Abstract: A self-loading vehicle is equipped with a carriage movably mounted on a frame. The carriage may contain a plurality of different types of gripping structure in order to adapt the self-loading vehicle to accommodate the loading and unloading of different types of containers. The carriage may be moved on the frame by cables. The carriage includes a gripping structure in the form of a positionable tube carrying coupling members on opposite ends therefor adapted to engage slot-like castings in opposite corners of the containers. In addition, the carriage may also have gripping structure removably mounted thereon in the forms of hooks, lugs, eyes or rings which are adapted to engage cooperating structure on the container to be loaded and/or unloaded.