About Us

Our Story

Hear from our Founder, Liam Edwards, on what lead to the conception of Crane Class...

My journey into the world of cranes and heavy lifting began almost a decade ago. I landed my first job at a small crane company and was immediately tasked with the formidable challenge of setting up an engineering department to plan and execute heavy lifts safely and effectively. I was thrown into the deep end and had to figure out a lot on my own, quickly learning the expectations of tier-one sites. Gradually, the business achieved the ability to meet these high standards, which was a huge step forward for us.

Being thrown into the deep end at a growing startup was the best possible learning environment. It exposed me to all aspects of the crane business, not just engineering. While lift planning was my primary role, I was involved in operations, site inspections, sales, and even hands-on work on site. I know the pain of 300+ phone calls a day. This experience gave me a holistic understanding of the industry's challenges.

Tier-One Infrastructure

After completing my Civil and Infrastructure Engineering degree at RMIT, I felt I had absorbed all I could from the general hire world and made the jump to the West Gate Tunnel Project—the largest infrastructure project in the country at the time—a joint venture between CPB Contractors and John Holland Group.

Here, as Engineer and Lift Operations Coordinator for CPB, I worked alongside industry leaders to deliver a successful crane strategy on this mega-project. I created hundreds of lift plans, reviewed even more, and executed many successful lifts using a huge variety of cranes, including the CC 8800, LTM 1750, LG 1750, MLC 650, CC 3800, and many more.

Global Expertise

When the West Gate Tunnel Project faced commercial difficulties at the end of 2020, I was ready for my next challenge and joined BMS Heavy Cranes, the fifth-largest crane company globally, to lead engineering efforts in the Asia-Pacific region.

At BMS, I gained significant expertise in wind farm crane strategy, ensuring the efficient execution of over 20 major projects in both on and offshore wind farms across Australia, Asia, Europe, and the USA. This included planning and executing the erection of Wind Turbine Generators up to 169m hub height onshore and 800t weight offshore, using cranes with capacities up to 3000t. Getting up close to BMS’s 3000t Huisman Ring Crane at Osterild in Denmark is an experience I’ll never forget.

Recognising that engineering is more than just lift planning, I played a key role in business development for the Australian entity, ensuring we provided market-leading solutions and shared learnings from our European colleagues.

I also had the privilege of returning to the West Gate Tunnel Project, this time as a Project Manager and Lead Engineer for BMS, overseeing an 18-month scope installing 9600t of steel across 67 lifts with an LG 1750. I was honoured to accept the CICA Lift Of The Year Award >20T at the 2024 CICA conference for one of these lifts.

Throughout 2024, I transitioned to a part-time role at BMS, ensuring the department’s continued success while building the foundation for what would become Crane Class. Now, in 2025, I’m fully dedicated to this journey, empowering construction professionals with knowledge and expertise on cranes and heavy lifting, raising the standard globally.

Recognising The Knowledge Gap

Throughout my career, I’ve consistently encountered a significant challenge: the widespread lack of comprehensive crane knowledge within the construction industry. This isn’t due to a lack of effort or interest—it’s a systemic gap in education.

Most engineering degrees barely mention cranes, leaving graduates unprepared for the practical realities of the field.

Supervisors gain knowledge through experience but are never provided clear and succinct training on just what to look for during a lift.

Health & Safety Personnel might be capable of reading the SWMS but are never taught what it actually means to ‘ensure allowable ground bearing pressure is not exceeded’.

This knowledge gap can lead to costly mistakes, safety risks, and inefficiencies on site.

The Crane Class Solution

That’s why I founded Crane Class.

Crane Class is the resource I wish I’d had when I was starting. It’s built on the principle of providing practical, real-world knowledge that empowers construction professionals to confidently manage cranes and heavy lifts.

But it's more than just training; it’s about empowering people, and elevating projects.

It’s about bridging the education gap and raising industry standards.

Whether you’re new to the industry or looking to refine your skills, we provide the resources, training, and expertise to help you succeed.

Together, let’s elevate the standards of crane and heavy lift operations across the construction industry.

Liam Edwards | Heavy Lift Engineer & Founder of Crane Class