Purpose <p>This research introduces an innovative method to improve both performance and safety in overhead crane operations through the application of input shaping techniques.</p> Methods <p>It explores the use of Pacejka’s Magic Formula combined with input shaping to facilitate smoother crane maneuvers and minimize load sway.</p> Results <p>The newly proposed shaper is evaluated against traditional Zero-Vibration and Zero-Vibration and Derivative shapers, showing advancements in eliminating residual vibrations, increasing system robustness, and improving motor power performance and efficiency. The effectiveness of this method is confirmed through numerical simulations conducted with various cable lengths.</p> Conclusion <p>The numerical results revealed that the proposed shaper quantitatively compromises among the system’s performance parameters, while qualitatively enhancing them. Additionally, simplified fit functions for the proposed methods are developed, tested, implemented, and validated.</p>