A buyer from Nigeria who runs a solar panel business met our team at the 140th Canton Fair in October 2026, then travelled to our truck-mounted crane factory in Xuzhou, China, to see the cranes for himself. He had about three hours between trains. In that time he looked closely at our cranes, watched a live crane demonstration and inspected a complete truck-and-crane set that was about to ship to Venezuela. He paid a USD 500 deposit at Xuzhou East railway station just before his train left.
At a glance: Customer from Nigeria, solar panel business. Needed a truck and a truck-mounted crane as one package for moving and unloading goods. Path to the order: quotation before the fair, meeting at Booth 4.0F04 at the Canton Fair, a three-hour factory visit in Xuzhou. Result: USD 500 deposit paid at the station on the day of the visit. Visit date: October 2026, shortly after the fair.
Customer background: a Nigerian solar business that needs a truck and crane
The customer’s company works with solar panels in Nigeria. His business has to transport goods and load and unload them efficiently. So he was not looking for a crane on its own. He wanted a truck and a truck-mounted crane that work together, so one vehicle can carry the goods and lift them off at the other end.
We had been in contact before the fair and had already sent him a quotation based on his requirements. He knows the Chinese market well and has bought from China many times. For a buyer like this, a quotation is only the first step. What decides the order is the supplier’s real production capacity, the quality of the machine and the chance to see the actual equipment before it ships.
Meeting at the 140th Canton Fair
Phase 1 of the 140th Canton Fair ran from 15 to 19 October 2026 in Guangzhou. We invited the customer to our crane booth, where our BLZ90K4 knuckle boom crane, a 4.6 t crane with a 9 t·m lifting moment, was on display.
He looked closely at the crane’s finish, its structure and the overall build quality, and his feedback at the booth was very positive. Talking face to face also made his priorities clear. He needed a crane that could handle his lifting work, but he also wanted to confirm how the truck and the crane would be configured together, so the whole vehicle would suit the way his business uses it. At the end of the conversation he decided to come to our factory in Xuzhou to check the products in person.
A three-hour truck-mounted crane factory visit in Xuzhou
His travel schedule left very little room. He arrived at Xuzhou East railway station at 2 p.m. and had to leave Xuzhou for Xi’an at 5 p.m. That gave us about three hours from arrival to departure, including the trip between the station and the factory.
Because we knew the timetable in advance, we prepared the reception and the order of the visit before he arrived, so that no time was spent waiting. The afternoon looked like this:
| Time / part of the visit | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2 p.m. | Arrival at Xuzhou East railway station, transfer to the factory |
| At the factory | Close look at our truck-mounted cranes (structure, finish, workmanship), a live crane demonstration, a walk-around of a complete truck-and-crane set ready to ship to Venezuela, and a face-to-face discussion of his questions and purchase plan |
| About 5 p.m. | USD 500 deposit handed over at the station, departure for Xi’an |
What he saw on the factory floor
Photos, videos and a specification sheet only go so far. Standing next to the machine lets a buyer check the details he cares about. The visit covered four things.
- The cranes up close. He inspected the overall structure, the finish and the manufacturing quality of our cranes.
- A live demonstration. Our team operated a crane so he could see it working.
- A complete truck and crane set. As it happened, a truck with a mounted crane was at the factory, ready to ship to a customer in Venezuela. It showed him exactly what a finished truck-and-crane combination looks like, which was the question he had raised at the fair.
- Direct answers. We went through his questions on the spot to help him settle the configuration he wants.
Even with the tight timing, he was very satisfied with both the equipment he saw and the crane demonstration.
A deposit paid at the railway station
At the end of the visit the customer told us he was happy with the truck and crane he had seen, and he decided to pay a USD 500 deposit. The visit used every minute available, so the deposit was handed over at Xuzhou East station, after a rush to get there, and he only just made his train to Xi’an. That is also why there are only two photos of this customer: one from the fair and one from the factory.
From the first quotation, to the conversation at the Canton Fair, to a special trip to Xuzhou and a deposit on the same day, the visit moved the order forward in a concrete way. For this buyer, seeing the real crane and a finished truck-and-crane set is what turned a quotation into a deposit.
What other buyers can take from this visit
If you are planning to buy a truck-mounted crane from China, this visit points to a few practical steps:
- Use the trade fair to start, not to finish. A booth shows you the product and lets you meet the team. It is also the best moment to arrange a factory visit.
- Ask to see a complete truck-and-crane set. If you need the truck too, a crane on a stand does not answer every question. A finished set shows how the crane, subframe and truck fit together.
- Ask for a demonstration and check the load chart. Watch the crane work, then compare what it lifts at your working reach. Our guide on how to read a crane load chart explains how, and the tonnage selection guide helps you size the crane.
- Tell the factory your timetable. A short visit can still cover the essentials if the supplier knows how much time you have and prepares the order of the visit.
- Bring your truck details. Chassis model, wheelbase and the space behind the cab decide which crane fits. See our truck-mounted crane installation guide for what matters.
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit the BOB-LIFT factory in Xuzhou?
Yes. Customers from many countries, including Nigeria, have visited our factory. You can see photos from these visits on our Global Customer Visits page. Please contact us before you travel so we can plan the visit around your schedule.
Can BOB-LIFT supply the truck and the crane as one set?
Yes. The truck-and-crane set this customer inspected was prepared for a customer in Venezuela, and this customer is buying a truck and crane together. Tell us how you will use the vehicle when you ask for a quotation.
What if I only have a few hours for the visit?
Tell us your arrival and departure times in advance. This customer had about three hours between trains and still saw the cranes, a live demonstration and a complete truck-and-crane set.
Plan your own visit
We thank our customer from Nigeria for making the trip to Xuzhou on such a tight schedule. If you would like to see our truck-mounted cranes in person, send us your travel dates and we will prepare the visit, or browse more customer visits from around the world first.
Written by Achord Chan, Product Operations Director at BOB-LIFT, based on our sales team’s account of the visit. We do not publish the customer’s name or company.
