Unloading operation by the unloader is dependent on the experience of the operator in the cabin. If the operator receives information about the unloading situation in the process of lifting the bucket, it is possible to prevent the collision of the bucket with the ship structure. In recent years, numerous measurement systems have become available on the market for three-dimensional surveying of objects, but they are very expensive. This study presents a high quality, low cost 3D laser scanning system designed for object recognition. The developed 3D laser scanning system is built on the base of a 2D laser sensor by the extension with a servo motor and a rotation module. In order to evaluate performance of the developed 3D laser scanning system, the developed system was applied to scan a shape of hatch and cargo holder on a cargo ship. Experimental results showed that to obtain a 3D scanning data for the area around the hatch and cargo holder.