Custom cable drum handling Cable Drum Trolley

Pick a cable drum up by its axle, move it with one person and pay cable out where the drum stands.

Designed and manufactured in the UK

Union Jack - Made in the UK

Made in the UK

Shield - 2 Year Warranty

2-Year Warranty

Globe - Global Distributors

Global Distributors

Graduation cap - Operator Training

Operator Training

Spanner - UK Service Team

UK Service Team

Cable Drum Trolley · how it carries
The drum turns freely

Carried on its own axle, not a platform, so cable pays out where the drum stands.

Walks with the tug

No forklift, no crane and no second person steadying the load.

Sized to the heaviest drum

Frame, lift and tug matched to your drum sizes, weights and floor. No single capacity figure, because it depends on the drum.

Lift, move and position a drum without a forklift.

The Cable Drum Trolley is an A-frame that backs under a drum, picks it up on its own axle and tows it behind a Tractive Power tug. One person does the whole job on foot: no forklift, no crane and no second pair of hands to steady the load.

Because the drum is carried on its axle rather than on a platform, it can turn freely. That means cable can be paid out directly from the drum where it stands, so there is no extra handling step between delivery and installation.

Every trolley is built at Cheddleton to suit the drums you handle. Send us your drum sizes and weights and we size the frame, the lift and the tug to match.

Render of the Tractive Power cable drum trolley: an orange A-frame with a towbar carrying a copper-wound cable drum on its axle
Cable drum trolley applications across industry

What the Cable Drum Trolley moves.

Electric tug coupled to a large cable drum trailer in a rail depotPaper & cableFinished drums to despatchCable makers moving finished drums from the line to the yard, one person per drum.Electric tugs for Paper & cableTP2000 electric tug moving a large steel frame in a factoryConstructionCable paid out on siteUtility and telecoms contractors unwinding cable from the drum where it stands.Electric tugs for ConstructionTP3000 pushing a Supertram over the wheel lathe at SheffieldRailSignalling and power cableRail depots moving drums between stores, yard and trackside without a forklift.Electric tugs for RailElectric tug pulling a 9,000 kg machine cabinet across a factory floorEngineeringDrums through the worksAnywhere a drum has to cross a yard or go through a building full of people.Electric tugs for Engineering & manufacturing
At work in

How it works

Three steps, one operator.

Orange cable drum trolley frame positioned under the axle of a wooden cable drum in a yard

1. Back the frame under the axle

The tug reverses the trolley up to the drum and the frame locates on the drum axle. No lifting gear is needed to get started.

Operator with an electric tug lifting a large wooden cable drum clear of the ground on the cable drum trolley

2. Lift the drum clear

The trolley raises the drum off the ground on its axle, so the drum rolls on the trolley wheels rather than its flanges.

Operator towing a wooden cable drum on the cable drum trolley with an electric tug across a depot yard

3. Tow it, then pay out in situ

One person walks the drum to where it is needed. Because the drum sits on its axle, cable can be unwound without taking it off the trolley.

The machine

Supplied with the Tractive Pusher that suits your drums.

The trolley is one half of the system; the other half is the tug that moves it. Any Tractive Pusher can tow it. Which one depends on the size and weight of the drum, the floor it runs over and any gradients on the route, and we confirm the pairing before anything is built. The tug keeps its standard coupling, so it is still available for other jobs.

UP TO 4,000 KG ON CASTORS

TP250 Tractive Pusher

4,000 kg on castors and 20,000 kg on rails, in standard and Compact versions, for smaller drums and tighter yards.

TP250 Tractive Pusher

UP TO 8,000 KG ON CASTORS

TP500 Tractive Pusher

8,000 kg on castors and 40,000 kg on rails, with a Compact version for tight spaces.

TP500 Tractive Pusher

12,000 KG AND ABOVE

Extra Heavy range

TP1000, TP2000 and TP3000: power steered, from 12,000 kg up to 30,000 kg on castors, for the largest drums and longer runs across a site.

Extra Heavy range

Other ways to move a drum

Trolley, trailer or coupling?

Not every drum needs a trolley. We will tell you which is the right fit when we know the drum sizes and the route.

Paper roll coupling

Smaller drums and reels roll on their circumference behind the tug, with no trolley at all. Fits the TP250 and above.

See the coupling

Road trailer and towing coupling

Drums that already sit on a road trailer are towed by the tug with a towing coupling, so the trailer stays as it is.

Cable drums on the custom page

Cable Drum Trolley

For drums that have to be lifted, moved and paid out in situ by one person. Built to your drum sizes.

Tell us about your drums

Ways to buy

Buy outright, hire, or spread the cost.

Every machine is available three ways. Tell us what you’re moving and how long you need it for, and we’ll include the options in your quotation.

Outright purchase

Buy the tug and own it from day one. Every machine is built in the UK and comes with a 2-year warranty and the backing of our UK service team.

Ask for a quotation

Hire agreement

Hire a tug for a project, a seasonal peak or a trial before you commit. Short and long-term hire agreements, with the machine fitted with the right coupling for your load.

Ask about hire

Finance available

Spread the cost of a new machine with a finance agreement. Finance is available on every tug in the range, so ask us to include the options with your quotation.

Ask about finance

Load Check

Will the Cable Drum Trolley suit your drums?

Tell us the drum diameters, widths and loaded weights, the floor they travel over and how far they go. We’ll come back with the trolley, the tug and a price.

Rather talk it through? Call 01538 360372.

What does it run on? *
What's the floor like?

One of our engineers will look at your load and call you back to talk it through. We'll only use your details for that.

Frequently Asked

Cable drum trolley: your questions

Yes. The trolley is designed for single-operator, pedestrian use. The operator walks with the tug, lifts the drum from the tug controls and tows it to position without a second person steadying the load.

No. The frame backs under the drum axle and lifts the drum itself, so no separate lifting equipment is involved. That is the main reason customers choose it over a forklift: it keeps lifting equipment out of pedestrian areas.

Yes. The drum is carried on its axle, so it is free to turn. Cable can be paid out directly from the trolley at the point of installation.

Each trolley is built to the drums you use, so send us your drum diameters, widths and loaded weights and we size the frame and the tug to suit. We do not publish a single capacity figure because the right answer depends on the drum and the floor.

The trolley is supplied as a system with a Tractive Pusher, and any machine in the TP range can tow it. Which one depends on the size and weight of the drum, the floor and the route. We confirm the tug once we know your heaviest drum.