LBT vs. LBC: How the Two Designations Compare
A quick side-by-side before you choose. Designation names and scope are set by NCCCO — confirm current details on nccco.org.
| LBT — lattice boom truck | LBC — lattice boom crawler | |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier | Rubber-tired truck carrier, road-travel capable | Crawler tracks; moved between sites by trailer |
| Support while lifting | Outriggers extended and set on pads | Tracks bearing on prepared ground or mats |
| Pick and carry | Generally limited — check the chart | Often permitted within chart limits |
| Typical work | Shorter-duration jobs needing a lattice boom | Long projects, heavy civil, plants, duty-cycle |
Your LBT/LBC Crane Training Online Study Path
Designation scope
Which machines fall under each designation, and why your employer's fleet should drive your choice.
Chart structure by carrier
Over-the-side versus over-the-rear ratings on trucks; track-extended and travel ratings on crawlers; and the notes that change everything.
Support and ground loads
Outrigger pad sizing versus track bearing on mats — two different ways to get load into the ground.
Travel and pick-and-carry
Rules for moving with a load on crawlers, boom position during travel, and why trucks are treated differently.
Configuration changes
Adding inserts, jibs and counterweight, and how each change resets the capacity you're allowed to use.
Specialty exam practice
Question sets split by designation so you drill only what your exam will ask.
Studying for Two Designations Without Doubling the Work
Truck and crawler lattice cranes share a lot: boom and jib terminology, reeving, wire rope care, assembly hazards and chart notes. If you plan to hold both designations, study those shared topics once, then spend your remaining time on what's genuinely different.
For LBT, that means outrigger setup, over-the-side versus over-the-rear ratings and the limits of road-legal configurations. For LBC, focus on track-bearing pressure, travel with a suspended load and the larger counterweight packages many crawlers carry. Splitting your review this way keeps practice sessions short and targeted.
Finish with mixed practice so you're comfortable switching between truck and crawler charts on demand.
Who Should Study LBT, LBC or Both
- Truck crane operators adding a lattice designation
- Crawler operators formalizing their skills
- Operators already holding TLL
- Union apprentices
- Crane rental operators
- Companies standardizing crew credentials
Designations are earned one exam at a time
NCCCO mobile crane certification pairs a core written exam with one or more specialty exams, plus a practical for each designation you want. Our course prepares the knowledge side only. Read the NCCCO mobile crane operator certification overview for the rules on adding designations.
Tips From the Designation Decision
Test on what you'll run
If your company owns truck-mounted lattice cranes, LBT is the natural start; crawler-heavy fleets point to LBC.
Book the practical early
Lattice machines are scarcer at test sites than hydraulics. Use our test-site guide months ahead.
Add the second later
Once you hold one lattice designation, adding the other means passing that specialty written exam and its practical.