The paper discusses how to improve the efficiency and reliability of cranes, with a focus on the braking system and braking devices. Critical requirements for braking devices are emphasized, such as high reliability, stability of action, provision of sufficient braking torque, and smooth braking. Special attention is paid to the dynamic loads occurring during braking with classical friction brakes, and a design scheme of a spring-cam retarder is proposed, ensuring safety and operation efficiency. The new spring cam brake retarder is characterized by a simple and compact design, which provides smooth braking, and applying the principle of multithreading can increase the braking torque. The proposed retarder uses a cam mechanism, which provides smooth braking by gradually increasing the force acting on the friction pads. The dependencies for determining the braking torque of the spring cam retarder are given. The study confirms that the proposed design can effectively minimize dynamic loads, significantly improving cranes’ safety, durability, and overall performance. Thus, a new solution for crane braking systems is proposed, which combines simplicity of construction and high efficiency, which makes it promising for further application and development in this field.