Header-braced runway systems are self-supporting and work well where minimum floor obstructions are essential and the lowest obstruction in the building is high enough for the system to be installed while still giving adequate headroom (hook height).

The main component of a top running header-braced crane runway system is a top running bridge crane designed with the bridge on the top of the runway. No knee braces are required, increasing valuable production space. The runway is supported by the freestanding support columns each pair tied together by a header. Stand-alone workstation bridge cranes do not rely on building or support column integrity. Header-braced systems are ideal when the lowest obstruction in the building is high enough that it does not limit the hook height.