Grab Lorry Hire Across England, Scotland and Wales

Grab lorries are designed for dense, loose material that can be scooped up cleanly. Typical jobs include:

• Soil and rubble from extensions, landscaping and garden reshaping – see soil and rubble disposal.
• Hardcore and concrete removal after breaking out driveways, slabs, paths and foundations.
• Groundworks and excavation waste from footings, drainage runs, basements and site levelling.
• Bulk green waste and mixed inert material, where the supplier accepts it.

For a steady run of loads from an active dig, see muck-away services.

• Grab hire – the lorry arrives, loads the material itself with its hydraulic arm and leaves. Best for a heap of soil, rubble or hardcore that is ready to go, especially where it is behind a wall or fence.
• Tipper hire – the lorry has no arm, so it must be loaded by an excavator or loading shovel on site. Best for continuous excavation where a machine is already digging.
• Skip hire – a container stays on site and is filled over days or weeks. Best for waste produced gradually, mixed waste and smaller volumes.

Weight is usually the deciding factor. Soil and rubble are heavy, so a single skip fills by weight long before it is full by volume, and several skips may be needed for what one grab load handles. Our guide is grab hire cheaper than skip hire? compares the options in more depth.

The grab’s reach is a big advantage on tight sites, but a few points need checking before the lorry is booked:

• The pile must be within the grab’s reach, which depends on the vehicle specification.
• The lorry needs firm, level standing – a loaded eight-wheeler is very heavy and can damage driveways, block paving and soft verges.
• Overhead cables, trees and low structures can limit where the arm can work.
• On busy roads, parking restrictions or traffic management may be needed while the lorry loads.
• Width and weight limits on access roads should be mentioned when you enquire.

Photos of the pile and access route help the supplier confirm suitability.

Grab lorries can also deliver. Where suitable, a supplier can bring sub-base, sand, gravel or recycled aggregate and place it over a wall or onto a specific spot using the grab, which is useful where a tipper cannot get close. Some contractors book a grab to remove spoil and return with Type 1 on the same visit. See aggregate delivery.

Clean, single-type loads such as pure soil or pure hardcore are the easiest for suppliers to accept. Mixing in timber, plastics, plasterboard or general waste can change how the load is classified and where it can go. Soil that may be contaminated can need testing before it is accepted. All loads are moved by registered waste carriers to authorised sites with a waste transfer note.

For more information on grab lorries, you can also visit Waste Cloud’s dedicated site, Nationwide Grab Hire.