon models.
The Mobicon places the container exactly where the next leg of its journey requires, whether that is a rail siding, a road transport bay, or a storage stack, reducing unnecessary repositioning across the terminal.
Across an 8-hour shift, a single Mobicon can handle roughly 100 to 140 lifts. That throughput covers the working volume of most small ports and intermodal terminals without needing a second machine.
Mobicon Systems trains operators on site during commissioning. No official licence is required to operate a Mobicon, which simplifies staffing for a smaller terminal operation compared with licensed equipment.
From a distance, a Mobicon and a full-sized port straddle carrier look similar. Up close, the cost, infrastructure needs, and running expenses are not comparable. Here is how they stack up for a small port or intermodal terminal.
| Factor | Mobicon Straddle Carrier | Full Port Straddle Carrier | Reach Stacker | Container Forklift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Cost | ✔ Baseline | ✘ 3–4x the cost of a Mobicon | ~ High | ~ Moderate |
| Engine Size | ✔ ~100 horsepower | ✘ 300+ horsepower | ✘ 300+ horsepower | ~ Moderate |
| Fixed Infrastructure Required | ✔ None, normal yard surface | ✘ Gantries or rails often needed | ✔ None | ✔ None |
| Stacking Density | ✔ 1, 2, or 3 high by model | ✔ High density | ~ Limited at height | ~ Limited |
| Lift Capacity | ✔ Up to 35 tonnes | ✔ High capacity | ✔ High capacity | ~ Moderate |
| Axle Load on Yard Surface | ✔ Half that of any competitor | ✘ High point loads | ✘ High axle loads | ✘ High axle loads |
| Operator Licence Required | ✔ No licence required | ✘ Licence required | ✘ Licence required | ✘ Licence required |
The Mobicon range covers 1-high, 2-high, and 3-high stacking, so terminal density can be matched to your available footprint. A single Mobicon handles roughly 100 to 140 lifts in an 8-hour shift. Contact a Mobicon Systems representative to confirm the best fit and discuss realistic payback for your volumes.
The 2T is a ground-level, single-stack model suited to smaller terminals with lower throughput or limited yard height. It moves containers directly from the transport vehicle to storage or despatch, with no gantry or fixed infrastructure required.
The battery-electric version of the 2T. Zero exhaust emissions and quieter operation suit terminals near residential areas or with environmental compliance obligations, while keeping the same single-stack handling capability.
The 2HL stacks containers two high, doubling yard density over a single-stack setup. This suits small ports and intermodal terminals with growing volumes that need more storage capacity without expanding the physical yard footprint.
The battery-electric version of the 2HL. Two-high stacking with zero exhaust emissions suits terminals with emissions compliance requirements or sites operating in noise-sensitive locations close to residential areas.
The 3H stacks containers three high for terminals that need maximum yard density within a limited footprint. This suits busier small ports and intermodal terminals where land is at a premium and throughput is closer to the upper end of what a single Mobicon can handle.
The battery-electric version of the 3H. Three-high stacking with zero exhaust emissions suits high-density terminals with environmental compliance obligations or locations where noise and air quality are actively managed.
A Mobicon works on a normal yard of bitumen, concrete, or compacted gravel. There is no need to install gantries or rail-mounted equipment before your terminal can start handling containers, which keeps setup costs and site commitment low.
A port straddle carrier can cost three to four times as much as a Mobicon and runs a 300 horsepower-plus engine against roughly 100 horsepower for a Mobicon. Running costs scale accordingly, while a Mobicon still lifts up to 35 tonnes.
A single Mobicon handles roughly 100 to 140 lifts across an 8-hour shift. For most small ports and intermodal terminals, that covers daily working volume without needing a second machine or a larger port-scale fleet.
With models covering 1-high, 2-high, and 3-high stacking, your terminal's yard density can grow with demand without expanding the physical site. Choose the model that fits your current volumes and scale from there as needed.
A Mobicon and a full-sized port straddle carrier can look similar from a distance, but they are not built for the same job. Large terminal equipment is designed to move enormous volumes of containers around the clock at a major shipping terminal. A Mobicon is a compact straddle carrier, built for smaller ports, regional terminals, and intermodal transfer points where volumes are real but do not justify port-scale infrastructure.
Mobicon Systems builds compact straddle carriers, a different category from the large gantry-style machines used at major shipping terminals. For a small port handling real but moderate volumes, a Mobicon offers genuine container handling capability at a fraction of the cost.
The Mobicon lifts containers directly from a rail wagon or a road transport vehicle without needing fixed rail-mounted equipment. That flexibility suits an intermodal terminal handling both transport modes through the same yard.
A Mobicon works on a normal yard of bitumen, concrete, or compacted gravel. There is no requirement to install gantries or rail infrastructure before the machine can begin operating on your site.
A small port or intermodal terminal rarely has the budget to build a fully engineered pavement for port-scale equipment. The Mobicon's axle load is half that of any other container handler in the world, which is what allows it to run on a normal yard rather than requiring purpose-built infrastructure.
All Mobicons have four axles, spreading the load across more points than a two or three-wheel machine. That is what protects a standard bitumen, concrete, or compacted gravel yard from the damage heavier equipment can cause over time.
The hydraulic lifting system replaces wire ropes entirely, eliminating load swing during every lift and keeping the machine stable and controlled through tight areas of a smaller terminal yard.
No fixed infrastructure such as gantries or rails is required to operate a Mobicon, which keeps your terminal's setup cost low and your site layout flexible as volumes change.
Mobicon Systems backs every unit with support built around the realities of a smaller terminal, not the assumptions of a major port operator.
Every Mobicon is backed by a manufacturer's warranty. Your small port or terminal operation has asset confidence from the day the unit is commissioned on site.
Payback depends on your current container volumes and how you handle them today. Mobicon Systems will work through those numbers with you directly, rather than quoting a generic timeline that may not reflect your site.
Routine servicing uses standard components available through local suppliers. No specialist technician or proprietary parts are required, keeping maintenance simple for a smaller terminal operation.
Mobicon Systems commissions every unit on site and trains your operators directly. No official licence is required to operate a Mobicon, which simplifies staffing for a smaller terminal team.
When an issue arises on site, direct telephone support is available from Mobicon Systems to diagnose and resolve problems quickly, keeping your terminal operating.
Mobicon Systems offers outright purchase and rental arrangements with a minimum term of two years. Rental suits terminals trialling the equipment or managing capital expenditure before committing to purchase.
Alotau Stevedoring and Transport Limited moves containers from the ship's side into the receiving and delivery zone behind the main shed at the back of the quay. The ships calling at the port are geared vessels, able to unload their own cargo, which makes them well suited to ports with limited cargo handling infrastructure. Containers are dropped directly onto the quayside, then moved behind the shed for unpacking, with empty containers moved back to the ship's side afterwards.
The quay itself was old, and its weight rating was questionable at best. A heavy forklift operation was not an option on the existing surface, and upgrading the quay to support one would have been a considerable expense that was not realistic for the port. Alotau was relying on an elderly, non-self-propelled container lifter that was cumbersome and unreliable, and having only that single machine left the operation with little flexibility. With ships needing to be turned around quickly to avoid demurrage costs, that lack of flexibility was a genuine operational risk.
After discussions with Mobicon Systems, Alotau purchased a Mobicon container handler. Its ground pressure was low enough to operate fully loaded on the existing quayside without any surface upgrade, and being self-powered gave the operation the flexibility to negotiate the site freely. Containers are now moved only 30 centimetres from the ground on twist locks, improving safety across every lift.
Read the full case studyTalk to a Mobicon Systems specialist about your container volumes, yard surface, and stacking needs. No obligation, just a practical assessment of what makes sense for your small port or terminal.
In an 8-hour shift, a Mobicon handles roughly 100 to 140 lifts. Actual weekly throughput depends on your operating hours and shift pattern, but that per-shift figure covers the working volume of most small ports and intermodal terminals.
Yes. The Mobicon range includes models that stack 1-high, 2-high, and 3-high, so you can match stacking density to your available footprint and choose the model that fits your current volumes.
No. A Mobicon works on a normal yard of bitumen, concrete, or compacted gravel. There is no need to install gantries or rail-mounted equipment before the machine can begin operating on your site.
All Mobicons have four axles, giving an axle weight half that of any other container handler in the world and protecting your yard from damage. Mobicons also lift with hydraulic cylinders rather than wire ropes, which removes load swing and the recurring cost of rope replacement.
Apart from looking similar from a distance, there is really no comparison. A port straddle carrier can cost three to four times as much as a Mobicon and runs a 300 horsepower-plus engine against roughly 100 horsepower for a Mobicon, with running costs to match. A Mobicon still lifts up to 35 tonnes despite being a much smaller, more compact machine.
This depends on the number of containers you are handling and your current method of container handling. Rather than quote a generic timeline, Mobicon Systems will work through your specific volumes and existing costs with you to give a realistic picture for your site.
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